The content often plays on our deepest fears. For example, threats of something bad happening to us or our loved ones. It also makes use of the fact that text messages are a very personal form of communication, so when something scary comes through that medium, it feels more invasive.
The atmosphere. They create a really spooky mood that makes you feel uneasy.
The atmosphere. Gabriella Games creates a really tense atmosphere in their scary text stories. For example, they might use a lot of descriptions of dark and gloomy places, like an old cemetery at midnight. The silence broken only by the howling wind makes it spooky.
There could be a story where the text messages start off normal but then gradually turn menacing. Maybe it starts with friendly greetings from someone claiming to be an old friend, but then the messages start to contain veiled threats like 'You better watch out. I know your secrets'. This can be really terrifying as it plays on our fear of the unknown and our secrets being exposed.
The unknown element. In scary text stories, often the sender of the text is not known. Like in a story where a person gets texts from a number that's not in their contacts and the texts are threatening. It's the mystery of who is behind those texts that scares us.
In some gabriella games' scary text message stories, there might be a text that comes in the middle of the night. It says 'I'm watching you' and then your phone starts to glitch. It's really creepy because you don't know who sent it and it feels like someone is really spying on you.
The sense of being watched or targeted. In text message scary stories, the recipient often feels like they are in danger. Like the story where a teenager gets texts that say things like 'I know where you are right now' while they are walking alone at night. It gives a real sense of dread.
Sure. There's a story where a girl named Gabby starts getting text messages from a blocked number. The messages say things like 'I'm in your house'. Gabby is initially scared but tries to rationalize it. However, as she walks around her house, she hears strange noises that match the timing of the text messages. In the end, she discovers that it was her prank - loving brother all along, but the initial fear was very real.
The unknown elements in 21 scary stories often make them frightening. When we don't know what's lurking in the dark or what will happen next, it creates fear.
Often, it's the combination of elements. It could be the setting, like a dark and isolated place in the stories. And the characters' vulnerability. If the main character in one of the 7 stories is all alone in a spooky old mansion with no way to escape, that's pretty frightening. Also, the use of suspense, like when the story builds up to a big scare moment but keeps you in suspense for a while.
Often, elements like the unknown, things that go against the normal order, or the sense of being in danger make a scary text story frightening. For example, if there are mysterious noises or figures in the story, it creates suspense and fear.