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Ability Losses | The loss of ability to perform an action in the game. | [
"Games do not have to let players have the same possibility of actions the whole game. Such [[Ability Losses]] may be the cause of [[Penalties]] for failing goals or the effect of opponents' actions, but may also simply be due to different play modes."
] | [
"The design of [[Ability Losses]] consists of deciding what action is lost, for example a severe form of Movement Limitation, and the reason for the loss, typically a [[Penalty]] for failing a goal. A loss of ability can be used to create [[Gain Competence]] goals in order to regain it, or [[Gain Ownership]] if the ability was the effect of a [[Tool]].",
"A loss of ability affects [[Player Balance]]. If the lost ability was possessed by most or all players, it is a [[Penalty]], but if the ability was a [[Privileged Ability]] and other players did not have other forms of actions that equaled the lost ability in value, the loss can affirm [[Player Balance]] and is a [[Balancing Effect]] if explicitly designed. The [[Penalty]] of [[Ability Loss]] can also be mitigated by having a [[Time Limit]] on the loss or by giving the same player [[New Abilities]] within other areas."
] | [
"[[Ability Loss]] is a common [[Penalty]], for example, by the effects of [[Damage]]. Losing an ability naturally restricts the [[Limited Set of Actions]] available and thereby players' [[Freedom of Choice]], either on a [[Unit]] level or for the player overall, and may cause [[Competence Areas]] to be lost as well. In extreme cases, [[Ability Loss]] may cause players to have [[Downtime]], and if the loss is temporary, this is equal to [[Player Killing]] and, if permanent, to [[Player Elimination]]. An [[Ability Loss]] may reduce the complexity of a game while increasing the difficulty, modulating [[Right Level of Complexity]] and [[Right Level of Difficulty]] in different directions.",
"Besides [[Penalties]], [[Ability Losses]] may be the natural affect of [[New Abilities]] that had [[Time Limits]]. Other causes for [[Ability Losses]] can be [[Spawning]] after losing a Life or [[Role Reversals]] where the losses of some abilities are usually countered by [[New Abilities]] in other [[Competence Areas]]. If the [[Ability Losses]] severely affect how players can complete goals, they hinder them to have a [[Perceived Chance to Succeed]] and any [[Illusion of Influence]].",
"The presence of [[Units]] in a game with [[Privileged Abilities]] regarding other [[Units]] controlled by the same player gives that player the [[Continuous Goals]] to make the [[Units]] [[Survive]] (or not be [[Captured]]) in order to not have [[Ability Loss]]. If the [[Units]] are under [[Indirect Control]], the loss may not be so severe, as control can be regained.",
"[[Ability Losses]] are not commonly used to advance [[Narrative Structures]] unless they are [[Ultra-Powerful Events]], since players may see goals in resisting the loss, especially in games that support [[Save-Load Cycles]]. One reason for enforcing these types of [[Ability Losses]] in [[Narrative Structures]] is as part of [[Character Development]]. When the losses are part of the game story, they do provide a form of [[Varied Gameplay]], as players have to adjust to a [[Limited Set of Actions]], which may be used to modulate the[[Right Level of Difficulty]]. However, [[Ability Losses]] may be enforced by a game design to ensure a [[Narrative Structure]], although this may be in conflict with a [[Consistent Reality Logic]], for example, making it impossible to attack shopkeepers in computer-based roleplaying games when it is possible to attack monsters.",
"In games with [[Game Masters]], [[Ability Losses]] may be the outcome of [[Negotiation]] with the players in order to restore [[Player Balance]] and provide the[[Right Level of Difficulty]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Gain Competence",
"Continuous Goals",
"Character Development",
"Penalties",
"Downtime",
"Player Elimination",
"Limited Set of Actions",
"Varied Gameplay",
"Gain Ownership"
],
"Modulates": [
"Damage",
"Player Balance",
"New Abilities",
"Narrative Structures",
"Right Level of Difficulty",
"Right Level of Complexity",
"Spawning",
"Player Killing"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Movement Limitations",
"Ultra-Powerful Events",
"Role Reversal"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Time Limits",
"Units",
"Balancing Effects",
"Indirect Control",
"Game Masters",
"Negotiation",
"New Abilities"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Competence Areas",
"Illusion of Influence",
"Save-Load Cycles",
"Freedom of Choice",
"Consistent Reality Logic",
"Perceived Chance to Succeed",
"Narrative Structures"
]
} | [
"Respawning in multiplayer first-person shooters is typically done without any weapons, and the special abilities they provided, gained in earlier gameplay.",
"Game masters in roleplaying games can sometimes be forced to invent events that are unavoidable to the players to strip them of equipment that gives the abilities that disrupt the game balance."
] | 8. Actions and Events Patterns | [
{
"name": "Indirect Control",
"file": "IndirectControl"
},
{
"name": "Competence Areas",
"file": "CompetenceAreas"
},
{
"name": "Freedom of Choice",
"file": "FreedomofChoice"
},
{
"name": "Gain Competence",
"file": "GainCompetence"
},
{
"name": "Damage",
"file": "Damage"
},
{
"name": "Character Development",
"file": "CharacterDevelopment"
},
{
"name": "Player Killing",
"file": "PlayerKilling"
},
{
"name": "Ultra-Powerful Events",
"file": "Ultra-PowerfulEvents"
},
{
"name": "Downtime",
"file": "Downtime"
},
{
"name": "Role Reversal",
"file": "RoleReversal"
},
{
"name": "Game Masters",
"file": "GameMasters"
},
{
"name": "Consistent Reality Logic",
"file": "ConsistentRealityLogic"
},
{
"name": "Time Limits",
"file": "TimeLimits"
},
{
"name": "Spawning",
"file": "Spawning"
},
{
"name": "Save-Load Cycles",
"file": "Save-LoadCycles"
},
{
"name": "Limited Set of Actions",
"file": "LimitedSetofActions"
},
{
"name": "Movement Limitations",
"file": "MovementLimitations"
},
{
"name": "Perceived Chance to Succeed",
"file": "PerceivedChancetoSucceed"
},
{
"name": "Right Level of Complexity",
"file": "RightLevelofComplexity"
},
{
"name": "New Abilities",
"file": "NewAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Balancing Effects",
"file": "BalancingEffects"
},
{
"name": "Right Level of Difficulty",
"file": "RightLevelofDifficulty"
},
{
"name": "Player Balance",
"file": "PlayerBalance"
},
{
"name": "Penalties",
"file": "Penalties"
},
{
"name": "Varied Gameplay",
"file": "VariedGameplay"
},
{
"name": "Gain Ownership",
"file": "GainOwnership"
},
{
"name": "Negotiation",
"file": "Negotiation"
},
{
"name": "Narrative Structures",
"file": "NarrativeStructures"
},
{
"name": "Illusion of Influence",
"file": "IllusionofInfluence"
},
{
"name": "Continuous Goals",
"file": "ContinuousGoals"
},
{
"name": "Player Elimination",
"file": "PlayerElimination"
},
{
"name": "Units",
"file": "Units"
}
] | AbilityLosses | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "AbilityLosses.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Achilles' Heels | A special weakness of an enemy that can be used to defeat that enemy much easier than by other means. | [
"Many of the more difficult enemies in games can more easily, or in some cases only, be defeated by a special form of attack. These kinds of enemies have an Achilles Heel, a special weakness that players can use to their advantage if they can locate it or gain knowledge about it."
] | [
"[[Achilles' Heels]] are most commonly used to make [[Boss Monsters]] easier to [[Overcome]]. The two main design choices regarding [[Achilles' Heels]] are their effects related to normal attacks, what is required to attack the weak point, and how players become aware of the [[Achilles' Heels]].",
"Three main ways that attacks against [[Achilles' Heels]] can affect enemies are: through simply modifying the [[Damage]], through having a special effect (for example stunning or confusing), or through being the only way to cause [[Damage]] at all. The two latter can be seen as forms of Privileged Actions. When anyone can attack the Achilles Heel, the only thing required is information about the Achilles Heel, while, if only some players can attack it, the weak point can create the need to fulfill [[Gain Competence]] goals or acquire the right [[Tools]]. Players can gain awareness of [[Achilles' Heels]] through the development of the [[Narrative Structure]], through [[Clues]] and [[Traces]] in the area the enemy inhabits, or through [[Experimenting]] when fighting the enemy. Gaining this information can be a [[Gain Information]] goal and [[Supporting Goal]] when part of the [[Narrative Structure]], which may in turn require other [[Supporting Goals]] to actually be able to use the information, if the Achilles Heel requires a specific form of [[Tool]]. [[Public Information]] about [[Achilles' Heels]] can be used to set the [[Right Level of Difficulty]] to a lower level."
] | [
"The presence of [[Achilles' Heels]] is a form of [[Strategic Knowledge]] that players can use in [[Combat]]. This can be used to provide the [[Right Level of Difficulty]] and can motivate [[Gain Information]] and [[Puzzle Solving]] if the Achilles Heel is not [[Public Information]]. As Achilles Heels often require unique forms of attack or more specific uses of ordinary actions, having to perform them gives [[Varied Gameplay]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Strategic Knowledge",
"Gain Information",
"Supporting Goals",
"Varied Gameplay",
"Right Level of Difficulty",
"Experimenting",
"Puzzle Solving"
],
"Modulates": [
"Damage",
"Combat",
"Overcome",
"Boss Monsters"
],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"Public Information",
"Narrative Structures",
"Tools",
"Clues",
"Traces"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"The final monster in Half-Life can only be damaged by first hitting a special area.",
"Boss monsters in games such as Zelda or Super Mario Sunshine usually can only be defeated by special actions, such as grabbing hold of the enemies' tail and spinning around rapidly or hitting the enemies' so that it shows a vulnerable spot and then hitting that spot.",
"Many monsters in roleplaying games can only be damaged by certain weapons, for example silver or magic weapons. This kind of vulnerability can be seen as a kind of Achilles Heel even though it is not defined by a specific area but by a specific type of attack."
] | 14. Game Design Patterns for Game Mastery and Balancing | [
{
"name": "Tools",
"file": "Tools"
},
{
"name": "Traces",
"file": "Traces"
},
{
"name": "Boss Monsters",
"file": "BossMonsters"
},
{
"name": "Public Information",
"file": "PublicInformation"
},
{
"name": "Strategic Knowledge",
"file": "StrategicKnowledge"
},
{
"name": "Narrative Structures",
"file": "NarrativeStructures"
},
{
"name": "Combat",
"file": "Combat"
},
{
"name": "Overcome",
"file": "Overcome"
},
{
"name": "Clues",
"file": "Clues"
},
{
"name": "Supporting Goals",
"file": "SupportingGoals"
},
{
"name": "Right Level of Difficulty",
"file": "RightLevelofDifficulty"
},
{
"name": "Experimenting",
"file": "Experimenting"
},
{
"name": "Damage",
"file": "Damage"
},
{
"name": "Varied Gameplay",
"file": "VariedGameplay"
},
{
"name": "Puzzle Solving",
"file": "PuzzleSolving"
},
{
"name": "Gain Information",
"file": "GainInformation"
}
] | Achilles'Heels | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Achilles'Heels.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Agents | Entities in games that take the roles of players but are controlled by the game system. | [
"Sometimes one cannot find enough players to make a game playable or enjoyable. To make gameplay possible in these situations, the game design may provide means of simulating players. These simulated players, or [[Agents]], can also be used to flesh out team-based games so that the teams are of equal size or simply let players train without having to play against other people."
] | [
"Creating [[Agents]] requires that [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]] can sufficiently simulate the actions and plans of players, which in many cases requires significant computer power and AI programming. However, the skill of these [[Agents]] can easily be downgraded once they have been created and this can be used to create [[Handicaps]] for players."
] | [
"[[Agents]] provide the possibility to play [[Multiplayer Games]] when not enough players are available by providing [[Enemies]] controlled by the game system. This allows for [[Competition]], [[Conflict]], and [[Tied Results]], and even [[Social Interaction]] to be present, or at least simulated, in situations where they would otherwise be impossible."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Enemies",
"Tied Results"
],
"Modulates": [
"Conflict",
"Competition",
"Multiplayer Games",
"Handicaps",
"Social Interaction"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Dedicated Game Facilitators"
],
"Modulated by": [],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"Bots in first-person shooters or real-time strategy games let players simulate multiplayer variants of the game."
] | 13. Game Design Patterns for Game Sessions | [
{
"name": "Multiplayer Games",
"file": "MultiplayerGames"
},
{
"name": "Handicaps",
"file": "Handicaps"
},
{
"name": "Competition",
"file": "Competition"
},
{
"name": "Social Interaction",
"file": "SocialInteraction"
},
{
"name": "Enemies",
"file": "Enemies"
},
{
"name": "Dedicated Game Facilitators",
"file": "DedicatedGameFacilitators"
},
{
"name": "Tied Results",
"file": "TiedResults"
},
{
"name": "Conflict",
"file": "Conflict"
}
] | Agents | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Agents.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Aim & Shoot | The act of taking aim at something and then shooting at it. | [
"One of the most natural ways of showing attention to something is to look or point at it. Real-time games usually provide some action that can be done to the game element pointed at. Generalized, this action can be described as [[Aim & Shoot]] regardless of if anything is aimed or actually shot."
] | [
"Making [[Aim & Shoot]] actions possible primarily depend on enabling players to complete [[Alignment]] goals of two points by a straight line. For [[First-Person Views]] this is trivial, as one point is the player's view point unless either of the two points is moving. Somewhat more difficult are [[Third-Person Views]], as more movement of the player's [[Focus Loci]] is usually necessary. [[God Views]] are in most cases too difficult, as it is too hard to get the [[Spatial Immersion]] required in order to line up the two points accurately.",
"The difficulty of [[Aim & Shoot]] actions can be due to the [[Movement]] either of the game elements aimed at or the game element aiming. For [[Units]] or [[Avatars]], the intentional [[Movement]] due to [[Traverse]] or [[Evade]] goals can make aiming at them more difficult. For [[Moveable Tiles]] or other game elements, the mechanical [[Movement]] due to [[The Show Must Go On]] can likewise make aiming more difficult. The aiming can be further complicated by the players' own [[Movement]] of their [[Focus Loci]] or by a swaying of the aim to simulate the difficulty of real-world aiming.",
"Design of the [[Game World]] that makes players have a bad overview of the game state, for example the inclusions of [[Obstacles]], makes it difficult to prepare for shooting. This means that potential targets likely are [[Surprises]], and any shots will not be well aimed. Similarly, other forms of [[Surprises]] likely cause [[Disruption of Focused Attention]] events and make players lose their aim. Aiming can also be made more difficult by introducing [[Tension]], for example through [[Competition]] or [[Time Limits]].",
"The possibility of [[Aim & Shoot]] actions can be restricted by requiring [[Tools]] or the use of [[Resources]]. The latter can introduce [[Tension]] to the activity and require [[Risk/Reward]] choices between shooting now or waiting for a possible better situation to shoot.",
"Although [[Combat]] with the goals of [[Capture]] or [[Eliminate]] is the activity that most often creates [[Aim & Shoot]] actions, other goals and reasons are possible. [[Delivery]] of game elements can be done by throwing or shooting the game elements to the receiver and [[Capture]] can be the capturing of information rather than game elements. Shooting spider webs, throwing grappling hooks, or even firing cannons with oneself inside it can give explanations for how [[Privileged Movement]] can be performed by [[Aim & Shoot]]."
] | [
"[[Aim & Shoot]] is a [[Dexterity-Based Action]] that is possible in [[Real-Time Games]]. Often requiring [[Extended Actions]] and [[Timing]] from a game element's point of view, [[Aim & Shoot]] promotes [[Spatial Immersion]].",
"Interestingly enough, most sports games due not make use of [[Aim & Shoot]] even though this is one of the primary activities in sports they simulate. The cause for this is probably the lack of overview of the game statethat players would have if they had perspectives that allowed [[Aim & Shoot]].",
"[[Aim & Shoot]] actions from other players or [[Enemies]] naturally increase and present [[Evade]] goals."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Spatial Immersion",
"Tension",
"Movement",
"Dexterity-Based Actions",
"Extended Actions",
"Timing",
"Evade",
"Maneuvering"
],
"Modulates": [
"Tools",
"Resources",
"Capture",
"Delivery"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Combat",
"Real-Time Games",
"Eliminate",
"Privileged Movement",
"Enemies",
"Alignment"
],
"Modulated by": [
"First-Person Views",
"Third-Person Views",
"Traverse",
"Movement",
"The Show Must Go On",
"Moveable Tiles",
"Evade"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"God Views",
"Obstacles",
"Disruption of Focused Attention",
"Surprises"
]
} | [
"Shooting in all first-person shooters consists of taking aim on the opponents, with possible compensations for their movement, and shooting.",
"In Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the player must aim and shoot a grappling hook to be able to swing Link between chasms.",
"Pokemon Snap! gives players a camera and lets them move along a track trying to take as good pictures as possible of Pokemons."
