Haunted House

Image via WikipediaA spooky house. A staple of Horror. Where Haunted Castles would appear in European tales, theHaunted House takes its place in American stories. It is commonly associated with bumps in the night, strange lights, and a shady history involving violence and terror.When you enter, the "wind" closes the door behind you.

Creepy portraits may adorn the walls and the eyes may literally follow your every move. Mirrors reflect things that aren't there... when they aren't all broken. The house itself may seem alive, having a mind of its own, yet it may be surrounded by dead trees and blackened grass. Will usually be always in permanent night time, if not having localised Grave Clouds.It might be a ramshackle abandoned shack standing alone. Or a Big Fancy House maintained by aCreepy Housekeeper. Or a typical suburban home built on an Indian Burial Ground.This is somewhat a Discredited Trope nowadays, with parodies and amusement park attractions being similarly popular to the straight portrayals. It's also an enduring trope, however, with stories of haunted houses going back at least to the ancient Romans, making it Older Than Feudalism.Compare Haunted Headquarters, which is any haunted primary setting, and Old Dark House, which may or may not have a supernatural element. Big Boos Haunt is this trope in video games. will often end up invoking Never Recycle A Building, for good reason.