MECHANICS
After this page:- You have a wide range of mechanics to use
- You have tried various mechanics in your gameplay to provide variation
MECHANICS
Here's some ideas and samples for mechanics :)
MECHANICS
Here's some ideas and samples for mechanics :)
LIMITATIONS & MECHANICS
What would a time limit do?
What would energy economy do?
What would a limited amount of a core item do?
Make unlimited into limited
Inventory and its size
Size of space, introduce expanding
Risk & Reward
Rock-Paper-Scissors
Opposite goal
Chaser becomes the chased one
Gain some, lose some
Booster power-up to change balance
LIMITATIONS & MECHANICS
What would a time limit do?
What would energy economy do?
What would a limited amount of a core item do?
Make unlimited into limited
Inventory and its size
Size of space, introduce expanding
Risk & Reward
Rock-Paper-Scissors
Opposite goal
Chaser becomes the chased one
Gain some, lose some
Booster power-up to change balance
POWER-UPS
Magnet, Fan
Missile
Bigger size, Smaller size, More power, More speed, Bigger Jumps
Immunity, Invisibility
Ammo
Thermal vision
Tesla – shoots around randomly
Hidden items
Bullet time, Double Time, Extra Time
”Multiball”
Health pack, Extra life
0 gravity
Grip, Bounce
Key & Lock, Levers
POWER-UPS
Magnet, Fan
Missile
Bigger size, Smaller size, More power, More speed, Bigger Jumps
Immunity, Invisibility
Ammo
Thermal vision
Tesla – shoots around randomly
Hidden items
Bullet time, Double Time, Extra Time
”Multiball”
Health pack, Extra life
0 gravity
Grip, Bounce
Key & Lock, Levers
PAPER PROTO
Do this once you have the core gameplay ready do this: Draw it on paper
Create paper power-ups, level objects, characters, npc
Cut them
Play the game
–You can play it turn based with dice
Does it work? Is it fun?
You can also draw any other screen to test it
PAPER PROTO
Do this once you have the core gameplay ready do this: Draw it on paper
Create paper power-ups, level objects, characters, npc
Cut them
Play the game
–You can play it turn based with dice
Does it work? Is it fun?
You can also draw any other screen to test it
WORK EARLY ENOUGH WITH THE SCORE SYSTEM
Out of the 100 games I've worked with the score system surprised me suddenly, During the project I considered it obvious - until we really had to do it - and it came obvious quite soon that what I had in mind just didn't work.
Think what will be your scoring system in the game!
How will a good player do?
How will a bad player do?
Is there variation? Will best players always get like 200 - if so, create variation and ways for players to never get the same
What do you get from ”kills”?
Does time affect? How?
What do you do with score? Is there a shop?
What is the high score?
How will score work between different game modes?
Should I have leaderboards?
Create the score system and calculate how player will do!
Introduce combos, double points power-ups
Have score system contribute to replay value
Sometimes a limit like "survive" or "make it in time" can be a much clearer objective than "Get 10320 points"
WORK EARLY ENOUGH WITH THE SCORE SYSTEM
Out of the 100 games I've worked with the score system surprised me suddenly, During the project I considered it obvious - until we really had to do it - and it came obvious quite soon that what I had in mind just didn't work.
Think what will be your scoring system in the game!
How will a good player do?
How will a bad player do?
Is there variation? Will best players always get like 200 - if so, create variation and ways for players to never get the same
What do you get from ”kills”?
Does time affect? How?
What do you do with score? Is there a shop?
What is the high score?
How will score work between different game modes?
Should I have leaderboards?
Create the score system and calculate how player will do!
Introduce combos, double points power-ups
Have score system contribute to replay value
Sometimes a limit like "survive" or "make it in time" can be a much clearer objective than "Get 10320 points"
TETRIS SAMPLE - TETRIS MECHANICS VARIATIONS
A simple variation to Tetris is a game like 1010. Here we only change how you get the pieces. Instead of them dropping, you get them to the bottom and from there you can place them anywhere.
What is your variation?
What is the Risk & Reward in Tetris?
The risk is every time you decide to turn a piece to a certain position, you might run out of space. The reward will be fitting the piece optimally and maybe removing a row.
EXERCISE: RISK & REWARD
Intermediate - 10 mins - 1h
TETRIS SAMPLE - TETRIS MECHANICS VARIATIONS
A simple variation to Tetris is a game like 1010. Here we only change how you get the pieces. Instead of them dropping, you get them to the bottom and from there you can place them anywhere.
What is your variation?
What is the Risk & Reward in Tetris?
The risk is every time you decide to turn a piece to a certain position, you might run out of space. The reward will be fitting the piece optimally and maybe removing a row.
EXERCISE: RISK & REWARD
Intermediate - 10 mins - 1h
EXERCISE: NEW SET OF EYES /TWISTED GRAVITY
Easy - 10-20 mins
EXERCISE: NEW SET OF EYES /TWISTED GRAVITY
Easy - 10-20 mins
EXERCISE: CASUAL SNAKE
Intermediate - 30 mins
EXERCISE: CASUAL SNAKE
Intermediate - 30 mins
EXERCISE: CASUAL CROSSWORDS
Intermediate - Day task
EXERCISE: CASUAL CROSSWORDS
Intermediate - Day task
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