] | 8. Actions and Events Patterns | [
{
"name": "Delivery",
"file": "Delivery"
},
{
"name": "Timing",
"file": "Timing"
},
{
"name": "Alignment",
"file": "Alignment"
},
{
"name": "Tension",
"file": "Tension"
},
{
"name": "Combat",
"file": "Combat"
},
{
"name": "Real-Time Games",
"file": "Real-TimeGames"
},
{
"name": "Third-Person Views",
"file": "Third-PersonViews"
},
{
"name": "Capture",
"file": "Capture"
},
{
"name": "Spatial Immersion",
"file": "SpatialImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Disruption of Focused Attention",
"file": "DisruptionofFocusedAttention"
},
{
"name": "Dexterity-Based Actions",
"file": "Dexterity-BasedActions"
},
{
"name": "Eliminate",
"file": "Eliminate"
},
{
"name": "God Views",
"file": "GodViews"
},
{
"name": "Movement",
"file": "Movement"
},
{
"name": "Enemies",
"file": "Enemies"
},
{
"name": "Moveable Tiles",
"file": "MoveableTiles"
},
{
"name": "Traverse",
"file": "Traverse"
},
{
"name": "Surprises",
"file": "Surprises"
},
{
"name": "Tools",
"file": "Tools"
},
{
"name": "Privileged Movement",
"file": "PrivilegedMovement"
},
{
"name": "The Show Must Go On",
"file": "TheShowMustGoOn"
},
{
"name": "Obstacles",
"file": "Obstacles"
},
{
"name": "Extended Actions",
"file": "ExtendedActions"
},
{
"name": "First-Person Views",
"file": "First-PersonViews"
},
{
"name": "Evade",
"file": "Evade"
},
{
"name": "Maneuvering",
"file": "Maneuvering"
},
{
"name": "Resources",
"file": "Resources"
}
] | Aim&Shoot | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Aim&Shoot.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Alarms | Alarms are abstract game elements that provide information about particular game state changes. | [
"[[Alarms]] are turned on and off either by manipulating explicit game elements or by inherent actions of the game elements. [[Alarms]] can, for instance, show if a forbidden area has been entered or if a certain game elements have been manipulated."
] | [
"The main design choices for [[Alarms]] are how they are tripped and what [[Outstanding Features]] they set off. Further when designing [[Alarms]], the designer may choose either explicit [[Tools]] or [[Controllers]] to manipulate the [[Alarms]] or to have the manipulation of the [[Alarms]] as [[Privileged Abilities]] for certain types of [[Avatars]] or [[Units]]. Using [[Tools]] or [[Controllers]] increases the complexity of the game by allowing such possibilities as deactivating the [[Alarm]] when it should not be deactivated, [[Bluffing]] by raising erroneous [[Alarms]], and preventing the raising of [[Alarms]] by destroying the means to activate them. All these actions increase the player's [[Freedom of Choice]] but may make it more difficult to guarantee the coherent [[Narrative Structure]] of the game. Having [[Avatars]] or [[Units]] with [[Privileged Abilities]] to raise [[Alarms]] may avoid this problem but may break the [[Consistent Reality Logic]].",
"The activation of the [[Alarm]] can signify the failure of a [[Stealth]] or [[Reconnaissance]] goal but can also make the completion of it more difficult by imposing a [[Penalty]]. This [[Penalty]] is often a [[Time Limit]], the introduction of new [[Enemies]], or directing existing [[Enemies]] to the area where the [[Alarm]] was raised."
] | [
"[[Alarms]] are ways to pass information about activities and states within a game, and as such provide a [[Game State Overview]]. When activated by players, an [[Alarm]] notifies the players that they have been detected, and this can explain changes in the behavior of [[Enemies]] or the introduction of new [[Enemies]] within the [[Consistent Reality Logic]] of the game. When activated by others, [[Alarms]] can notify players of [[Enemies]] activities. In both cases, raised [[Alarms]] cause [[Disruption of Focused Attention]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Disruption of Focused Attention"
],
"Modulates": [
"Rescue",
"Reconnaissance",
"Stealth",
"Enemies",
"Game State Overview"
],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"Outstanding Features",
"Bluffing"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"Some team-based first-person shooters, such as Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, include [[Alarms]] to inform the players about events that are relevant on a team level, e. g., that a particular goal has been completed or that a certain activity has been initiated by the other team."
] | 5. Game Design Patterns for Game Elements | [
{
"name": "Outstanding Features",
"file": "OutstandingFeatures"
},
{
"name": "Disruption of Focused Attention",
"file": "DisruptionofFocusedAttention"
},
{
"name": "Game State Overview",
"file": "GameStateOverview"
},
{
"name": "Reconnaissance",
"file": "Reconnaissance"
},
{
"name": "Bluffing",
"file": "Bluffing"
},
{
"name": "Rescue",
"file": "Rescue"
},
{
"name": "Enemies",
"file": "Enemies"
},
{
"name": "Stealth",
"file": "Stealth"
}
] | Alarms | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Alarms.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Alignment | This goal consists of forming a linear alignment of game elements. | [
"Many games make use of the spatial relationship of game elements to cause effects in the game state. When the pieces have to form a line (typically defined by three game elements) for an effect to occur, this can be described as giving players the goal of[[Alignment]]. The goal usually requires the aligned elements to be next to each other. There are, however, games where this is not required but the [[Alignment]] can also be determined by the movement paths of game elements such as leaping in Droughts."
] | [
"The requirements for using [[Alignment]] are to have a [[Game World]] that allows spatial arrangements and to have a [[Game State Overview]] for players of the whole area which is to be used. The prime challenges that can be designed for [[Alignment]] goals consist of how players can move the necessary game elements into the correct position and how game elements can be removed in order to hinder the completion of the [[Alignment]]. The difficulty of the goal can easily be increased by making the game elements move on their own or making them moveable by other players and introducing [[Preventing Goals]].",
"[[Alignment]] is used in many ways in board games to create [[Capture]], with approach and withdrawal as two specific cases [Parlett, p.232-233]. In approach the piece is captured by moving towards it in a straight line and stopping right next to it. Withdrawal is, obviously, the reverse of approach: the piece is captured by moving an adjacent piece away from it in a straight line. Intervention and custodianship are other methods of [[Capture]] listed by Parlett, also using [[Alignment]] as the base pattern. Intervention involves capturing enemy pieces by moving a piece between them to form a line. The captured piece in custodianship is flanked by friendly pieces in such a way that the pieces form a line, as for example is the case in Hnefatafl or Othello where several pieces can be captured by flanking."
] | [
"[[Alignment]] is a form of [[Configuration]], and offers one of the strongest possibilities for [[Hovering Closures]] by offering players clear visual [[Progress Indicators]] using the gestalt law of connectivity. [[Alignment]] can be a case of [[Connection]], but does not have to be so, since the game elements involved in the [[Alignment]] do not necessarily need to have [[Connection]] between each other.",
"In games where shots move instantaneously to the target, or the target is stationary, the action of [[Aim & Shoot]] has [[Alignment]] as a goal."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Configuration",
"Aim & Shoot",
"Hovering Closures",
"Progress Indicators"
],
"Modulates": [
"Capture",
"King of the Hill"
],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"Connection"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"A well known, and perhaps the simplest, game of [[Alignment]] is Tic-Tac-Toe where the winner is the first to have three markers in horizontal, vertical or diagonal [[Alignment]] in a three by three board.",
"Tetris uses the horizontal [[Alignment]] of blocks to remove them from the screen and increase the player's score.",
"Bejeweled lets players swap game elements which are neighbors, removing them and rewarding the player with points if three or more game elements become aligned."
] | 11. Game Design Patterns for Goals | [
{
"name": "Capture",
"file": "Capture"
},
{
"name": "Progress Indicators",
"file": "ProgressIndicators"
},
{
"name": "King of the Hill",
"file": "KingoftheHill"
},
{
"name": "Hovering Closures",
"file": "HoveringClosures"
},
{
"name": "Connection",
"file": "Connection"
},
{
"name": "Aim & Shoot",
"file": "Aim&Shoot"
},
{
"name": "Configuration",
"file": "Configuration"
}
] | Alignment | https://itch.io/queue/c/3720943/goal-playable-concepts?game_id=1780311 | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Alignment.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Alliances | A group of players who have agreed to obey particular and specific rules of conduct towards each other and who, usually, also have a shared agenda. | [
"The rules of conduct, obviously, have to be relevant to the playing of the game and they also have to be optional from the game system point of view, that is, players should be able also to decide not to obey these rules, effectively leaving them out of the [[Alliance]] (otherwise, every game has an alliance of players agreeing to play the game together). That the rules are particular and specific means that, first, they are effective for a certain amount of time during the game play and for a certain group of players, and secondly, that they are specific enough for determining if a player has breached the contract. The rules being specific enough does not necessarily mean that it is possible to determine conclusively that there is a breach of contract. Especially player defined [[Alliances]] have a tendency to allow different interpretations, and sometimes the fun comes from arguing whether there is a breach of contract.",
"The agenda of the [[Alliance]] defines the reason for having the [[Alliance]] and is usually concerned about possible goals that the members of the [[Alliance]] want to reach together.[[Alliances]] in general are not mutually exclusive. Players can therefore, at least in principle, belong to many different [[Alliances]] at the same time. [[Alliances]] can also consist of smaller sub-[[Alliances]], which may have their own rules of conduct and agendas. In any case, the player composition is one of the most important, and concrete, characteristics of an [[Alliance]]."
] | [
"[[Alliances]] typically emerge around [[Mutual Goals]] or common [[Enemies]]. [[Alliances]] differ from [[Team Play]] in that they do not necessarily promote [[Cooperation]] but can consist of agreeing not to interfere with actions or goals of the other members in the alliance.",
"The use of [[Shared Rewards]] and [[Shared Penalties]] usually make the [[Alliances]] more stable while [[Shared Resources]], [[Individual Penalties]], and possibilities of [[Betrayal]] make them more volatile. [[Alliances]] make more sense in games where players can have an effect on the progress or game situation of the other players; that is, there are [[Interferable Goals]] in the game or there are [[Player Decided Results]]. The rules of conduct of the [[Alliance]] can be defined in terms of the game itself, and there is at least some benefit for being in an [[Alliance]].",
"[[Alliances]] do not have to be explicitly stated or declared within the game system, since it is possible that players define the rules of conduct themselves as illustrated in the previous Diplomacy example. [[Social Interaction]] is typically required for negotiating the [[Alliances]] unless the game system gives the player a possibility of offering, declaring, and accepting alliance proposals as actions in the game itself, as is the case in the previous Civilization example. There are, however, games that are especially based on having [[Alliances]] without explicit alliance actions or having [[Social Interaction]] that allows some forms of [[Social Dilemmas]]. Some of the more common types of [[Alliances]] are described in more detail in [[Uncommitted Alliances]], [[Dynamic Alliances]], and [[Secret Alliances]] patterns."
] | [
"[[Alliances]] can lead to the players automatically creating and maintaining [[Social Organizations]], but [[Social Organizations]] can exist as [[Alliances]] also with the sole purpose of providing [[Social Interaction]].",
"Stable [[Alliances]] promote [[Team Play]], such as teams in sports, and tend to create strong cohesiveness in the group, especially in cases where there are [[Mutual Goals]] and a common enemy, the opposing team. These stable [[Alliances]] or teams also lead to \"us\" versus \"them\" feelings, where the players outside the [[Alliance]] are viewed as inferior or even bad and evil in character. This is especially the case when there is a direct [[Competition]] between the different teams. The more stable [[Alliances]] almost naturally get characteristics of [[Social Organizations]] such as different levels of [[Social Status]] within the members of the [[Alliance]] and role-differentiation."
] | {
"Instantiates": [],
"Modulates": [
"Competition"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Cooperation",
"Social Interaction",
"Enemies",
"Social Organizations",
"Mutual Goals"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Social Statuses",
"Shared Resources",
"Individual Penalties",
"Player Decided Results",
"Competition",
"Interferable Goals",
"Uncommitted Alliances",
"Secret Alliances",
"Dynamic Alliances",
"Shared Penalties",
"Shared Rewards",
"Social Dilemmas",
"Betrayal"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory has two teams, Axis and Allies, fighting each other in a World War II first-person--shooter environment. These teams are examples of [[Alliances]] where the rules of conduct to not shoot, but try to help, members of one's own team, and the agenda of overcoming the opposing team, are clear cut and stable. The player composition in open games, however, might change during the play as players might drop out and new players join on both sides. People may break the rules of conduct, e. g., shooting their own teammates, but the game supports collective actions such as banning offending players by voting.",
"The computer game Civilization allows a player to have different diplomatic relations with other players. The peace relation effectively creates an [[Alliance]] as the players agree not to attack each other as the defining rule of conduct.",
"The board game Diplomacy does not have explicit [[Alliances]], but the players agree upon the rules of conduct outside the game system. These agreements range from the simple \"let's not attack each other during this turn\" to more complex \"we will coordinate the use of our armies and fleets in a way so that we can invade Italy within two years, and we will split the spoils of war equally.\" The latter agreement is also a good example of a formulation of the rules of conduct that is open to interpretation."
] | 10. Game Design Patterns for Social Interaction | [
{
"name": "Shared Rewards",
"file": "SharedRewards"
},
{
"name": "Shared Resources",
"file": "SharedResources"
},
{
"name": "Individual Penalties",
"file": "IndividualPenalties"
},
{
"name": "Interferable Goals",
"file": "InterferableGoals"
},
{
"name": "Player Decided Results",
"file": "PlayerDecidedResults"
},
{
"name": "Social Statuses",
"file": "SocialStatuses"
},
{
"name": "Uncommitted Alliances",
"file": "UncommittedAlliances"
},
{
"name": "Mutual Goals",
"file": "MutualGoals"
},
{
"name": "Social Organizations",
"file": "SocialOrganizations"
},
{
"name": "Shared Penalties",
"file": "SharedPenalties"
},
{
"name": "Betrayal",
"file": "Betrayal"
},
{
"name": "Secret Alliances",
"file": "SecretAlliances"
},
{
"name": "Competition",
"file": "Competition"
},
{
"name": "Social Dilemmas",
"file": "SocialDilemmas"
},
{
"name": "Enemies",
"file": "Enemies"
},
{
"name": "Cooperation",
"file": "Cooperation"
},
{
"name": "Social Interaction",
"file": "SocialInteraction"
},
{
"name": "Dynamic Alliances",
"file": "DynamicAlliances"
}
] | Alliances | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Alliances.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Alternative Reality | The game is described as taking place in an alternative reality in order to justify and motivate game elements, possible actions, and rules that contradict the ordinary laws of nature or the usual rules of social conduct. | [
"All games taking place in fantasy and science fiction settings make use of this pattern, but the pattern is also used in games taking place in alternative histories. Some forms of live-action roleplaying games take place in a historical setting and, although it is an alternative reality, the participants try to make the [[Game World]] as similar as possible to the known facts about that historical period. Even though it can be argued that every game takes place in an alternative reality, which is defined and bound by the rules of the game, this pattern is mainly concerned with making the theme and the function of the [[Game World]] seem life-like."
] | [
"Using the [[Alternative Reality]] pattern mainly concerns describing and explaining to the players the theme and setting of the game. When properly done, this makes non-intuitive parts of a game, for example explaining [[Construction]] in most games or [[New Abilities]] through [[Rewards]], easy to understand and remember. If the actions and events in games are to be tied to the [[Alternative Reality]] description to strengthen it, [[Game Worlds]] and [[Narrative Structures]] must be designed with fitting objects and [[Characters]] so that the games have[[Predictable Consequences]] and are also socially and emotionally believable. This may be done through the audiovisuals of the [[Game World]], [[Clues]], [[Extra-Game Information]], and typically part of the [[Narrative Structure]] is described using [[Cut Scenes]]. [[Clues]] and [[Helpers]] are ways to introduce [[Indirect Information]] without breaking the illusion of an [[Alternative Reality]]."
] | [
"[[Alternative Realities]] provide other realms in which players can experience [[Emotional Immersion]]. This [[Immersion]] is typically promoted by [[Storytelling]] and [[Cut Scenes]] but also by providing players the opportunity to control [[Storytelling]] and Roleplaying of [[Characters]] so they may experience [[Identification]].",
"An [[Alternative Reality]] can be used to explain components in the game that are included to improve the gameplay but do not have a counterpart in the real world. By doing so, an [[Alternative Reality]] can provide a [[Consistent Reality Logic]] even though the logic is different from that of the real world. The archetypical examples that are explained by [[Alternative Realities]] are players' [[Focus Loci]], since few games let players play themselves as part of the gameplay.",
"The degree of difference between the [[Alternative Reality]] and the real world can affect the ability to relax and forget the real world. The more unlike reality, the easier it may be for players to take chances, play aggressively, or try something unusual, since consequences of the actions are less realistic and remind less of the full consequences of corresponding real-world actions, but games taking place in unrealistic settings may also limit the number of potential players. The [[Alternative Reality]], however, has to be consistent with the game itself to ensure [[Consistent Reality Logic]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Predictable Consequences",
"Emotional Immersion",
"Consistent Reality Logic"
],
"Modulates": [
"Indirect Information",
"New Abilities"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Roleplaying"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Ephemeral Goals",
"Focus Loci",
"Identification",
"Rewards",
"Characters",
"Narrative Structures",
"Clues",
"Extra-Game Information",
"Storytelling",
"Cut Scenes",
"Construction"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"Medieval: Total War is a strategy game set in the power struggles of medieval Europe and as such can be classified as an alternative history game. The game contains huge amounts of references to historical facts, such as political events and real people. The tactical part of the game allows the player to control seemingly realistic troops in a fluid three-dimensional environment."
