Action horror games hinge on personal, enigmatic fear, shaped by designers' intentional choices and lasting impacts.

What is the scariest moment in an action horror video game?

Is it your first encounter with the Xenomorph in Alien: Isolation? The iconic zombie dog jump scare in Resident Evil or the slow trek through Half-Life 2's Ravenholm?

Fear is personal and enigmatic, so how do developers deliver a memorable horror experience?

Beyond Fear: Inside Action Horror Games is an intimate collection of exclusive first-hand interviews that dissect the intentional design choices of the genre's best and most interesting games. It's a book about success, failure and lasting impact.

John Romero examines DOOM's overlooked horror. Ken Levine wrestles with how his perfectionism led to mistakes in BioShock, and Half-Life's Marc Laidlaw confronts the prospect of a career unfulfilled. The contrasting fortunes of Aliens: Colonial Marines and Alien: Isolation are charted by those who lived it. Resident Evil Village star Maggie Robertson celebrates Lady Dimitrescu, plus much more.

Nick Akerman peels back the skin of action horror games to reveal emotional stories and the decisions that can make or break the people behind them.