The player controls a long, thin creature, resembling a snake, which roams around on a bordered plane, picking up food (or some other item), trying to avoid hitting its own tail or the edges of the playing area.
The enjoyment that some people get from fear is likely not from fear itself. Instead, thrills stem from the physical and emotional release that follows scary situations, according to Seeker, a division of Discovery. For some horror fans, the desire to feel fear is a manifestation of an adrenaline-seeking personality.
So why do we like it? It is a combination of an adrenaline rush and an opportunity to learn about dealing with scary situations in a safe environment, researchers say. Clasen and his colleagues identified three broad types of horror fans: adrenaline junkies, white knucklers and dark copers.