] | 5. Game Design Patterns for Game Elements | [
{
"name": "Emotional Immersion",
"file": "EmotionalImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Storytelling",
"file": "Storytelling"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "Identification",
"file": "Identification"
},
{
"name": "Characters",
"file": "Characters"
},
{
"name": "Focus Loci",
"file": "FocusLoci"
},
{
"name": "New Abilities",
"file": "NewAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Roleplaying",
"file": "Roleplaying"
},
{
"name": "Indirect Information",
"file": "IndirectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Consistent Reality Logic",
"file": "ConsistentRealityLogic"
},
{
"name": "Predictable Consequences",
"file": "PredictableConsequences"
},
{
"name": "Ephemeral Goals",
"file": "EphemeralGoals"
},
{
"name": "Narrative Structures",
"file": "NarrativeStructures"
},
{
"name": "Clues",
"file": "Clues"
},
{
"name": "Extra-Game Information",
"file": "Extra-GameInformation"
},
{
"name": "Cut Scenes",
"file": "CutScenes"
},
{
"name": "Construction",
"file": "Construction"
}
] | AlternativeReality | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "AlternativeReality.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Analysis Paralysis | The players can spend considerable amounts of time planning their actions, because the consequences of the actions are at least somewhat predictable, and the number of possible outcomes grows exponentially the further in game time the players plan ahead. | [
"The classic case of [[Analysis Paralysis]] is that the players are unable to make any useful decisions regarding future actions because they attempt to think too far ahead, and the possible game state space is far too large for proper min-max analysis. [[Analysis Paralysis]] depends also on the players' play style; some players are more prone to [[Analysis Paralysis]] than the others."
] | [
"[[Analysis Paralysis]] can be achieved by letting players have [[Freedom of Choice]] between several actions with [[Predictable Consequences]], even if these are [[Limited Set of Actions]] or players have [[Limited Resources]]. This forces players to consider [[Tradeoffs]] and the more difficult the values of the actions are to judge, the more likely [[Analysis Paralysis]] is to occur. The likelihood can also be modulated by [[Irreversible Actions]], as well as [[Predefined Goals]] in games where the players have [[Perfect Information]] and [[Symmetric Information]] about the discrete game states. This allows the players to plan the consequences of their current and future actions. [[Irreversible Actions]] guarantee that consequences of the chosen action will be effective also in the future, and this makes it possible to plan several actions ahead while at the same time decreasing the chances to perform [[Experimenting]]. [[Budgeted Action Points]] provide means of expanding the number of decisions the players have to make in each decision point, in effect, broadening the scope of [[Freedom of Choice]], as are open [[Discard Piles]] in card games, which allow the players to have [[Game State Overviews]] and may cause [[Analysis Paralysis]].",
"It is possible to lessen the possibility for [[Analysis Paralysis]] by introducing [[Randomness]] to the consequences of the actions and thereby giving players [[Limited Foresight]] and [[Limited Planning Abilities]]."
] | [
"[[Analysis Paralysis]] is caused by [[Stimulated Planning]] and [[Cognitive Immersion]], and is usually a feature game designers try to avoid. That players have [[Analysis Paralysis]] can be a sign that the game does not have the [[Right Level of Complexity]] for those players.",
"In games with [[Turn Taking]], the presence of [[Analysis Paralysis]] leads to excessive [[Downtime]] for the other players in case some of the players get stuck in planning their turns. The nature of [[Analysis Paralysis]] situations has a somewhat adverse effect on the [[Anticipation]] of the uncertain outcome during the play.",
"The negative effects of [[Analysis Paralysis]] for other players can easily be avoided by having [[Time Limits]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Downtime"
],
"Modulates": [],
"Instantiated by": [
"Cognitive Immersion",
"Stimulated Planning",
"Limited Set of Actions",
"Irreversible Actions",
"Budgeted Action Points",
"Tradeoffs",
"Freedom of Choice",
"Turn Taking",
"Predefined Goals",
"Right Level of Complexity",
"Game State Overview"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Predictable Consequences",
"Discard Piles",
"Time Limits",
"Perfect Information",
"Symmetric Information"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Limited Foresight",
"Anticipation",
"Limited Resources",
"Randomness",
"Limited Planning Ability"
]
} | [
"Chess and Go have been used as prime examples of games where there is a possibility to almost endlessly analyze the possible actions for the future. Both have decision trees, which grow exponentially over game time.",
"Diplomacy, even though the possible actions are quite limited, can cause [[Analysis Paralysis]] when the players start to think recursively about what the other players are trying to do and how the other players would perceive the players' actions."
] | 13. Game Design Patterns for Game Sessions | [
{
"name": "Turn Taking",
"file": "TurnTaking"
},
{
"name": "Freedom of Choice",
"file": "FreedomofChoice"
},
{
"name": "Limited Planning Ability",
"file": "LimitedPlanningAbility"
},
{
"name": "Game State Overview",
"file": "GameStateOverview"
},
{
"name": "Limited Foresight",
"file": "LimitedForesight"
},
{
"name": "Predefined Goals",
"file": "PredefinedGoals"
},
{
"name": "Stimulated Planning",
"file": "StimulatedPlanning"
},
{
"name": "Discard Piles",
"file": "DiscardPiles"
},
{
"name": "Anticipation",
"file": "Anticipation"
},
{
"name": "Downtime",
"file": "Downtime"
},
{
"name": "Perfect Information",
"file": "PerfectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Predictable Consequences",
"file": "PredictableConsequences"
},
{
"name": "Time Limits",
"file": "TimeLimits"
},
{
"name": "Limited Set of Actions",
"file": "LimitedSetofActions"
},
{
"name": "Budgeted Action Points",
"file": "BudgetedActionPoints"
},
{
"name": "Right Level of Complexity",
"file": "RightLevelofComplexity"
},
{
"name": "Randomness",
"file": "Randomness"
},
{
"name": "Limited Resources",
"file": "LimitedResources"
},
{
"name": "Irreversible Actions",
"file": "IrreversibleActions"
},
{
"name": "Tradeoffs",
"file": "Tradeoffs"
},
{
"name": "Cognitive Immersion",
"file": "CognitiveImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Symmetric Information",
"file": "SymmetricInformation"
}
] | AnalysisParalysis | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "AnalysisParalysis.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Anticipation | The feeling of being able to predict future game events in the games to which one has emotional attachments. | [
"Many games allow player to anticipate possible future game events. However, players only feel [[Anticipation]] about these future events if they have some emotional investment, either that the future events are something that they planned and strived for or that the future events concern characters in a narrative structure that the players care for."
] | [
"[[Anticipation]] can occur through [[Narrative Structures]] or the developing game state but both cases require [[Predictable Consequences]] and some form of specific [[Immersion]], most commonly [[Emotional Immersion]]. However, [[Anticipation]] can negatively affect [[Immersion]] in general as players have to abstractly predict the possible future events. One example where [[Anticipation]] can be created through [[Spatial Immersion]] is [[Game World Navigation]]. [[Cognitive Immersion]] can likewise give [[Anticipation]] when linked to foreseeing the completion of goals.",
"As players easily have [[Emotional Immersion]] in future [[Rewards]], [[Delayed Effects]] and [[Hovering Closures]] easily create [[Anticipation]], for example, through [[Betting]]. [[Rewards]] linked to [[Player Defined Goals]] and [[Planned Character Development]] are especially suitable for creating [[Anticipation]], as they are chosen by players themselves and the players choose them for their emotional values. The [[Anticipation]] can be further modulated by limiting the affect that the players can have through [[Turn Taking]] and [[Downtime]] in general. Setting [[Time Limits]] for player actions and effects also increases [[Anticipation]] when the limit is clearly indicated to the players.",
"When [[Anticipation]] is misguided, i. e., the expected result does not occur, the resulting feeling of frustration or disappointment can be modulated by [[Near Miss Indicators]]."
] | [
"[[Anticipation]] creates [[Emotional Immersion]] but requires some specific form of [[Immersion]] to be already present. [[Anticipation]] is closely linked to [[Tension]], but where [[Tension]] is primarily concerned with the negative aspects of uncertainty, [[Anticipation]] instead deals with the sense of being able to predict game events. A typically case when both coincide is [[Delayed Reciprocity]], where the [[Anticipation]] may be both that of fulfillment of agreements and that of [[Betrayal]]. Examples where [[Anticipation]] can exist without [[Tension]] include [[Ultra-Powerful Events]] such as those that occur in games where [[The Show Must Go On]].",
"[[Surprises]] are naturally difficult to closely link to [[Anticipation]], except when modulated by [[Red Herrings]] or [[Imperfect Information]]. [[Analysis Paralysis]] is often caused by players being able to notice too many possible future game states, and thereby makes [[Anticipation]] of any of them difficult."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Emotional Immersion"
],
"Modulates": [
"Tension"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Predictable Consequences",
"Spatial Immersion",
"Cognitive Immersion",
"Emotional Immersion",
"Downtime",
"Rewards",
"Turn Taking",
"Betting",
"Delayed Effects",
"Player Defined Goals",
"Planned Character Development",
"Delayed Reciprocity",
"Hovering Closures",
"Ultra-Powerful Events",
"Narrative Structures"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Time Limits",
"Near Miss Indicators",
"Betrayal",
"Imperfect Information",
"Red Herrings"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Surprises",
"Analysis Paralysis"
]
} | [
"The presence of traces in the environment of enemies in first-person shooters gives players a strong anticipation that combat will occur soon.",
"[[Anticipation]] is common in roleplaying games when players have planned the development of their characters and they near points where the characters will advance."
] | 9. Game Design Patterns for Narrative Structures, Predictability, and
Immersion Patterns | [
{
"name": "Analysis Paralysis",
"file": "AnalysisParalysis"
},
{
"name": "Turn Taking",
"file": "TurnTaking"
},
{
"name": "Tension",
"file": "Tension"
},
{
"name": "Imperfect Information",
"file": "ImperfectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Delayed Effects",
"file": "DelayedEffects"
},
{
"name": "Spatial Immersion",
"file": "SpatialImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Ultra-Powerful Events",
"file": "Ultra-PowerfulEvents"
},
{
"name": "Downtime",
"file": "Downtime"
},
{
"name": "Predictable Consequences",
"file": "PredictableConsequences"
},
{
"name": "Hovering Closures",
"file": "HoveringClosures"
},
{
"name": "Time Limits",
"file": "TimeLimits"
},
{
"name": "Player Defined Goals",
"file": "PlayerDefinedGoals"
},
{
"name": "Emotional Immersion",
"file": "EmotionalImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Red Herrings",
"file": "RedHerrings"
},
{
"name": "Delayed Reciprocity",
"file": "DelayedReciprocity"
},
{
"name": "Betrayal",
"file": "Betrayal"
},
{
"name": "Betting",
"file": "Betting"
},
{
"name": "Surprises",
"file": "Surprises"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "Narrative Structures",
"file": "NarrativeStructures"
},
{
"name": "Planned Character Development",
"file": "PlannedCharacterDevelopment"
},
{
"name": "Cognitive Immersion",
"file": "CognitiveImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Near Miss Indicators",
"file": "NearMissIndicators"
}
] | Anticipation | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Anticipation.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Area Control | Being in control over who can move within an area in the game world, or having access to actions linked to locations in the game world. | [
"Games with a game board or game world can have the control of these as goals in their game. Besides being a goal in itself, control over areas in games can give access to otherwise unavailable actions and can make the use of actions and tactics easier."
] | [
"The design of [[Area Control]] consists of how control is achieved and what effects the control gives. Control can either be due to direct or indirect actions. Direct actions consist of reach the area itself with a [[Focus Loci]], making it a [[Race]] to [[Traverse]] to the area. Often [[Contact]] with the area determines the winner, but the [[Contact]] may have to be an [[Extended Action]] to give [[Perceivable Margins]] and let other players try to [[Overcome]] the first claimer. Gaining [[Area Control]] due to indirect actions does not require players to have [[Focus Loci]] in the area but instead requires the use of [[Resources]] in [[Trading]] or [[Bidding]], alternatively being given the area as an effect of [[Luck]].",
"If the ownership of the area is not an [[Irreversible Action]], the possibility of future [[Transfer of Controls]] creates [[Guard]] goals of keeping the area which are both [[Continuous Goals]] and [[Interferable Goals]]. [[Preventing Goals]] of [[Overcome]] or [[Eliminate]] can created around the [[Guard]] goal, as can [[Stealth]] when an extended sole presence is required to control the area. If the game area is larger than can be overviewed at once, the subgoal of [[Reconnaissance]] may be necessary. The [[Guard]] goal can be encouraged by giving explicit [[Penalties]] beyond any possible losses of abilities and [[Resources]] that naturally occur when the area is lost. This makes the goal of keeping the area a Committed Goal.",
"The common effects of [[Area Control]] is access to [[Producers]] and [[Resources]] in the area, [[Privileged Abilities]] from [[Controllers]], providing good [[Game State Overview]] through the view from the area, or making opponents have [[Movement Limitations]]. When being in the area making completion of other goals easier, for example having positive modifiers for [[Combat]], the action of having [[Area Control]] is a [[Supporting Goal]]."
] | [
"Having [[Area Control]] is a form of [[Ownership]] that affects the [[Game World]]. Getting [[Area Control]] over part of a [[Game World]] can be the fulfillment to [[Gain Ownership]] goals defined by [[Goal Points]], and make the areas into [[Strategic Locations]]. Besides the [[Rewards]] of completing the goal, areas may be [[Strategic Locations]] due to the [[Game State Overview]] the areas gives or the presence of Producers, Controllers or [[Resources]]. Like other cases of ownership, having [[Area Control]] can give [[Emotional Immersion]] and modulates how players perceive potential losses of areas.",
"When many areas exist that can be controlled, knowing the values of each is [[Strategic Knowledge]]. Choosing between these [[Selectable Sets of Goals]] may require players to do [[Risk/Reward]] choices or [[Tradeoffs]] as not all areas may be able to be controlled by one player. Maintaining control over several areas requires [[Attention Swapping]] or [[Team Play]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Attention Swapping",
"Continuous Goals",
"Combat",
"Strategic Knowledge",
"Movement Limitations",
"Emotional Immersion",
"Overcome",
"Reconnaissance",
"Selectable Sets of Goals",
"Supporting Goals",
"Team Play",
"Tradeoffs",
"Risk/Reward",
"Privileged Abilities",
"Ownership"
],
"Modulates": [
"Game World",
"Game State Overview"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Goal Points",
"Extended Actions",
"Bidding",
"Trading",
"Transfer of Control",
"Race",
"Traverse",
"Strategic Locations",
"Stealth",
"Contact",
"Gain Ownership"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Penalties",
"Committed Goals",
"Producers",
"Resources",
"Interferable Goals",
"Focus Loci",
"Rewards",
"Controllers"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"One of the goals in Battlefield 1942 is to have control over flag points. This is done by teams by having sole presences in the area around the flag for a certain period of time.",
"The goal of Go is to have as efficient [[Area Control]] as possible through so few stones as possible. Gameplay typically begins with claiming areas in the corners, which are most easy to defend, and then moving out along the sides to finally revolve around the center of the board.",
"Having implicit [[Area Control]] over the center of the game board in Chess is one of the main strategies in the game."
] | 8. Actions and Events Patterns | [
{
"name": "Selectable Sets of Goals",
"file": "SelectableSetsofGoals"
},
{
"name": "Risk/Reward",
"file": "RiskReward"
},
{
"name": "Combat",
"file": "Combat"
},
{
"name": "Game State Overview",
"file": "GameStateOverview"
},
{
"name": "Team Play",
"file": "TeamPlay"
},
{
"name": "Goal Points",
"file": "GoalPoints"
},
{
"name": "Game World",
"file": "GameWorld"
},
{
"name": "Race",
"file": "Race"
},
{
"name": "Stealth",
"file": "Stealth"
},
{
"name": "Controllers",
"file": "Controllers"
},
{
"name": "Committed Goals",
"file": "CommittedGoals"
},
{
"name": "Interferable Goals",
"file": "InterferableGoals"
},
{
"name": "Ownership",
"file": "Ownership"
},
{
"name": "Overcome",
"file": "Overcome"
},
{
"name": "Supporting Goals",
"file": "SupportingGoals"
},
{
"name": "Bidding",
"file": "Bidding"
},
{
"name": "Attention Swapping",
"file": "AttentionSwapping"
},
{
"name": "Producers",
"file": "Producers"
},
{
"name": "Emotional Immersion",
"file": "EmotionalImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Movement Limitations",
"file": "MovementLimitations"
},
{
"name": "Transfer of Control",
"file": "TransferofControl"
},
{
"name": "Focus Loci",
"file": "FocusLoci"
},
{
"name": "Strategic Knowledge",
"file": "StrategicKnowledge"
},
{
"name": "Trading",
"file": "Trading"
},
{
"name": "Contact",
"file": "Contact"
},
{
"name": "Resources",
"file": "Resources"
},
{
"name": "Penalties",
"file": "Penalties"
},
{
"name": "Gain Ownership",
"file": "GainOwnership"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "Extended Actions",
"file": "ExtendedActions"
},
{
"name": "Privileged Abilities",
"file": "PrivilegedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Continuous Goals",
"file": "ContinuousGoals"
},
{
"name": "Strategic Locations",
"file": "StrategicLocations"
},
{
"name": "Reconnaissance",
"file": "Reconnaissance"
},
{
"name": "Tradeoffs",
"file": "Tradeoffs"
},
{
"name": "Traverse",
"file": "Traverse"
}
] | AreaControl | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "AreaControl.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Arithmetic Rewards for Investments | The possible rewards have a linear relationship to the investments, that is, if the investment is double, the comparable reward is doubled. | [
"[[Arithmetic Rewards for Investments]] are those rewards in game that are directly proportional with the resources used to gain them. As long as requirements of minimum and maximum investments are met, [[Arithmetic Rewards for Investments]] allow players to split resources into several smaller investments rather than one large investment with no other penalty than maybe not receiving all rewards at the same time."
