Audiovisual and Psychological Dimensions of Creepypasta: A Comparative Media Analysis

This paper dives into the fascinating journey of creepypasta, a digital-born horror subgenre, as it evolved from simple text-based folklore into immersive audiovisual experiences that blur the lines between fiction and reality. Starting with a quick overview of creepypasta's history, the research then shifts to a side-by-side media analysis of two contrasting creepypasta forms: The Backrooms saga and Username:666. It goes on to explore how each piece uses unique audiovisual techniques and psychological tricks to stir up feelings of fear, discomfort, and the uncanny. By applying Tomkins’ Affect Theory, Freudian dream-work, and Baudrillard’s concept of simulacra, this study reveals how The Backrooms crafts a gamified and hyperreal liminal space, while Username:666 taps into YouTube aesthetics and digital glitches to draw viewers into a world of media-generated horror. Both projects reflect the broader trend of creepypasta as guerrilla media, marked by its participatory, grassroots, and transmedia qualities. Through this perspective, the research looks at how audiovisual design, platform specificity, and psychological impact come together in modern digital horror storytelling. The findings offer insight into how creepypasta functions not only as audiovisual entertainment but also as a cultural response to mediated anxiety, digital immersion, decreasing borders of reality, and mainstream media. Thus, this paper aims to fill a gap in psychologically based audiovisual analysis in creepypasta media.