You may be familiar with the “horseshoe theory” in political science, suggesting that far-left and far-right groups share similarities and are closer to each other than to the political center. In a similar vein, I’d like to propose the “horseshuwu effect” for horror and cute games, suggesting that beyond a certain threshold of cuteness, a video game can unexpectedly transition into feelings of dread and nausea.
As an illustration, consider the striking yet unsettling transformation brought about by the Saccharinity of Starfield mod. Developed by lucyprrrr and the Sakura Candy Society, this mod gives Starfield’s elements such as items, spaceships, buildings, vegetation, planet models, and even characters a Barbie-doll makeover, reminiscent of an intensely vibrant shoujo anime. The excess of pink and pastels may be overwhelming for some.
While I can somewhat tolerate the mod’s pastel-colored, lower-resolution interior props, the toy figurine aesthetic of the redesigned outfits aligns with Bethesda Softworks games’ tendency to be vast collections of memorabilia with an RPG hidden inside, clamoring for an inventory upgrade.
However, the planets in the mod appear unsettling, resembling colossal bath bombs on the brink of disintegration, ready to flood entire star systems with violently-scented foam. The innocent character models in the game are not spared, with “uwu” written on their eyeballs by Lucyprrrr. Even if Starfield’s companions are not highly regarded, one might question if they deserve such a fate.
To offset this cuteness overload, I recommend exploring intentionally “cute horror” games like Amanita Design’s Happy Game or Tattletail. While they may not be featured on our best horror games list, Little Nightmares 2, with its occasional “cute” elements, has secured a spot.