] | [
"[[Arithmetic Rewards for Investments]] use linear functions between the [[Resources]] and [[Rewards]] of [[Investments]] and are thereby incompatible with [[Geometric Rewards for Investments]] and [[Diminishing Returns]]. They make the planning of the [[Investments]] straightforward as there is no real incentive for hoarding the [[Resources]] before investing. As the [[Investments]] can be done in smaller chunks and do not represent so great [[Risk/Reward]] choices they give players a [[Freedom of Choice]] how to make [[Investments]]. The ease of understanding the [[Rewards]] received from [[Arithmetic Rewards for Investments]] makes them have [[Predictable Consequences]], both for the players who are making the [[Investments]] and those observing the [[Investments]] being made."
] | [
"When implementing [[Arithmetic Rewards for Investments]] the costs involved have to be balanced compared to other possible [[Investments]] in the game. It is also possible to artificially limit the maximum possible amount used in single [[Investments]] or require minimum amounts to be invested to modulate the [[Risk/Reward]] choices that have to be made. Another way of modulating the [[Risk/Reward]] choices is to not make several identical [[Investments]] using arithmetic reward schemes possible at the same time by imposing [[Time Limits]] between such [[Investments]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Predictable Consequences",
"Freedom of Choice"
],
"Modulates": [
"Investments",
"Rewards",
"Risk/Reward"
],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"Time Limits",
"Diminishing Returns"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Geometric Rewards for Investments",
"Diminishing Returns"
]
} | [
"The unit construction in strategy games is often based on [[Arithmetic Rewards for Investments]]. If it costs 100 production points to construct a tank, it costs 200 points to construct two tanks, 300 points to construct three tanks, and so on."
] | 6. Game Design Patterns for Resource and Resource Management | [
{
"name": "Investments",
"file": "Investments"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "Diminishing Returns",
"file": "DiminishingReturns"
},
{
"name": "Risk/Reward",
"file": "RiskReward"
},
{
"name": "Freedom of Choice",
"file": "FreedomofChoice"
},
{
"name": "Predictable Consequences",
"file": "PredictableConsequences"
},
{
"name": "Geometric Rewards for Investments",
"file": "GeometricRewardsforInvestments"
},
{
"name": "Time Limits",
"file": "TimeLimits"
}
] | ArithmeticRewardsforInvestments | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "ArithmeticRewardsforInvestments.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Asymmetric Abilities | Players, or game elements, do not all have the same actions available. | [
"When not all players have the same actions available, they have [[Asymmetric Abilities]]. This makes the game more complex in one sense, as more types of actions need to be considered when visualizing future game states, but also makes the experiences of playing the game depend on what role a player has.",
"[[Asymmetric Abilities]] can also exist between the game elements under a player's control. In this case, the variety of actions available gives players more opportunities to create different tactics and increases the value of each game element as losing all elements that have an ability means that the ability is lost to the player."
] | [
"The primary reasons for using [[Asymmetric Abilities]] are usually to provide [[Varied Gameplay]] or to support [[Asymmetric Goals]]. In [[Multiplayer Games]], this is expanded with the reasons of promoting [[Team Play]] and [[Social Organizations]] (as the division of labor is one characteristic of civilizations). [[Asymmetric Abilities]] can either be explicit or implicit in games.",
"The creation of explicit [[Asymmetric Abilities]] is done by designing [[Privileged Abilities]], for example, how [[Fog of War]] affects vision or what [[Communication Channels]] are available, but the primary design choices lie in whether to create the asymmetry on a [[Unit]] or player level and how to achieve [[Player Balance]]. Choosing asymmetry on the [[Unit]] level makes symmetry possible on the player level and thereby aids in avoiding potential balancing problems. Asymmetry on the player level gives different gameplay experiences for the players but may require rules for determining who plays what role.",
"Implicit [[Asymmetric Abilities]] are not enforced by the game system but depend on either [[Asymmetric Information]] or different levels of [[Game Mastery]] between players. The former can be intentionally made part of a game design while the latter is more difficult, at least requiring [[Trans-Game Information]] as a source of how good players are.",
"Ways of balancing [[Asymmetric Abilities]] include having [[Paper-Rock-Scissors]] relations between the abilities, shifting the abilities every turn in [[Turn-Based Games]], or playing [[Tournaments]] where every combination of players and abilities are played. When a game has been play tested extensively, [[Handicap]] can be given as a [[Balancing Effect]]."
] | [
"[[Asymmetric Abilities]] are a consequence of [[Privileged Abilities]]. The presence of [[Asymmetric Abilities]] modulates the [[Right Level of Complexity]] by increasing it unless the asymmetry is temporary. When the asymmetry can be alleviated by the completion of [[Gain Competence]] goals, this gives rise to [[Red Queen Dilemmas]].",
"Games may contain [[Asymmetric Abilities]] on a [[Unit]] level without having it between players by having the same setup of [[Units]] between players. This is the typical case in games combining [[Symmetry]] and [[Orthogonal Unit Differentiation]] such as Chess or Stratego.",
"In the same fashion as with [[Units]], games may have [[Asymmetric Abilities]] between players within a team. This encourages [[Team Play]] to make the most efficient use of possible actions and often requires [[Constructive Play]] in the form of [[Negotiation]] to perform [[Collaborative Actions]]. However, the development of [[Asymmetric Abilities]] of one team compared to another team may be a more relevant way of measuring [[Team Development]] in games with [[Team Play]].",
"Games with roles that have permanent [[Asymmetric Abilities]] and do not have [[Team Play]] can easily have problems with [[Player Balance]] unless they form [[Paper-Rock-Scissors]] power relations. However, they do give players a [[Freedom of Choice]] between the roles and varying between these roles gives [[Varied Gameplay]] between game sessions and promotes [[Replayability]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Gain Competence",
"Collaborative Actions",
"Constructive Play",
"Negotiation",
"Team Play",
"Freedom of Choice",
"Orthogonal Unit Differentiation",
"Varied Gameplay",
"Replayability",
"Paper-Rock-Scissors",
"Social Organizations"
],
"Modulates": [
"Fog of War",
"Game Mastery",
"Communication Channels",
"Asymmetric Goals",
"Team Development"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Privileged Abilities"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Turn-Based Games",
"Balancing Effects",
"Tournaments",
"Asymmetric Information",
"Paper-Rock-Scissors"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Symmetry",
"Player Balance"
]
} | [
"The pieces of one type in Chess have asymmetrical movement abilities compared to all other types.",
"Fox & Geese gives the two players different abilities but one player has a single piece that can capture the opponent's pieces while the other player has many pieces that can only move.",
"Roleplaying games and class-based multiplayer first-person shooters encourage co-operation between players by giving them [[Asymmetric Abilities]] that can be put to most efficient use by coordinating actions.",
"The card game Citadels lets players have different roles every turn where each role has different special abilities.",
"The board game Space Hulk has one player controlling a few space marines with guns under time pressure that do not get reinforcement in conflict with a player controlling many genestealers that can only fight in close combat but continuously get reinforcements and whose numbers are not exactly known the other player."
] | 8. Actions and Events Patterns | [
{
"name": "Freedom of Choice",
"file": "FreedomofChoice"
},
{
"name": "Game Mastery",
"file": "GameMastery"
},
{
"name": "Replayability",
"file": "Replayability"
},
{
"name": "Team Play",
"file": "TeamPlay"
},
{
"name": "Gain Competence",
"file": "GainCompetence"
},
{
"name": "Social Organizations",
"file": "SocialOrganizations"
},
{
"name": "Asymmetric Information",
"file": "AsymmetricInformation"
},
{
"name": "Team Development",
"file": "TeamDevelopment"
},
{
"name": "Asymmetric Goals",
"file": "AsymmetricGoals"
},
{
"name": "Tournaments",
"file": "Tournaments"
},
{
"name": "Fog of War",
"file": "FogofWar"
},
{
"name": "Balancing Effects",
"file": "BalancingEffects"
},
{
"name": "Player Balance",
"file": "PlayerBalance"
},
{
"name": "Varied Gameplay",
"file": "VariedGameplay"
},
{
"name": "Communication Channels",
"file": "CommunicationChannels"
},
{
"name": "Paper-Rock-Scissors",
"file": "Paper-Rock-Scissors"
},
{
"name": "Turn-Based Games",
"file": "Turn-BasedGames"
},
{
"name": "Orthogonal Unit Differentiation",
"file": "OrthogonalUnitDifferentiation"
},
{
"name": "Negotiation",
"file": "Negotiation"
},
{
"name": "Privileged Abilities",
"file": "PrivilegedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Collaborative Actions",
"file": "CollaborativeActions"
},
{
"name": "Symmetry",
"file": "Symmetry"
},
{
"name": "Constructive Play",
"file": "ConstructivePlay"
}
] | AsymmetricAbilities | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "AsymmetricAbilities.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Asymmetric Goals | Players have structurally different goals requiring different tactics and actions. | [
"Some games have goals that belong to the same categories, for example winning conditions, but differ from each other by requiring players to have fundamentally different tactics and strategies in regard to what actions should be taken. These goals can be described as asymmetric and cannot be transformed into each other without changing the structure of the goal definitions. Thus, [[Asymmetric Goals]] cannot simply be expressed as different goals, for example \"gather all blue stones\" and \"gather all red stones,\" but require goal states defined by using different categories of actions and components."
] | [
"[[Asymmetric Goals]] can be difficult to balance due to the lack of a simple symmetry; this can be mitigated by using [[Paper-Rock-Scissor]] relations between the goals or by implementing [[Role Reversal]] to exchange the goals between players as soon as one of the [[Asymmetric Goals]] has been reached. However, goals can also be qualitatively different and be supported by giving players [[Asymmetric Abilities]] that are suited for the goals they have.",
"[[Asymmetric Goals]] can be used to encourage players to form [[Dynamic Alliances]] if these goals cannot be completed without the help of the other players, for example by giving [[Asymmetric Abilities]] that do not fit the goals. [[Preventing Goals]] can be used to easily create [[Asymmetric Goals]] between players, for example by letting one player have the goal to [[Gain Ownership]] of a game element and letting another player have the goal to [[Guard]] the same game element."
] | [
"[[Asymmetric Goals]] promote [[Replayability]] since players can have different goals for different game instances, requiring different strategies, skills, and actions. Further, if the [[Asymmetric Goals]] are part of [[Selectable Sets of Goals]] about which the other players have [[Imperfect Information]], they also allow players to bluffabout their goals and tactics.",
"[[Asymmetric Goals]] naturally occur in games that have a large [[Freedom of Choice]] for players even if the main goals are [[Symmetric Goals]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Replayability",
"Varied Gameplay"
],
"Modulates": [
"Competition",
"Freedom of Choice"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Role Reversal",
"Preventing Goals"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Asymmetric Abilities",
"Paper-Rock-Scissors"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Player Balance",
"Symmetric Goals"
]
} | [
"In the children's game Tag, the chaser has the goal of catching another player, while the other players try to avoid the chaser, making the goals asymmetric.",
"The collectable card game Illuminati: New World Order does have [[Symmetric Goals]] that all players have, but the game also allows individual players to have secret goal cards, which promote radically different goals, creating an additional set of [[Asymmetric Goals]] between the players.",
"The board game Space Hulk provides players with many low-level [[Asymmetric Goals]] by matching slow-moving space marines, which have ranged weapons, against fast-moving aliens, which can only fight in close combat."
] | 12. Game Design Patterns for Goal Structures | [
{
"name": "Paper-Rock-Scissors",
"file": "Paper-Rock-Scissors"
},
{
"name": "Role Reversal",
"file": "RoleReversal"
},
{
"name": "Freedom of Choice",
"file": "FreedomofChoice"
},
{
"name": "Replayability",
"file": "Replayability"
},
{
"name": "Symmetric Goals",
"file": "SymmetricGoals"
},
{
"name": "Asymmetric Abilities",
"file": "AsymmetricAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Competition",
"file": "Competition"
},
{
"name": "Player Balance",
"file": "PlayerBalance"
},
{
"name": "Varied Gameplay",
"file": "VariedGameplay"
},
{
"name": "Preventing Goals",
"file": "PreventingGoals"
}
] | AsymmetricGoals | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "AsymmetricGoals.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Asymmetric Information | Players have different information available to them, i.e., some players know more than other players | [
"Asymmetries of information are very widespread in all kinds of multiplayer games. The most common situation is that every player has private information that is hidden from the other players. This kind of private information is often related to ownership, for example, the player \"owns\" his card hand in Poker. This kind of private information, however, can also be used on game components where there is no sense of ownership, such as game events and specific locations.",
"[[Asymmetric Information]] does not have to be balanced between the players as in Poker and other card games with private information. One of the simplest examples of this kind of asymmetry is MasterMind, the classic family game by Pressman Toy Corp., where one of the players, the codemaker, sets up a secret code, which the other player tries to break. The codemaker has [[Perfect Information]] of the game state while the player trying to break the code has only access to the codemaker's clues given during gameplay. The same principle is used in popular quiz and guessing games, such as Alias, where one of the players knows the answer and the other players try to guess it from the clues provided by the player. These games are often based also on[[Indirect Information]] in such a way that the player cannot reveal the information directly but has to apply some other means of communication.",
"[[Asymmetric Information]] can, like other information patterns, govern not only information available about game elements but also about other players' goals, abilities, and even end conditions and evaluation functions of the game."
] | [
"[[Asymmetric Information]] requires that at least one of the players has [[Imperfect Information]] about the game state. Common examples of this are [[Card Hands]] in card games. Another typical example of this can be when goals in the game are known to some of the players but are [[Unknown Goals]] to others. This is possible even for [[Predefined Goals]], if the goals are randomly or secretly distributed to the individual players. [[Asymmetric Information]] can make [[Resources]] into [[Secret Resources]], and as [[Card Hands]] show, this does not have to depend on information about where the [[Resource]] is physically but can also be about the information contained in the [[Resource]].",
"[[Asymmetric Information]] can be combined with [[Symmetric Information]] in team-based games so that one whole team has the same information but the other team does not. This is, for example, found in online multiplayer first-person shooters where not only the positions of one's team may be shown but also the location of the traps the team has placed. Another way of using [[Asymmetric Information]] in team-based games is to provide the player chosen as team leader or strategist the overview of the whole situation, typically by some form of [[Game State Overview]]. The other team members have more specific information about their situation but not about the larger game state. These types of games require some kind communication at least between the team members and the team leader, be it normal conversation or by direct game actions.",
"The kinds of asymmetries where one player has access to more information than the others can lead to the use of [[Asymmetric Abilities]] to balance the gameplay. In these cases, information---or the means of gaining information other players cannot get themselves---is often designed as one of the [[Asymmetric Abilities]] available. Unless this is the case, players who have more information can make more informed choices during gameplay and can disrupt [[Player Balance]]. [[Asymmetric Information]] can be used for game components other than game elements, for example, using [[Asymmetric Information]] for player composition of [[Alliances]] leads to [[Secret Alliances]]."
] | [
"[[Asymmetric Information]] often leads to gameplay based on [[Bluffing]], [[Betrayal]], and guessing, features that quite well describe many of the card games based on unequal information distribution, such as Poker, as well as other games with [[Bidding]] and [[Negotiation]]. As it offers players advantages to know the tactics of other players, or know if they are trustworthy, the presence of [[Asymmetric Information]] gives natural rise to [[Gain Information]] goals."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Gain Information",
"Conceal",
"Betrayal",
"Secret Alliances",
"Secret Resources",
"Bluffing"
],
"Modulates": [
"Bidding",
"Asymmetric Abilities",
"Unknown Goals",
"Negotiation",
"Predefined Goals"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Card Hands"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Perfect Information"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Perfect Information"
]
} | [
"In Pictionary, players take turns drawing pictures and the other player tries to guess the word or concept correctly without verbal communication from the player drawing. Alias uses the same principle, but the player tries to explain the word in other words and is forbidden to use the word itself or direct synonyms in the explanation.",
"In Illuminati, it is possible that one player has hidden goals that the other players do not know. This forces the other players to try to guess the hidden goals from the player's actions."
] | 7. Game Design Patterns for Information, Communication, and Presentation | [
{
"name": "Perfect Information",
"file": "PerfectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Negotiation",
"file": "Negotiation"
},
{
"name": "Card Hands",
"file": "CardHands"
},
{
"name": "Secret Alliances",
"file": "SecretAlliances"
},
{
"name": "Conceal",
"file": "Conceal"
},
{
"name": "Asymmetric Abilities",
"file": "AsymmetricAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Predefined Goals",
"file": "PredefinedGoals"
},
{
"name": "Bluffing",
"file": "Bluffing"
},
{
"name": "Betrayal",
"file": "Betrayal"
},
{
"name": "Secret Resources",
"file": "SecretResources"
},
{
"name": "Bidding",
"file": "Bidding"
},
{
"name": "Unknown Goals",
"file": "UnknownGoals"
},
{
"name": "Gain Information",
"file": "GainInformation"
}
] | AsymmetricInformation | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "AsymmetricInformation.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Asymmetric Resource Distribution | The resources are distributed asymmetrically among the players, that is, the players have different access and ownership rights to different kinds of resources during the game. | [
"The resource distribution can be asymmetric both at the start of the game and during the gameplay in resource generation phases or locations. It is also possible to have [[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]] in a single-player game. In this case the distribution is usually asymmetric in relation to the time the game has been played and often involves luck."
