Spellbound Exploration
Controls:
A/D or Arrow Keys to move, spacebar to jump. Number keys to select targeted spells, click to cast, Q, E and Shift for spells that don't require aiming.
Patterns:
Design Problem:
Player phasing abilities implemented in completely linear games make the mechanic itself uninteresting, as the strategies the player can use the mechanic for are severely limited when they cannot solve puzzles or engage in combat in unique ways.
Pattern Description:
When designing a game and its levels, linearity is a consideration for designers. However, phasing through walls is a mechanic that is inherently non-linear, as walls are generally the boundary in levels to keep linearity. Thus, an interesting juxtaposition arises, where phasing as an ability is made more meaningful as a mechanic the less linear a game or level is, thus giving them an inverse relationship.
In other words, a linear game would lead to a meaningless phasing mechanic, as the only way forward is through the set progression route, thus ruining the player’s enjoyment of the mechanic. It follows such that, when implementing player phasing in games, there has to be some form of nonlinearity implemented in the game, else the mechanic’s effect on the players is all flash and no substance, ruining the high level of player engagement that phasing can create and making the mechanic shallow. Therefore, incorporation of nonlinear gameplay and levels is necessary for creating the engaging gameplay that the mechanic strives to achieve.
Design Problem:
Traditional blocking and dodging mechanics often limit defensive play by making it purely reactive and passive, leading to a lower skill ceiling and putting defensive-minded players at a disadvantage in combat games
Pattern Description:
Introducing parrying into combat games is more than just adding another button press—it’s a comprehensive design decision that reshapes how players approach conflict. In traditional combat systems, offensive strategies often dominate, and defensive tactics can feel reactive or secondary. By implementing parrying, developers create a mechanic where defense is not merely about blocking or evading but about actively countering an opponent’s moves.
Design Problem:
How can game designers create a satisfying, free flowing, or otherwise powerful movement system for the player while maintaining balance with all the other systems in the game?
Pattern Description:
One way of creating a balanced but still satisfying movement system is to give the player a large variety of movement mechanics, like grappling, jumping, dashing, teleporting, etc., that are individually weak/underwhelming but create a powerful movement system when chained together effectively. This solves the issue of balance by creating a high skill ceiling system where the effectiveness of the player’s movement is essentially proportional to their skill in using said system. This also means integrating the mechanics in such a way that allows them all to be used together seamlessly.
Not All That Compounds is Gold
Design Problem:
How do designers make compound mechanics that give each of their atomic mechanics space to shine?
Pattern Description:
When implementing compound mechanics, implementing several weaker mechanics that function in tandem to have higher skill expression and movement capabilities creates a more engaging mechanical player experience than combining several strong mechanics.
Although several strong mechanics can lead to an engaging power fantasy, they dilute the capabilities of each other as their combined usage isn’t as important for game progression, as a singular strong mechanic can generally be enough to advance through the game.
Therefore, several weaker mechanics give each mechanic more individual value, as they become a sum larger than the value of their parts.
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