The main criteria are:
1. Use of Theme – How well is your game actually based on a real serial killer? The connection should be clear and recognizable.
2. Scare Factor – How believable and genuinely scary is your game? Realism goes a long way here.
3. Atmosphere / Environment – How well did you build the world and tone? A strong, unsettling atmosphere is WAY more effective than cheap jumpscares.
4. Story – How creative and well-executed is your story? There are a couple great directions you can take, like create a near 1 to 1 game of a real, verified case. That can be super interesting/scary to play knowing it closely reflects real events. Or, research your chosen killer and build a very believable story inspired by real facts, this could be a psychological horror exploring how they became who they are, or a narrative based on documented events.