] | [
"One of the simplest cases of using [[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]] is to use [[Randomness]] to determine the starting resources available to the players. Even in this case the [[Player Balance]] has to be taken into account and the distribution function has to be properly balanced. Otherwise some of the players might lose their [[Perceived Chance to Succeed]]. Some games also use predefined [[Asymmetric Resource Distributions]] for the starting resources to create some [[Varied Gameplay]] and to use it as a [[Balancing Effect]]. The resources produced during the gameplay also have to be also balanced while maintaining the asymmetry of the distribution.",
"One common way to create [[Varied Gameplay]] and a stronger commitment to play the game is to introduce Partial Reinforcement together with [[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]]. This is used in games where the items and resources are generated somewhat randomly but where different kinds of resources have different rarity levels. The possibility of getting a rare card in the next booster pack of Magic: The Gathering is a strong incentive for getting that next booster pack and the possibility of finding that rare Pok�mon during the next exploration round of the nearby forests keeps the players playing the game."
] | [
"[[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]] introduces inequalities between players and thereby ruins the [[Symmetry]] in games. Using [[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]] in a game may hurt [[Player Balance]] both in [[Multiplayer Games]] and [[Single-Player Games]] as some of the players might, in the worst case scenario, end up having all the wrong resources. However, players and [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]] may use self-imposed [[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]] at the beginning of a game session to provide [[Handicaps]]. In games with [[Player-Decided Distribution of Rewards & Penalties]] the outcome is likely to be an [[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]] whenever players are unequal in powers, and can thereby increase the already existing imbalances in power between players.",
"[[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]] among the players can be used to create a need for [[Social Interaction]], especially in a form of [[Trading]]. The players, of course, should have the possibility for doing [[Trading]], for example by introducing a specific trading phase in the game. There also has to be a game state related need for doing the [[Trading]].",
"[[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]] can be used to create [[Varied Gameplay]] even in Single-player Games as both the initial [[Resources]] and those created during the game can, for example, be generated using [[Randomness]] with different weights for more rare items and resources. For example, in Nethack the starting items of the characters are created through [[Randomness]] to some extent and the items and treasures, as well as the dungeons themselves, can vary immensely from one game to another."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Handicaps",
"Varied Gameplay"
],
"Modulates": [
"Trading",
"Multiplayer Games",
"Resources",
"Mutual Goals",
"Ownership",
"Social Interaction",
"Renewable Resources",
"Perceived Chance to Succeed",
"Single-Player Games"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Player-Decided Distribution of Rewards & Penalties"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Randomness"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Symmetry",
"Player Balance",
"Symmetric Resource Distribution"
]
} | [
"In Settlers of Catan the basic resource generation is asymmetric as there is luck involved in who will get resources during the resource generation phase and also what kind of resources. This asymmetry leads to the need of trading between the players in a specific trading phase.",
"The business model of Magic: The Gathering is based on the [[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]] of the cards found in booster packs. This has created a strong community of players who collect and trade these cards.",
"Pok�mon has at least two layers of [[Asymmetric Resource Distribution]]: within the single player game there are \"rare\" Pok�mons that are difficult to find, and the game itself has several variants where the initial Pok�mon selections are different. As with Magic: The Gathering these factors create stronger incentives for playing the game itself for a longer time and also to get in contact with other players who might have different experiences and different Pok�mons available."
] | 6. Game Design Patterns for Resource and Resource Management | [
{
"name": "Symmetric Resource Distribution",
"file": "SymmetricResourceDistribution"
},
{
"name": "Perceived Chance to Succeed",
"file": "PerceivedChancetoSucceed"
},
{
"name": "Single-Player Games",
"file": "Single-PlayerGames"
},
{
"name": "Mutual Goals",
"file": "MutualGoals"
},
{
"name": "Multiplayer Games",
"file": "MultiplayerGames"
},
{
"name": "Trading",
"file": "Trading"
},
{
"name": "Handicaps",
"file": "Handicaps"
},
{
"name": "Randomness",
"file": "Randomness"
},
{
"name": "Ownership",
"file": "Ownership"
},
{
"name": "Renewable Resources",
"file": "RenewableResources"
},
{
"name": "Player-Decided Distribution of Rewards & Penalties",
"file": "Player-DecidedDistributionofRewards&Penalties"
},
{
"name": "Symmetry",
"file": "Symmetry"
},
{
"name": "Player Balance",
"file": "PlayerBalance"
},
{
"name": "Varied Gameplay",
"file": "VariedGameplay"
},
{
"name": "Social Interaction",
"file": "SocialInteraction"
},
{
"name": "Resources",
"file": "Resources"
}
] | AsymmetricResourceDistribution | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "AsymmetricResourceDistribution.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Asynchronous Games | Games where the players game and play sessions do not necessarily overlap in time. | [
"The players in these games can start playing the game regardless of the other players and also choose when they want to have their play sessions."
] | [
"[[Real-Time Games]],[[Tick-Based Games]], and [[Turn-Based Games]] are all suitable for [[Asynchronous Games]], although the play session structure has to be designed differently for each case. [[Real-Time Games]], such as existing MMORPGs, allow the players to choose when they wish to log in to the game and have real-time play sessions. [[Tick-Based Games]] place a certain time pressure on the players, as they usually have to execute their actions within a given [[Time Limit]] or lose their chance to influence the game state. Depending on the duration of a single tick, these games share characteristics from both [[Real-Time Games]] and [[Turn-Based Games]].",
"One way to add some of the features of [[Asynchronous Games]] to [[Single-Player Games]] is to store a record of a single player's performance in a particular game instance, thus allowing other players to compete against the [[Ghosts]] of that player's experience.",
"All [[Asynchronous Games]] require some form of [[Communication Channel]] to make it possible for the players to affect the game state and, in some cases, communicate with one another. The use of [[Public Information]] is restricted by [[Asynchronous Games]]; information that can be revealed in [[Synchronous Games]] to [[Spectators]] because players do not have sufficient time to process the information can become sensitive in [[Asynchronous Games]]."
] | [
"Game instances of [[Asynchronous Games]] typically have quite long lifetimes. The players have, to some extent, [[Freedom of Choice]] as to when they wish to play the game and to which extent they want to influence the progress in the game. These games almost universally require the use of [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]] to maintain the game state within a [[Persistent Game World]]. The main exceptions are games where [[Ghosts]] are used, although it can be argued that [[Ghosts]] are persistent parts of the [[Game World]] over different players' game sessions. The players can scatter their play sessions over a long period of time, in one sense, meaning that there is [[Downtime]] between the sessions. [[Asynchronous Games]], however, are constructed in such way that [[Downtime]] between the play sessions is not necessarily perceived as such by the players, as they do not have to intentionally wait for the other players to perform their actions."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Downtime"
],
"Modulates": [
"Freedom of Choice",
"Persistent Game Worlds"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Dedicated Game Facilitators",
"Ghosts"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Tick-Based Games",
"Turn-Based Games",
"Real-Time Games",
"Communication Channels"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Public Information"
]
} | [
"MMORPGs can have thousands of players in a single game instance. The players can join and leave the game whenever they want, and particular players do not have to play the game simultaneously, although there almost always are some other players playing at the same time.",
"The players do not often play the game at the same time in play-by-mail games, even though in many cases their game sessions are the same. Some massively multiplayer play-by-mail games, such as Quest from KJC Games, share the characteristics of MMORPGs in that the players' game sessions do not have to overlap."
] | 13. Game Design Patterns for Game Sessions | [
{
"name": "Turn-Based Games",
"file": "Turn-BasedGames"
},
{
"name": "Downtime",
"file": "Downtime"
},
{
"name": "Tick-Based Games",
"file": "Tick-BasedGames"
},
{
"name": "Public Information",
"file": "PublicInformation"
},
{
"name": "Ghosts",
"file": "Ghosts"
},
{
"name": "Freedom of Choice",
"file": "FreedomofChoice"
},
{
"name": "Communication Channels",
"file": "CommunicationChannels"
},
{
"name": "Real-Time Games",
"file": "Real-TimeGames"
},
{
"name": "Persistent Game Worlds",
"file": "PersistentGameWorlds"
},
{
"name": "Dedicated Game Facilitators",
"file": "DedicatedGameFacilitators"
}
] | AsynchronousGames | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "AsynchronousGames.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Attention Swapping | Players have to move their attention between different parts of the game. | [
"Many games have several different goals or goals that are so difficult to complete that they have to be divided into several different goals that have to be completed in parallel. In these kinds of games, the players must move between different goals and activities, performing [[Attention Swapping]], in order to succeed in the game."
] | [
"[[Attention Swapping]] is closely related to the [[Right Level of Difficulty]] and [[Right Level of Complexity]] of a game. Complex games by their nature require [[Attention Swapping]] to a certain degree, so complexity can be used to create the need for [[Attention Swapping]] as well as how much is needed, for example having to take into account several other vehicles when [[Maneuvering]]. As the swapping adds an extra challenge in itself beyond the challenge of the activities swapped between, its presences can modulate [[Right Level of Difficulty]] in an additional way besides the difficulty of the activities themselves. The difficulty of the [[Attention Swapping]] can be decreased by supporting a [[Game State Overview]], to the degree where the switching between activities does not need to be perceived as moving one's attention between different activities.",
"Requiring players to do [[Attention Swapping]] can be done in two main ways. The first is possible only in [[Real-Time Games]] and requires players to perform multitasking either by controlling several independent [[Units]] or by having to observe several different activities in the [[Game World]], or both. The second consists of having sufficiently complex game state without an adequate [[Game State Overview]] so that a player cannot know all the currently important factors. This forces the player to create [[Reconnaissance]] goals or, for games with a [[God Views]], explicitly limit what part of the game state he is focusing on, which can be seen as a form of [[Stimulated Planning]].",
"[[Attention Swapping]] can be between goals or between actions. Making players have to switch between which goals they are focusing requires the presences of several goals that can be strived for simultaneously and that the possibilities to succeed with the goals, or the value of their [[Rewards]] and [[Penalties]], change with the game state. The later requirement is usually a natural course of [[Conflict]] or the effect of a goals outcome for completing higher-level goals. For an example of where the value of a [[Reward]] changes, take the case where a player current has the two short-term goals in Chess of either capture a knight or a pawn in Chess, his or her attention may swap from the knight to the pawn if the opponent's movement makes it possible to check the king by taking the pawn.",
"Swapping between actions can be required either because doing nothing, i. e. a [[No-Op]] action, against events in the game would lead to receiving [[Penalties]] or missing [[Rewards]], or because letting ongoing activities fail would do so. This swapping can be further complicated if the swapping also requires swapping [[Focus Loci]]. Forcing players to start performing activities, typically to start using a [[Unit]], can be achieved by the presence of [[Conflict]] or effects of [[The Show Must Go On]]. For activities to be ongoing and be able to fail, they need to be both [[Extended Actions]] and [[Interruptible Actions]]. All these kinds of requirements can be found in [[Combat]] in [[Real-Time Games]] or trying to maintain or gain [[Area Control]]. A special form of switching between actions is when players have to switch between manipulating [[Book-Keeping Tokens]] and game elements that are part of the [[Game World]].",
"[[Surprises]] naturally catch players' attention and can thereby be used to cause involuntary [[Attention Swapping]]."
] | [
"[[Attention Swapping]] is required when players have [[Limited Foresight]] due to not being able to observe several parts of gameplay simultaneously. Trying to switch one's concentration between several different activities or [[Focus Loci]] requires that one also is actively trying to notice when one has to make this switch. This is a form of [[Resource Management]] of ones own attention which can require [[Cognitive Immersion]] and [[Tradeoffs]] to be made. As focusing on the wrong activity can cause failure, [[Attention Swapping]] promotes [[Tension]]. [[Disruption of Focused Attention]] events cause involuntary [[Attention Swapping]] and are commonly caused by [[Enemies]] during [[Combat]].",
"[[Attention Swapping]] affects different forms of [[Immersion]] differently. [[Emotional Immersion]] is often affected negatively by [[Attention Swapping]] except when used for [[Surprises]] or to cause confusion. When the [[Attention Swapping]] is done by trying to [[Movement]] of [[Avatars]] or [[Units]], the pattern supports [[Spatial Immersion]], especially when [[First-Person Views]] are used. [[Attention Swapping]] promotes [[Cognitive Immersion]] in addition to modulating existing [[Cognitive Immersion]], as players have to reevaluate their possibility to affect the game after moving their attention between different aspects of the game."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Reconnaissance",
"Tension",
"Resource Management",
"Cognitive Immersion"
],
"Modulates": [
"Right Level of Complexity",
"Stimulated Planning",
"Spatial Immersion",
"Right Level of Difficulty",
"Cognitive Immersion",
"Tradeoffs",
"Limited Foresight",
"Real-Time Games"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Disruption of Focused Attention",
"Units",
"Cameras",
"Parallel Lives",
"Surprises",
"Extended Actions",
"Interruptible Actions",
"Collaborative Actions",
"Maneuvering",
"Combat",
"Enemies",
"Area Control",
"Book-Keeping Tokens"
],
"Modulated by": [
"The Show Must Go On",
"Game State Overview",
"God Views",
"Incompatible Goals",
"Penalties",
"Rewards",
"Conflict",
"Focus Loci"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Game State Overview",
"Emotional Immersion"
]
} | [
"Missile Command where players have to switch their attention between which cities they wish to defend.",
"Arcadia by gameLab allows players to play four small games inspired by videogames from the 1980s, all simultaneously. Each game is simple, but the real challenge lies in being aware of which game one has to be focus on.",
"In Go the opening game is based around play in the four corners of the board which each can be considered semi-independent areas. Moving game play from one corner to another is a simple way for more experienced players to challenge novice players since these have much greater difficult with the [[Attention Swapping]] between the parts of the board."
] | 8. Actions and Events Patterns | [
{
"name": "Tension",
"file": "Tension"
},
{
"name": "Combat",
"file": "Combat"
},
{
"name": "Game State Overview",
"file": "GameStateOverview"
},
{
"name": "Limited Foresight",
"file": "LimitedForesight"
},
{
"name": "Real-Time Games",
"file": "Real-TimeGames"
},
{
"name": "Reconnaissance",
"file": "Reconnaissance"
},
{
"name": "Cameras",
"file": "Cameras"
},
{
"name": "Stimulated Planning",
"file": "StimulatedPlanning"
},
{
"name": "Spatial Immersion",
"file": "SpatialImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Disruption of Focused Attention",
"file": "DisruptionofFocusedAttention"
},
{
"name": "Maneuvering",
"file": "Maneuvering"
},
{
"name": "Interruptible Actions",
"file": "InterruptibleActions"
},
{
"name": "Area Control",
"file": "AreaControl"
},
{
"name": "Conflict",
"file": "Conflict"
},
{
"name": "Incompatible Goals",
"file": "IncompatibleGoals"
},
{
"name": "Emotional Immersion",
"file": "EmotionalImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Right Level of Complexity",
"file": "RightLevelofComplexity"
},
{
"name": "Focus Loci",
"file": "FocusLoci"
},
{
"name": "Book-Keeping Tokens",
"file": "Book-KeepingTokens"
},
{
"name": "God Views",
"file": "GodViews"
},
{
"name": "Right Level of Difficulty",
"file": "RightLevelofDifficulty"
},
{
"name": "Penalties",
"file": "Penalties"
},
{
"name": "Enemies",
"file": "Enemies"
},
{
"name": "Surprises",
"file": "Surprises"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "The Show Must Go On",
"file": "TheShowMustGoOn"
},
{
"name": "Extended Actions",
"file": "ExtendedActions"
},
{
"name": "Parallel Lives",
"file": "ParallelLives"
},
{
"name": "Collaborative Actions",
"file": "CollaborativeActions"
},
{
"name": "Resource Management",
"file": "ResourceManagement"
},
{
"name": "Tradeoffs",
"file": "Tradeoffs"
},
{
"name": "Units",
"file": "Units"
},
{
"name": "Cognitive Immersion",
"file": "CognitiveImmersion"
}
] | AttentionSwapping | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "AttentionSwapping.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Avatars | Avatar is a game element, which is tightly connected to the player's success and failure in the game. In many cases, the Avatar is the only means through which a player can affect the game world. | [] | [
"When used, an [[Avatar]] is typically the only way in which a player can affect the game world. Thus, of primary importance in the design of an [[Avatar]] regarding gameplay is what actions it can perform. By limiting the actions that can be performed early in the game (for example, Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda series), the game can provide a [[Right Level of Difficulty]] in the beginning and [[Smooth Learning Curves]] as the game commences. Further, the game design can support the [[Narrative Structure]] by limiting access to game areas until various [[Privileged Abilities]] have been acquired, either by [[Tools]] or [[Character Development]]. The possibility to improve the Avatar's abilities and attributes through [[Character Development]] can thereby be used to merge the development of the [[Narrative Structure]] with goals the player has. This can strengthen the player's empathic link with the [[Avatar]] as an effect of the [[Investments]] made while developing the [[Avatar]].",
"[[New Abilities]] or [[Improved Abilities]] given to players can either be given to [[Avatars]] or [[Characters]]; the abilities are linked to [[Avatars]] when the abilities are only observable through actions in the [[Game World]] or there is no abstract representation of a [[Character]] behind the [[Avatar]].",
"[[Avatars]] may be used in a layered fashion where the player's [[Avatar]] controls another game element directly. This is presented to the player by replacing the [[Avatar]] with the other game element and providing the actions of the game element to the player. Examples of this are the possessing of other droids in Paradroid and the possibility to enter the driving position in vehicles in Battlefield 1942.",
"The death or destruction of the [[Avatar]] typically signifies the end of the game or the loss of one of the [[Lives]] available for the [[Avatar]]. This makes the [[Survive]] goal an integral part of games using [[Avatars]] in [[Player Killing]]. Other possible options include the loss of [[Privileged Abilities]], [[Score]], or [[Tools]].",
"Many [[Avatars]] are designed to let the players feel a positive empathic link towards the [[Avatar]] to achieve [[Emotional Immersion]]. This can be achieved either through a design so that the [[Avatars]] have a sympathetic personality or appearance, have abilities the players would like to have, or have been mistreated. However, they do not usually have strongly developed personalities, as this can prevent the players from interpreting what they want into the Avatar's actions. Further, if the [[Avatar]] can initiate actions on its own, this lessens the players' [[Freedom of Choice]] and may destroy an [[Illusion of Influence]] as well as [[Emotional Immersion]] directed towards other objects or players in the [[Game World]]. The use of [[Avatars]] in [[Persistent Game Worlds]] is common to create stronger [[Emotional Immersion]] and a sense of [[Ownership]]."
