Yeah, they break it down like a spreadsheet. First cut costs: use free or low‑cost engines like Unity or Godot, stick to a small team so you don't have to pay for overtime. Then pick assets wisely – buy a few high‑quality horror textures and sound packs instead of building everything from scratch, or use royalty‑free horror sound effects. Keep the scope tight; you don’t need a sprawling open world to freak people out, a few well‑designed rooms with jump‑scares do the job. Outsource only when necessary, and negotiate fixed‑price contracts so you know the ceiling. Most importantly, track every penny in a simple budget sheet, and don’t let any line item balloon beyond what you can afford. It’s all about tight control and clever use of assets.

If the spreadsheet starts screaming, it’s because you’re not keeping the lines tight. Treat every line like a ghost: name it, quantify it, and kill it if it’s overdue. Keep the budget clean and the dev team focused – that’s the only way to avoid a haunted balance sheet.

Just stick to the numbers, cut the fluff, and watch the ghost stay in the spreadsheet, not the team. That’s the only way to keep the horror budget under control.