] | [
"[[Avatars]] are the representations of players' [[Characters]] or are players' [[Focus Loci]] and are therefore an expression of player [[Ownership]]. They are what are created by [[Producers]] when players are [[Spawning]]. They allow [[Improved Abilities]] to be presented to other players within a [[Consistent Reality Logic]] by changing the Avatar's appearance to reflect the current abilities the player has.",
"The use of an [[Avatar]] gives players a focus for [[Immersion]] ---particularly [[Spatial Immersion]] when used with [[First-Person Views]] ---and a focus for [[Roleplaying]] without affecting [[Consistent Reality Logic]] negatively; players can pretend that they are the [[Avatars]] on a physical level. The [[Spatial Immersion]] is further increased by the use of a [[Camera]] for [[Third-Person Views]] at the expense of [[Consistent Reality Logic]]. [[God Views]], on the contrary, are not necessarily suitable for use with [[Avatars]]. Being a [[Focus Loci]] for players, [[Avatars]] can have strong emotional links to the players: what is good for the [[Avatars]] is good for the players and what is bad for the avatars is bad for the players. [[Avatars]] can provide [[Enemies]] for other players, and their abilities usually modulate [[Combat]] and can provide the basis for [[Orthogonal Unit Differentiation]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Spatial Immersion",
"Immersion",
"Ownership",
"Enemies",
"Third-Person Views",
"First-Person Views"
],
"Modulates": [
"Combat",
"Persistent Game Worlds",
"Player Killing",
"Roleplaying",
"Consistent Reality Logic",
"Survive"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Mule"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Privileged Abilities",
"Tools",
"Character Development",
"Characters",
"Improved Abilities",
"Producers"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"God Views",
"Units",
"Parallel Lives",
"Emotional Immersion"
]
} | [
"The computer game Paradroid used an extended variant of the [[Avatar]] pattern. The player controlled a defenseless robot, which could control one other robot, and the gameplay consisted of switching between these second-order [[Avatars]] to defeat all robots on a spaceship.",
"The players are represented as personalized [[Avatars]] in Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games."
] | 5. Game Design Patterns for Game Elements | [
{
"name": "Combat",
"file": "Combat"
},
{
"name": "Character Development",
"file": "CharacterDevelopment"
},
{
"name": "Player Killing",
"file": "PlayerKilling"
},
{
"name": "Third-Person Views",
"file": "Third-PersonViews"
},
{
"name": "Spatial Immersion",
"file": "SpatialImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Immersion",
"file": "Immersion"
},
{
"name": "Survive",
"file": "Survive"
},
{
"name": "Consistent Reality Logic",
"file": "ConsistentRealityLogic"
},
{
"name": "Ownership",
"file": "Ownership"
},
{
"name": "Producers",
"file": "Producers"
},
{
"name": "Emotional Immersion",
"file": "EmotionalImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Improved Abilities",
"file": "ImprovedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Characters",
"file": "Characters"
},
{
"name": "God Views",
"file": "GodViews"
},
{
"name": "Mule",
"file": "Mule"
},
{
"name": "Enemies",
"file": "Enemies"
},
{
"name": "Tools",
"file": "Tools"
},
{
"name": "Roleplaying",
"file": "Roleplaying"
},
{
"name": "Privileged Abilities",
"file": "PrivilegedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Parallel Lives",
"file": "ParallelLives"
},
{
"name": "First-Person Views",
"file": "First-PersonViews"
},
{
"name": "Persistent Game Worlds",
"file": "PersistentGameWorlds"
},
{
"name": "Units",
"file": "Units"
}
] | Avatars | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Avatars.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Balancing Effects | Rules and effects in games that lessen the differences of value used to measure competition between players. | [
"For games where players play against opponents, the players need to feel that they can affect the outcome of the game. If a game is designed with a certain game time or amount of gameplay, and players feel powerless, these players have to two possibilities: endure gameplay that is uninspiring or suffer that gameplay breakdown due to the players desire to stop playing. To avoid these situations, games can have [[Balancing Effects]] built into them so that all players are more likely to feel that they have a chance to win over their opponents until the intended conclusion of the competition."
] | [
"[[Balancing Effects]] can be designed in a game to be preemptive or correcting. Preemptive [[Balancing Effects]] try to maintain [[Player Balance]] so that imbalances do not occur, while correcting [[Balancing Effects]] try to correct imbalances when they have occurred. An alternative to [[Balancing Effects]], which can be used together with them, is [[Limited Foresight]]. This also gives players a [[Perceived Chance to Succeed]] but in this case, it may only be an [[Illusion of Influence]].",
"[[Handicaps]] are preemptive [[Balancing Effects]] that are put into effect before gameplay begins. Making [[Extended Actions]] into [[Interruptible Actions]] is a form of preemptive [[Balancing Effect]] as other players can interfere with the actions, especially if they do not have any effect before they are completed. [[Delayed Effects]] in general have a certain [[Balancing Effect]], as they give players the possibility to prepare for the effects. Other ways of creating preemptive [[Balancing Effects]] consist of designing [[Illusionary Rewards]], requiring [[Tradeoffs]], allowing players to choose [[Selectable Sets of Goals]] that best fit their abilities, or providing [[Diminishing Return]] to players that otherwise could become clear leaders. If the effects are direct, these effects can ruin the [[Illusion of Influence]] for players and even make them avoid trying to achieve what should be goals for them. Having [[Balancing Effects]] affect the players indirectly can solve this, for example through [[Character Development]] or making [[New Abilities]] additions to those already used with [[Budgeted Action Points]].",
"Examples of correcting [[Balancing Effects]] include giving [[New Abilities]] or [[Improved Abilities]] to disadvantaged players and giving [[Ability Losses]] or [[Decreased Abilities]] to advantaged players. The classic case used in [[Races]] is a [[Decreased Ability]] in the form of [[Movement Limitation]] giving a lower maximum speed. To avoid players losing [[Illusion of Influences]], the positive effects are usually [[Rewards]] to the disadvantaged players for completing goals, while the negative effects are usually [[Penalties]] to the advantaged players for failing goals. The evaluation function that determines the [[Balancing Effects]] is for the same reason often hidden from players, for example, by making all [[Pick-Ups]] look the same though they have different effects, or by hiding the actual rolling of [[Dice]] to be able to fudge the results. Another example of a correcting is to decide the order of [[Turn Taking]] so that disadvantaged players give the most advantageous positions.",
"[[Transfer of Control]] can also be used to correct imbalances, but these are often linked to the [[Rewards]] or [[Penalties]] of any of the players. A common solution is to have forced [[Shared Rewards]], so that the player who gains the [[Reward]] must share it with someone else, typically the most disadvantaged player. Controlling how [[Spawning]] occurs can also be corrective, either placing disadvantaged players at [[Strategic Locations]] or placing advantaged players at bad locations.",
"Games with more than two teams or players competing against each other automatically have some corrective [[Balancing Effects]]. Players in these games perceived as leading may be the starting point of [[Mutual Goals]] for [[Uncommitted Alliances]], which have the intentions of ganging up against the leader. This is common in games with [[King of the Hill]] goals but can also be found in games that allow [[Player Decided Results]] and [[Player-Decided Distribution of Rewards & Penalties]]. Sufficient [[Game State Overviews]], for example, public [[Scores]], so players can notice leaders, are required for this form of [[Balancing Effect]] to occur.",
"[[Game Masters]], as [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]] that have constant access to the complete game state and can enforce their own [[Player Decided Results]], can perform both preemptive and corrective balancing effects during gameplay.",
"Games using primarily [[Randomness]] to judge outcomes can easily be designed to have [[Balancing Effects]] over time or when considering several game sessions together. However, games with [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]] can fake the [[Randomness]], for example, the results of [[Dice]] rolls, to explicitly create [[Balancing Effects]] during gameplay."
] | [
"The presence of [[Balancing Effects]] strengthens or prolongs players' [[Perceived Chance to Succeed]] but lessens the [[Perceivable Margins]] of the game and removes feelings of [[Game Mastery]] in the game. [[Balancing Effects]] often provide the [[Right Level of Difficulty]] and [[Smooth Learning Curves]] in games by making challenges sufficiently difficult.",
"[[Balancing Effects]] are used in [[Multiplayer Games]] to avoid too large differences of [[Asymmetric Abilities]] between players. They can achieve [[Player Balance]] or [[Team Balance]] during gameplay, often to maintain [[Tension]] as long as possible in the game and to allow [[Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Player Balance",
"Smooth Learning Curves",
"Team Balance",
"Tension",
"Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses",
"Right Level of Difficulty",
"Perceived Chance to Succeed"
],
"Modulates": [
"Character Development",
"Penalties",
"Asymmetric Abilities",
"Multiplayer Games",
"Transfer of Control",
"Improved Abilities",
"Ability Losses",
"Decreased Abilities",
"Spawning",
"Rewards",
"Dice",
"Pick-Ups",
"Turn Taking"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Extended Actions",
"Player Decided Results",
"Movement Limitations",
"Interruptible Actions",
"Illusionary Rewards",
"Budgeted Action Points",
"Handicaps",
"Diminishing Returns",
"Dedicated Game Facilitators",
"Game Masters",
"Tradeoffs",
"Player-Decided Distribution of Rewards & Penalties",
"Delayed Effects",
"Randomness",
"Score",
"Shared Rewards",
"Rewards",
"King of the Hill"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Game State Overview",
"Uncommitted Alliances"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Perceivable Margins"
]
} | [
"Power-ups in Monkey Race 2 in Super Monkey Ball 2 give speed boosters only to the players that are not leading the races. Further balancing effects can be added by players through the option that makes the leader have a lower maximum speed than the other players.",
"Multiplayer online first-person shooters often have possibilities to force teams to be balanced in numbers. Some, such as Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, have functionality that can automatically reassign teams based on experience to try and balance the teams further."
] | 14. Game Design Patterns for Game Mastery and Balancing | [
{
"name": "Turn Taking",
"file": "TurnTaking"
},
{
"name": "Player Decided Results",
"file": "PlayerDecidedResults"
},
{
"name": "Tension",
"file": "Tension"
},
{
"name": "Handicaps",
"file": "Handicaps"
},
{
"name": "Delayed Effects",
"file": "DelayedEffects"
},
{
"name": "Game State Overview",
"file": "GameStateOverview"
},
{
"name": "Decreased Abilities",
"file": "DecreasedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Character Development",
"file": "CharacterDevelopment"
},
{
"name": "Dice",
"file": "Dice"
},
{
"name": "Smooth Learning Curves",
"file": "SmoothLearningCurves"
},
{
"name": "Game Masters",
"file": "GameMasters"
},
{
"name": "Interruptible Actions",
"file": "InterruptibleActions"
},
{
"name": "Player-Decided Distribution of Rewards & Penalties",
"file": "Player-DecidedDistributionofRewards&Penalties"
},
{
"name": "Spawning",
"file": "Spawning"
},
{
"name": "Budgeted Action Points",
"file": "BudgetedActionPoints"
},
{
"name": "Perceived Chance to Succeed",
"file": "PerceivedChancetoSucceed"
},
{
"name": "Movement Limitations",
"file": "MovementLimitations"
},
{
"name": "Perceivable Margins",
"file": "PerceivableMargins"
},
{
"name": "Improved Abilities",
"file": "ImprovedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Transfer of Control",
"file": "TransferofControl"
},
{
"name": "Uncommitted Alliances",
"file": "UncommittedAlliances"
},
{
"name": "Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses",
"file": "Higher-LevelClosuresasGameplayProgresses"
},
{
"name": "Illusionary Rewards",
"file": "IllusionaryRewards"
},
{
"name": "Randomness",
"file": "Randomness"
},
{
"name": "Team Balance",
"file": "TeamBalance"
},
{
"name": "Right Level of Difficulty",
"file": "RightLevelofDifficulty"
},
{
"name": "Player Balance",
"file": "PlayerBalance"
},
{
"name": "Penalties",
"file": "Penalties"
},
{
"name": "Dedicated Game Facilitators",
"file": "DedicatedGameFacilitators"
},
{
"name": "Shared Rewards",
"file": "SharedRewards"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "King of the Hill",
"file": "KingoftheHill"
},
{
"name": "Diminishing Returns",
"file": "DiminishingReturns"
},
{
"name": "Multiplayer Games",
"file": "MultiplayerGames"
},
{
"name": "Extended Actions",
"file": "ExtendedActions"
},
{
"name": "Pick-Ups",
"file": "Pick-Ups"
},
{
"name": "Asymmetric Abilities",
"file": "AsymmetricAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Score",
"file": "Score"
},
{
"name": "Ability Losses",
"file": "AbilityLosses"
},
{
"name": "Tradeoffs",
"file": "Tradeoffs"
}
] | BalancingEffects | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "BalancingEffects.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Betrayal | One or several players that have an agreement with other players either intentionally fail to do as agreed or otherwise hinder the fulfillment of the agreement. | [
"Players can be put in situations where promises or the expectations of other players may be broken. These acts of [[Betrayal]] often cause friction between players, and therefore players betraying other players usually have an incentive to do so. This may be due to individual gains received by the [[Betrayal]], differences in player positions in the game, revenge for previous injustices, or situations where the game forces players to choose which players they will betray."
] | [
"[[Betrayal]] requires that one player in the game has some [[Committed Goals]] whose completion is dependent on other players' actions, even if the commitment may only be a promise and the goals may be [[Player Defined Goals]]. Thus, [[Betrayal]] can happen in almost any situation where the players are cooperating in some way, usually towards [[Mutual Goals]]. Less severe cases of [[Betrayal]] can happen in [[Collaborative Actions]] and in situations of [[Delayed Reciprocity]] such as Player Decided Distribution of Rewards & Penalties or [[Trading]] with [[Delayed Effects]]. One way, and perhaps the best, to enhance the possibility of [[Betrayal]] is to give the players at least a perceived chance of reaping [[Individual Rewards]] for betraying the other players. This form of [[Betrayal]] is the basis for some [[Social Dilemmas]]. An example is where [[Tied Results]] can be perceived and [[Rewards]] are distributed evenly: in these cases, players may negotiate to have a [[Tied Result]] in order to use their [[Resources]] and efforts in other parts of the game but have the possibility of [[Betrayal]] to gain the whole [[Reward]] for themselves.",
"[[Betrayal]] is one of the classic themes that can be used to create [[Narrative Structures]] and [[Role Reversal]] events. The interplay of trust and deceit is a way to achieve [[Emotional Immersion]] as [[Betrayal]] will almost inevitably create strong emotions in both parties involved. [[Betrayal]] has to come as a [[Surprise]] for those who are betrayed, or it loses much of its emotional impact. This can be achieved, for example, by having a [[Delayed Effect]] for [[Collaborative Actions]] and using [[Asymmetric Information]] about the actions the players have performed, which also raises the levels of [[Anticipation]]. In most cases, [[Betrayal]] is used together with [[Bluffing]]. The players who are about to betray other players have to conceal their true intentions and in some games, for example Diplomacy, [[Bluffing]] to conceal [[Betrayal]] is the basis for much of the enjoyment of the game."
] | [
"The possibility of [[Betrayal]] in games gives players a form of [[Player Decided Results]], and the power this gives most likely increases [[Tension]] between players and has a negative effect on [[Team Play]] and possible [[Cooperation]]. As is the case with [[Bluffing]], even the perceived possibility of [[Betrayal]] can increase [[Social Interaction]] between players. In these cases, the heightened [[Tension]] is due to the players trying to find out what the other players' true intentions are. [[Betrayal]], in any case, is much more common in [[Uncommitted Alliances]] than in stable [[Alliances]] such as teams. The effect of [[Betrayal]] is more drastic when the other players feel that the [[Alliance]] is stable. For example, a Soccer player perceived as betraying his team in the World Cup finals will probably be treated as a real-world betrayer and suffer the consequences.",
"For players to put themselves in positions where [[Betrayal]] of their trust can occur requires them to make [[Risk/Reward]] calculations and heavily influences how [[Negotiation]] is conducted. The actual action of putting oneself in the position where one can be betrayed is a Leap of Faith and if the [[Betrayal]] takes place, it is usually the source for [[Conflict]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Conflict",
"Surprises",
"Leaps of Faith",
"Emotional Immersion",
"Social Dilemmas",
"Role Reversal",
"Tension",
"Uncommitted Alliances",
"Risk/Reward"
],
"Modulates": [
"Trading",
"Alliances",
"Anticipation",
"Tied Results",
"Social Interaction",
"Negotiation",
"Narrative Structures"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Collaborative Actions",
"Player Decided Results",
"Committed Goals",
"Cooperation",
"Player-Decided Distribution of Rewards & Penalties",
"Mutual Goals",
"Individual Rewards",
"Asymmetric Information",
"Bluffing"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Indirect Information",
"Penalties",
"Rewards",
"Delayed Reciprocity",
"Delayed Effects"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Cooperation"
]
} | [
"Much of the enjoyment and tension of Diplomacy is in the possibility to betray and backstab other players. This sometimes leads to very intense diplomacy phases where the players try to get more information about what other players really try to achieve in the game.",
"The negotiation game Intrigue forces players into situations where they sometimes must betray another player due to having made certain promises to several different players that appeared to be unrelated when they were given but later became related."
] | 10. Game Design Patterns for Social Interaction | [
{
"name": "Player Decided Results",
"file": "PlayerDecidedResults"
},
{
"name": "Tension",
"file": "Tension"
},
{
"name": "Risk/Reward",
"file": "RiskReward"
},
{
"name": "Delayed Effects",
"file": "DelayedEffects"
},
{
"name": "Committed Goals",
"file": "CommittedGoals"
},
{
"name": "Anticipation",
"file": "Anticipation"
},
{
"name": "Role Reversal",
"file": "RoleReversal"
},
{
"name": "Leaps of Faith",
"file": "LeapsofFaith"
},
{
"name": "Player-Decided Distribution of Rewards & Penalties",
"file": "Player-DecidedDistributionofRewards&Penalties"
},
{
"name": "Asymmetric Information",
"file": "AsymmetricInformation"
},
{
"name": "Cooperation",
"file": "Cooperation"
},
{
"name": "Emotional Immersion",
"file": "EmotionalImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Individual Rewards",
"file": "IndividualRewards"
},
{
"name": "Uncommitted Alliances",
"file": "UncommittedAlliances"
},
{
"name": "Mutual Goals",
"file": "MutualGoals"
},
{
"name": "Trading",
"file": "Trading"
},
{
"name": "Indirect Information",
"file": "IndirectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Delayed Reciprocity",
"file": "DelayedReciprocity"
},
{
"name": "Alliances",
"file": "Alliances"
},
{
"name": "Penalties",
"file": "Penalties"
},
{
"name": "Social Interaction",
"file": "SocialInteraction"
},
{
"name": "Tied Results",
"file": "TiedResults"
},
{
"name": "Surprises",
"file": "Surprises"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "Negotiation",
"file": "Negotiation"
},
{
"name": "Narrative Structures",
"file": "NarrativeStructures"
},
{
"name": "Collaborative Actions",
"file": "CollaborativeActions"
},
{
"name": "Bluffing",
"file": "Bluffing"
},
{
"name": "Social Dilemmas",
"file": "SocialDilemmas"
},
{
"name": "Conflict",
"file": "Conflict"
}
] | Betrayal | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Betrayal.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Betting | Investing resources in the likelihood of an outcome. | [
"[[Betting]] is the act of risking resources for the chance of winning more resources than was used. The proportions between what is gained and what is risked is linked to the perceived probability of winning, but in the case where [[Betting]] is done by players this does not have to be close to the real probability."
] | [
"The main design choice when explicitly supporting [[Betting]] in games is to choose whether player bet against a [[Dedicated Game Facilitator]], usually called the house, or against each other.",
"[[Betting]] against a [[Dedicated Game Facilitator]] is usually based on [[Luck]] to ensure [[Player Balance]] between different game sessions. The main design requirement for betting against the house is to calculate the probabilities of the actions that are to be bet on. Knowledge of these probabilities can usually be deducted for actions based on [[Randomness]], but as players also can do this the information is typically not held secret. Rather, the proportions of risk and reward are set so that either the game is balanced between players in [[Multiplayer Games]] or unbalanced in favor of the house in games where players play against the [[Dedicated Game Facilitator]].",
"[[Betting]] against each other causes players to be in [[Conflict]] with each other. It can reduce the influence of [[Luck]] as [[Imperfect Information]] may give different players different advantages."
] | [
"[[Betting]] provides ways of changing [[Ownership]] based on [[Transfer of Control]] events decided by some outcome. [[Betting]] is often used to create [[Meta Games]] of games by giving the original games [[Extra-Game Consequences]] based upon [[Gain Ownership]] goals. When these [[Meta Games]] are [[Player Defined Goals]] basically any activity can become a game although with serious [[Extra-Game Consequences]] and thereby [[Emotional Immersion]].",
"Regardless if the [[Betting]] is an integral part of the game or in a [[Meta Game]] that is a [[Self-Facilitated Games]], the placement of [[Resources]] on bets are [[Investments]] that determines the sizes of the [[Rewards]], and the activity therefore one of [[Resource Management]]. [[Betting]] differs from [[Bidding]] in that the [[Resources]] used do not have a possibility of being returned and that the gains in [[Betting]] are of the same type as what was bet. In [[Quick Games]] of [[Betting]] the [[Resources]] usually move between players through a [[Tournament]] style of playing, and as the [[Resources]] risked and gained are of the same type, and often the exact same [[Resources]], the system is a [[Closed Economy]].",
"[[Betting]] is usually based on players' not having full predictabilityof the outcome and [[Delayed Effects]]. As such the action is one of [[Risk/Reward]] and gives [[Anticipation]] and [[Tension]] due to [[Hovering Closures]].",
"The main skills required to gain [[Game Mastery]] in [[Betting]] is the [[Strategic Knowledge]] of the predictability in the game and, for [[Multiplayer Games]], being able to deduct the tacticsof other players, e. g. by reading other players' body language or playing style. [[Bluffing]] is also an important aspect of [[Betting]] skill."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Meta Games",
"Conflict",
"Emotional Immersion",
"Anticipation",
"Closed Economies",
"Resource Management",
"Transfer of Control",
"Investments",
"Rewards",
"Game Mastery",
"Player Defined Goals",
"Extra-Game Consequences",
"Risk/Reward",
"Bluffing",
"Luck",
"Delayed Effects",
"Hovering Closures",
"Tension"
],
"Modulates": [
"Bidding",
"Resources",
"Gain Ownership"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Gain Ownership",
"Ownership"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Predictable Consequences",
"Strategic Knowledge",
"Self-Facilitated Games",
"Tournaments",
"Quick Games",
"Dedicated Game Facilitators",
"Imperfect Information",
"Randomness"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"Roulette is a typical example where the exchanges rate between bets and rewards are open and the probability for each outcome is static. The proportions between investments and rewards are tilted in the house's favor and the knowledge of this and the probabilities is easily available.",
"Betting in Poker is based on the cards held and the actions of other players. The proportions between risk and reward in Poker are not fixed but vary due to the willingness of all players to bet."
] | 8. Actions and Events Patterns | [
{
"name": "Tension",
"file": "Tension"
},
{
"name": "Risk/Reward",
"file": "RiskReward"
},
{
"name": "Imperfect Information",
"file": "ImperfectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Game Mastery",
"file": "GameMastery"
},
{
"name": "Delayed Effects",
"file": "DelayedEffects"
},
{
"name": "Anticipation",
"file": "Anticipation"
},
{
"name": "Meta Games",
"file": "MetaGames"
},
{
"name": "Ownership",
"file": "Ownership"
},
{
"name": "Predictable Consequences",
"file": "PredictableConsequences"
},
{
"name": "Hovering Closures",
"file": "HoveringClosures"
},
{
"name": "Bidding",
"file": "Bidding"
},
{
"name": "Player Defined Goals",
"file": "PlayerDefinedGoals"
},
{
"name": "Extra-Game Consequences",
"file": "Extra-GameConsequences"
},
{
"name": "Quick Games",
"file": "QuickGames"
},
{
"name": "Emotional Immersion",
"file": "EmotionalImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Investments",
"file": "Investments"
},
{
"name": "Transfer of Control",
"file": "TransferofControl"
},
{
"name": "Strategic Knowledge",
"file": "StrategicKnowledge"
},
{
"name": "Tournaments",
"file": "Tournaments"
},
{
"name": "Randomness",
"file": "Randomness"
},
{
"name": "Dedicated Game Facilitators",
"file": "DedicatedGameFacilitators"
},
{
"name": "Gain Ownership",
"file": "GainOwnership"
},
{
"name": "Luck",
"file": "Luck"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "Closed Economies",
"file": "ClosedEconomies"
},
{
"name": "Self-Facilitated Games",
"file": "Self-FacilitatedGames"
},
{
"name": "Bluffing",
"file": "Bluffing"
},
{
"name": "Resource Management",
"file": "ResourceManagement"
},
{
"name": "Conflict",
"file": "Conflict"
},
{
"name": "Resources",
"file": "Resources"
}
] | Betting | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Betting.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Bidding | Players invest resources, usually some kind of a currency, for an uncertain outcome in order to get a reward of some kind. | [
"A [[Bidding]] instance is a process consisting of several parts: the bidding where players invest resources with the hope to achieve a certain game state, the determination of the outcome of these investments, and the distribution of possible rewards."
] | [
"For [[Bidding]] to be effective in a game, [[Resources]] usedhave to be of the [[Limited Resource]] kind, be it throughout the whole game or just for the specific [[Bidding]] instance. Although [[Resources]] in [[Bidding]] events are usually normal game elements, [[Bidding]] can also concern [[Area Control]] or the order in which players should perform [[Turn Taking]]. Players often have [[Direct Information]] to what is being bid about, in order to do [[Tradeoffs]] between what [[Resources]] they are using in the bidding and what [[Resources]] they can gain.",
"[[Bidding]] consists of two separate mechanisms: how the [[Bidding]] is conducted and how the outcome is determined. The mechanisms for conducting the [[Bidding]] can be separated into two categories, open and closed, based on the information available for the participants. Open [[Bidding]] means that the players have [[Symmetric Information]] about the amount of [[Resources]] the other players have used in the bid, whereas closed [[Bidding]] uses [[Asymmetric Information]]. It is also possible to use a hybrid system, where the size of the pot is known to all the players but the amount bid by individual players is not known.",
"The necessary decision for [[Bidding]] is to determine what mechanisms govern the order, if any, of the players doing the [[Bidding]] and if there is [[Negotiation]] between the players. The most common way, at least in card and board games, is that players place their bids in a predetermined sequence of [[Turn Taking]]: a round. Some games using this method also allow a player to pass the round, if need be, and in this case, the player can be out of the [[Bidding]] instance through [[Player Elimination]], as is the case in Poker, or still be able to participate in later phases. One [[Bidding]] instance can have several rounds, as again is the case in Poker, or there is a predetermined number of rounds, usually just one. [[Bidding]] instances with several rounds and some methods of [[Social Interaction]] between the players can often lead to [[Bluffing]]. If the [[Bidding]] does not have a predetermined number of rounds, there has to be some other form of end condition for the [[Bidding]] instance. Usually the end condition is that all players participating in the [[Bidding]] decide to end the [[Bidding]] round.",
"Another way of conducting the [[Bidding]] is not to have a specified order for the players but allow them to place the bids in any order. A common way to achieve this is to have just one [[Bidding]] round where players secretly placing their bids, and the bids are revealed as soon as all players have done their bids. In cases where there is a [[Dedicated Game Facilitator]], such as a computer program, it is also possible to have more complex versions of this kind of simultaneous [[Bidding]], where the players can also change their bids before the end of the [[Bidding]] instance. Usually this involves some kind of [[Asymmetric Information]] about the amount players bid or about the whole bid.",
"The next phase, how the outcome of the [[Bidding]] is determined, has two variants: that the pot is the reward and who wins it is determined in another way, or that the reward is specified outside the [[Bidding]] and the bid is used to determine the outcome. Poker and other [[Betting]] games are examples of the first variant: the whole bid is the reward and the value of the cards is used to determine who gets the [[Reward]]. Examples of the second variant are games using voting or auctions, as in both these cases the [[Reward]] itself is outside the bid. The first category assumes that the player bids are consumed or transferred after the determination of the outcome. This is not (necessarily) the case in the second category as, for example, in an auction, only the players getting the [[Reward]] lose their bids. [[Bidding]], especially in the form of voting, is often used in [[Player Decided Results]].",
"There are two special cases of [[Bidding]]: auction and voting. Both auction and voting have characteristics where the game state the players are bidding on is actually the same as the [[Reward]]. In the case of the auction, the [[Reward]] is given to the player who has placed the highest bid, and in the case of voting, the majority of votes decide how the game state should change."
] | [
"[[Bidding]] offers a way to achieve [[Transfer of Control]] of [[Resources]] through [[Collaborative Actions]] with [[Player Decided Results]]. This offers an alternative to [[Combat]] regarding how to achieve [[Gain Ownership]] or [[Eliminate]] goals. As [[Bidding]] nearly always is voluntarily, winning the bid is a [[Player Defined Goal]] concerning how much [[Resources]] one wants to spend on the [[Bidding]], and in the case of [[Bidding]] on different objects, what objects to get.",
"The act of [[Bidding]] involves making [[Investments]] and [[Risk/Reward]] considerations, and in some cases, can be affected by [[Bluffing]]. The [[Bidding]] is often a source of [[Competition]] between players, and the ability to use certain [[Resources]] in [[Bidding]] to gain others can be seen as a form of abstract [[Converter]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Converters",
"Competition",
"Transfer of Control",
"Area Control",
"Player Elimination",
"Tradeoffs",
"Player Defined Goals",
"Collaborative Actions"
],
"Modulates": [
"Cooperation",
"Resources",
"Gain Ownership",
"Eliminate",
"Turn Taking"
],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"Direct Information",
"Turn Taking",
"Symmetric Information",
"Asymmetric Information",
"Negotiation",
"Betting",
"Bluffing",
"Rewards"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"In Poker, players bid on the value of their card hands. The bidding instance consists of rounds where the players can raise their bids one after another. The player who does not wish to call the last bid matches his bid to the same amount as the last bid, or if he does not wish to raise the bid, he has to fold. The player who folds is out of the [[Bidding]] instance and he has to leave his bid in the pot. The [[Bidding]] instance ends when there is only one player left or all the remaining players call the last bid. The player with the best hand, or the only remaining player, in the [[Bidding]] instance wins the whole bid as the reward.",
"Kicking out a player from an open game instance of Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory requires that a certain amount of players have voted for kicking the player out."
] | 10. Game Design Patterns for Social Interaction | [
{
"name": "Converters",
"file": "Converters"
},
{
"name": "Turn Taking",
"file": "TurnTaking"
},
{
"name": "Area Control",
"file": "AreaControl"
},
{
"name": "Asymmetric Information",
"file": "AsymmetricInformation"
},
{
"name": "Player Defined Goals",
"file": "PlayerDefinedGoals"
},
{
"name": "Cooperation",
"file": "Cooperation"
},
{
"name": "Eliminate",
"file": "Eliminate"
},
{
"name": "Transfer of Control",
"file": "TransferofControl"
},
{
"name": "Direct Information",
"file": "DirectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Betting",
"file": "Betting"
},
{
"name": "Gain Ownership",
"file": "GainOwnership"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "Negotiation",
"file": "Negotiation"
},
{
"name": "Competition",
"file": "Competition"
},
{
"name": "Collaborative Actions",
"file": "CollaborativeActions"
},
{
"name": "Bluffing",
"file": "Bluffing"
},
{
"name": "Player Elimination",
"file": "PlayerElimination"
},
{
"name": "Tradeoffs",
"file": "Tradeoffs"
},
{
"name": "Resources",
"file": "Resources"
},
{
"name": "Symmetric Information",
"file": "SymmetricInformation"
}
] | Bidding | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Bidding.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Bluffing | Players have a possibility to convey false information to other players in order to benefit from the situation. | [
"Usually the basic information for [[Bluffing]] is something about the current game state, as is the case in Poker. It is possible, however, that [[Bluffing]] concerns other game components such as past events and actions, players' goals, and even players' strategies and intentions. One of the simplest games of this kind of [[Bluffing]] is an iterated version of [[Paper-Rock-Scissors]], where the players try to outguess the other player's action based on previous plays and social clues."
] | [
"In order to have the possibility for bluffing, the game should have [[Asymmetric Information]] together with means of players giving each other [[Indirect Information]] about game components, that is, the players do not have direct access to the required information but can get it from other players, usually via [[Social Interaction]]. Games that have [[Symmetric Information]] as well as [[Direct Information]] about game elements limit the possibilities for [[Bluffing]] but can still have it concerning players' goals, strategies, and intentions. This, however, also requires that players have a possibility of some kind of cooperation and that the player actions can have an effect on the other players' position in the game. An example of a game not satisfying these requirements is a 100 Meter Dash, or almost any other sports race, where [[Bluffing]] seems to be almost impossible.",
"[[Bluffing]] is possible in almost all cases of [[Negotiation]] and can be used to avoid situations where [[Randomness]] would normally let players feel [[Luck]], since [[Bluffing]] can add a level of social skill even on totally random situations. Common examples where [[Bluffing]] is usually possible include [[Trading]], [[Betting]], and [[Bidding]]. An explicit type of game element that can be used for [[Bluffing]] is [[Alarms]] when these can be activated by players' actions."
] | [
"The possibility of [[Bluffing]] in games creates uncertainty about results and thereby [[Tension]], especially for a [[Bluffing]] player. [[Bluffing]] modulates [[Social Interaction]] between players, and players bluffing must be able to control their [[Emotional Immersion]], especially if the game is played in a face-to-face situation. Even though a face-to-face situation is beneficial for this type of game, it is not a requirement. As long as the possibilities and channels for [[Negotiation]] exist, there is a possibility for [[Bluffing]]. [[Bluffing]] in most cases leads to at least a possibility of [[Betrayal]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Risk/Reward",
"Betrayal",
"Tension"
],
"Modulates": [
"Bidding",
"Trading",
"Emotional Immersion",
"Alarms",
"Social Interaction"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Indirect Information",
"Social Interaction",
"Negotiation",
"Betting",
"Asymmetric Information"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Direct Information",
"Symmetric Information"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Symmetric Information",
"Luck"
]
} | [
"Poker uses [[Bluffing]] as one of the basic characteristics of the game. The players do not have direct information about the other players' hands but try to guess the relative values based on the play of previous rounds, social clues, and how the players are playing the current round. [[Bluffing]] in Poker thus means that the player is trying to give a false impression to other players about the actual value of his hand.",
"The classic board game Diplomacy has all the information about positions of the players' armies and fleets available to all players. [[Bluffing]] in this game is based on giving the other players false information about the current strategies, goals, and agreements between the players. The game even has a specific diplomacy phase for giving the players the ability to scheme against other players."
] | 10. Game Design Patterns for Social Interaction | [
{
"name": "Emotional Immersion",
"file": "EmotionalImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Luck",
"file": "Luck"
},
{
"name": "Alarms",
"file": "Alarms"
},
{
"name": "Tension",
"file": "Tension"
},
{
"name": "Trading",
"file": "Trading"
},
{
"name": "Risk/Reward",
"file": "RiskReward"
},
{
"name": "Betrayal",
"file": "Betrayal"
},
{
"name": "Indirect Information",
"file": "IndirectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Negotiation",
"file": "Negotiation"
},
{
"name": "Direct Information",
"file": "DirectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Betting",
"file": "Betting"
},
{
"name": "Bidding",
"file": "Bidding"
},
{
"name": "Asymmetric Information",
"file": "AsymmetricInformation"
},
{
"name": "Social Interaction",
"file": "SocialInteraction"
},
{
"name": "Symmetric Information",
"file": "SymmetricInformation"
}
] | Bluffing | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Bluffing.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Book-Keeping Tokens | Game elements that do not represent concrete objects in the game world but instead holds specific parts of the game state. | [
"Game states that at least partially represent abstract values require that games have some way to store the information. This can be done by using computers or humans that have to remember the information, but when computers are not available many games have [[Book-Keeping Tokens]] to let players focus on the gameplay rather than the manipulating objects to keep track of the game state."
] | [
"[[Book-Keeping Tokens]] allow more complex game states in [[Self-Facilitated Games]] without having to do [[Memorizing]]. However, they require players to do [[Extra-Game Actions]] that resemble [[Resource Management]] but without any [[Freedom of Choice]]. As this requires [[Attention Swapping]] from the actual gameplay, [[Book-Keeping Tokens]] can negatively affect all kinds of [[Immersion]], except [[Cognitive Immersion]].",
"[[Book-Keeping Tokens]] can be the [[Focus Loci]] of actions not associated with game elements in [[Game Worlds]]."
] | [
"The values of the game state dictate most of the design requirements of [[Book-Keeping Tokens]]. However, game designers have options if the [[Book-Keeping Tokens]] should be used to provide the players with [[Imperfect Information]], typically by [[Cards]], or if they should be [[Public Information]] and give players a [[Game State Overview]]. The latter can support [[Cognitive Immersion]] as it gives [[Stimulated Planning]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Attention Swapping",
"Cognitive Immersion",
"Stimulated Planning",
"Imperfect Information",
"Public Information",
"Game State Overview",
"Extra-Game Actions",
"Focus Loci"
],
"Modulates": [],
"Instantiated by": [
"Cards"
],
"Modulated by": [],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Resource Management",
"Memorizing",
"Immersion"
]
} | [
"Puerto Rico has the role of governor that is passed among players. To help players keep track of their roles a small governor card is past to the player who currently is the governor."
] | 5. Game Design Patterns for Game Elements | [
{
"name": "Memorizing",
"file": "Memorizing"
},
{
"name": "Extra-Game Actions",
"file": "Extra-GameActions"
},
{
"name": "Public Information",
"file": "PublicInformation"
},
{
"name": "Focus Loci",
"file": "FocusLoci"
},
{
"name": "Immersion",
"file": "Immersion"
},
{
"name": "Cards",
"file": "Cards"
},
{
"name": "Imperfect Information",
"file": "ImperfectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Game State Overview",
"file": "GameStateOverview"
},
{
"name": "Stimulated Planning",
"file": "StimulatedPlanning"
},
{
"name": "Attention Swapping",
"file": "AttentionSwapping"
},
{
"name": "Resource Management",
"file": "ResourceManagement"
},
{
"name": "Cognitive Immersion",
"file": "CognitiveImmersion"
}
] | Book-KeepingTokens | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Book-KeepingTokens.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Boss Monsters | A more powerful enemy the players have to overcome to reach certain goals in the game. | [
"Sometimes defeating the [[Boss Monster]] can be a goal in itself, but usually [[Boss Monsters]] are used as subgoals in the game and the high-level goal is of another type of goal. [[Boss Monsters]] are almost always used to structure the progress of the game."
] | [
"Defeating the [[Boss Monster]] typically uses [[Eliminate]] modulated with some version of [[Overcome]] goal patterns. For example, in a tabletop roleplaying game, defeating the evil dragon guarding the princess consists of several rounds of tests of skills and attributes of the players until the dragon is dead. As previously mentioned, the [[Boss Monster]] is used as a subgoal to signify reaching a high-level goal, as is the case in the previous roleplaying example:Eliminating the dragon is a subgoal for Rescuing the princess. It is common for [[Boss Monsters]] to have some form of [[Achilles' Heel]] that allows players to have an easier way to defeat them.",
"[[Boss Monsters]] are usually an integral part of [[Narrative Structures]] and sometimes they are the main motivation for the player to progress in the game. That is why there is a need to carefully consider how to fit the nature, history, abilities, and even the audiovisual representation of the [[Boss Monsters]] to the [[Alternative Reality]] of the game."
] | [
"[[Boss Monsters]] are used to structure the progress in the [[Hierarchy of Goals]] so that [[Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses]] occur, and they typically signify the end of [[Levels]]. Defeating the [[Boss Monster]] creates a more significant closure associated with the progress in the game. The [[Boss Monster]] can be used to modulate the [[Tension]] in the overall game and is a natural part in the [[Narrative Structure]] of the game, as it can be seen as an end climax for a narrative section."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Overcome",
"Tension",
"Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses"
],
"Modulates": [
"Rescue",
"Levels"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Eliminate"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Achilles' Heels"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"The games in The Legend of Zelda series are almost totally structured around defeating [[Boss Monsters]] in order to progress in the game and to reach the high-level goals of the game."
] | 5. Game Design Patterns for Game Elements | [
{
"name": "Tension",
"file": "Tension"
},
{
"name": "Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses",
"file": "Higher-LevelClosuresasGameplayProgresses"
},
{
"name": "Overcome",
"file": "Overcome"
},
{
"name": "Levels",
"file": "Levels"
},
{
"name": "Achilles' Heels",
"file": "Achilles'Heels"
},
{
"name": "Rescue",
"file": "Rescue"
},
{
"name": "Eliminate",
"file": "Eliminate"
}
] | BossMonsters | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "BossMonsters.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Budgeted Action Points | Points that are used by players to do actions during their turns. | [
"[[Budgeted Action Points]] are a way to let players decide from turn to turn which actions they want to perform. Usually they not only let players have alternatives to choose from but also allow them to perform the same actions several times if wished but at the expense of not then being able to do other actions.",
"A form of [[Budgeted Action Points]] is used to control how often certain actions can be performed in real-time games. In this case the actions costs a certain amount of points from some value and this value slowly increases until it has reached a maximum point. This means that the amount of uses of the action during a certain amount of time is limited but players can save up points in order to use the actions several times quickly after one another."
] | [
"The selection of possible actions which can be paid by the [[Budgeted Action Points]] can be any kind of action that is part of the overall game play, but [[Varied Gameplay]] and [[Tradeoffs]] can be encouraged by having heterogeneous groups. [[Budgeted Action Points]] can be used to give players [[Limited Resources]] for performing actions both before and during gameplay. Before gameplay, this is most often used to give players ways to select [[Skill]] levels or sets of advantages and disadvantages for [[Characters]]. For [[Budgeted Action Points]] that are used during gameplay, common possible actions include: [[Movement]] with different costsfor different terrain and [[Unit]] types to create [[Movement Limitations]]; different forms of actions related to [[Combat]]; and, actions that refill [[Renewable Resources]] such as healing or repairing.",
"[[Budgeted Action Points]] can have [[Balancing Effects]] on powerful abilities since these may cost more points and not be usable so often. Further, the impact of [[New Abilities]] or [[Privileged Abilities]] is lessened when used together with [[Budgeted Action Points]] as using them requires players to not use other actions."
] | [
"[[Budgeted Action Points]] are [[Resources]] which gives players a [[Freedom of Choice]] within a [[Limited Set of Actions]]. The points are a form of [[Renewable Resources]] which requires players to continuously do [[Resource Management]] and [[Tradeoffs]] between the different possible actions available.",
"[[Turn-Based Games]] and [[Tick-Based Games]] can have [[Budgeted Action Points]] on two levels. On the strategic level, [[Budgeted Action Points]] are used to do [[Investment]] either in technology to give new [[Units]] with [[Privileged Abilities]] or in production to create new [[Units]],[[Producers]], or [[Converters]]. On a tactical level, [[Budgeted Action Points]] are given to each [[Unit]] at the start of the turn and most [[Units]] usually have a basic common set of actions with special [[Units]] have additional choices. The presence of [[Budgeted Action Points]] in [[Turn-Based Games]] typically causes [[Cognitive Immersion]] and [[Analysis Paralysis]].",
"[[Budgeted Action Points]] in [[Real-Time Games]] are usually optional and are shown as through a [[Status Indicator]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Cognitive Immersion",
"Movement Limitations",
"Resources",
"Renewable Resources",
"Tradeoffs",
"Freedom of Choice",
"Varied Gameplay",
"Analysis Paralysis",
"Balancing Effects",
"Limited Resources"
],
"Modulates": [
"Tick-Based Games",
"Turn-Based Games",
"Real-Time Games",
"New Abilities",
"Privileged Abilities",
"Characters",
"Skills"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Combat",
"Movement",
"Investments"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Status Indicators"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"The board game Space Hulk has a limited set of action points for each unit in the game. For the player controlling genestealers these action points are used for moving, turning, and attacking in close combat while the player controlling the space marines can use them for these activities and additionally to shoot and reload weapons.",
"Play-by-mail games and other tick-based games let players record what actions they want to do and send them to the game facilitator. In order to make games manageable and not grow exponentially in complexity the number of actions each player can use is set to a certain limit.",
"Calling air strikes, producing ammunition boxes, or handing out health packs in Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory all requires resources from the players doing the actions. These resources are limited by are regained over time, letting players choose between continuously doing the actions at regular intervals or saving up to do several of them in a short time span."
] | 8. Actions and Events Patterns | [
{
"name": "Analysis Paralysis",
"file": "AnalysisParalysis"
},
{
"name": "Freedom of Choice",
"file": "FreedomofChoice"
},
{
"name": "Combat",
"file": "Combat"
},
{
"name": "Real-Time Games",
"file": "Real-TimeGames"
},
{
"name": "Movement Limitations",
"file": "MovementLimitations"
},
{
"name": "Investments",
"file": "Investments"
},
{
"name": "Tick-Based Games",
"file": "Tick-BasedGames"
},
{
"name": "Characters",
"file": "Characters"
},
{
"name": "New Abilities",
"file": "NewAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Movement",
"file": "Movement"
},
{
"name": "Renewable Resources",
"file": "RenewableResources"
},
{
"name": "Limited Resources",
"file": "LimitedResources"
},
{
"name": "Balancing Effects",
"file": "BalancingEffects"
},
{
"name": "Varied Gameplay",
"file": "VariedGameplay"
},
{
"name": "Skills",
"file": "Skills"
},
{
"name": "Turn-Based Games",
"file": "Turn-BasedGames"
},
{
"name": "Privileged Abilities",
"file": "PrivilegedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Status Indicators",
"file": "StatusIndicators"
},
{
"name": "Tradeoffs",
"file": "Tradeoffs"
},
{
"name": "Resources",
"file": "Resources"
},
{
"name": "Cognitive Immersion",
"file": "CognitiveImmersion"
}
] | BudgetedActionPoints | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "BudgetedActionPoints.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Buttons | Buttons are game elements, which players can use to activate events or actions in the game world. | [] | [
"[[Buttons]] can be sticky, i. e. they stay pressed allowing the players to know if the [[Button]] is activated or not. If the [[Button]] can be pressed again to inactivate it, this can be used to create [[Reversability]], while those that cannot be changed back enforce [[Irreversible Actions]]. Buttons, which are not sticky, can cycle through a series of states, for example, pressing a button repeatedly can let a player decide which of the three doors are open."
] | [
"[[Buttons]] are simple [[Controllers]] that allow for a limited range of actions. Their use is trivial to understand, although the effect of activating a [[Button]] may be complex and have long-term consequences."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Controllers"
],
"Modulates": [],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"Reversability",
"Irreversible Actions"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"In the early first-person computer roleplaying game Dungeon Master the buttons and levers on the walls are used to open doors, walls, and sections of the floor."
] | 5. Game Design Patterns for Game Elements | [
{
"name": "Reversability",
"file": "Reversability"
},
{
"name": "Irreversible Actions",
"file": "IrreversibleActions"
},
{
"name": "Controllers",
"file": "Controllers"
}
] | Buttons | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Buttons.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Cameras | Camera is an abstract game element that decides what is the player's current view to the game world. | [] | [
"The type of [[Camera]] is usually closely linked to how [[Focus Loci]] and [[Spatial Immersion]] are used in the game: games with [[Avatars]] use[[First-Person Views]] or [[Third-Person Views]], while games with [[Units]] use [[God Views]]. While [[First-Person Views]] and [[Third-Person Views]] easily support [[Imperfect Information]] to players by limiting their control of the [[Camera]], [[God Views]] can achieve similar effect by using [[Fog of War]].",
"Games with [[Avatars]] that include fast movement often let the players choose from several different camera views based on [[First-Person View]] or [[Third-Person Views]]. Examples of these are chase cameras, which do not follow the [[Avatar]] but missiles or bullets shot by the [[Avatar]] and fly-by cameras, which lock the camera position while tracing the movement of the [[Avatar]].",
"Making the decision to allow players to control the [[Camera]] include making decision of what [[Extra-Game Actions]] related to [[Cameras]] should be provided: rotation, zooming and absolute movement for [[God Views]] and rotation and zooming movement for [[First-Person Views]] and [[Third-Person Views]]. This increases players [[Freedom of Choice]] and [[Spatial Immersion]] (as not only the player can make the [[Avatar]] or [[Unit]] move in the world but also the [[Game World]] move around these) but increases the conflict with [[Consistent Reality Logic]]."
] | [
"[[Cameras]] that can be manipulated by the players allow the players to decide what parts of the [[Game World]] they want to focus their attention on. In games with [[Avatars]] this is typically limited in such a way that the [[Avatar]] is always in the center of the view. This maintains the symmetry between what the [[Avatar]] and the player sees so that [[Tension]] and [[Surprises]] can be achieved and also to strengthen spatial [[Immersion]].",
"In games with [[Units]], the [[Camera]] movement may be completely free to allow the players to move between different game elements and to enforce them to make [[Tradeoffs]] between which parts of the [[Game World]] to focus their attention on. The ease of the use of the [[Camera]], and relevant [[Game State Overview]], decides how much the game helps the players to perform [[Attention Swapping]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Attention Swapping",
"Extra-Game Actions"
],
"Modulates": [
"God Views",
"Spatial Immersion",
"Units",
"Tradeoffs"
],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"Fog of War"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Consistent Reality Logic"
]
} | [
"Real-time strategy games allow the players to move the camera across the whole game world but the position of the game elements, and in many cases not even the terrain, is typically not revealed. God games, in contrast, allow players to have a complete view of the area that is being viewed. First-person shooters, as the name implies, usually provide first-person views while racing games often let players choose between first-person views to support spatial immersion and third-person views that allow better overview of the local game world environment.",
"Super Mario 64 provides an exception to the rule that [[Cameras]] are abstract objects that are not explained within the game world: although not affected by events in the game world, the camera, and the cameraman, can be seen in mirrors. Another minor exception is the camera in the party game Monkey Boxing in Super Monkey Ball 2, which can be hit during the celebration scene when one of the monkeys has won the game."
] | 5. Game Design Patterns for Game Elements | [
{
"name": "Extra-Game Actions",
"file": "Extra-GameActions"
},
{
"name": "Spatial Immersion",
"file": "SpatialImmersion"
},
{
"name": "God Views",
"file": "GodViews"
},
{
"name": "Consistent Reality Logic",
"file": "ConsistentRealityLogic"
},
{
"name": "Fog of War",
"file": "FogofWar"
},
{
"name": "Attention Swapping",
"file": "AttentionSwapping"
},
{
"name": "Tradeoffs",
"file": "Tradeoffs"
},
{
"name": "Units",
"file": "Units"
}
] | Cameras | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Cameras.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Camping | Staying in one location in the game for extended periods of time and perform the same action repeatedly. | [
"Some areas in games are so advantageous to players that they can form the game tactics on being in that area and letting players and game events come to them. This usually is combined with performing a small range of actions and waiting for the opportunity to do them."
] | [
"Creating the possibility of [[Camping]] consist of designing weapons and locations that support the activity. The weapons are typically powerful but do not have to be fast as campers are usual well-prepared. The locations should be difficult to reach, in practice being [[Inaccessible Areas]] except through the line of fire from the camper.",
"Making [[Camping]] difficult or impossible in a game simply consist of making the game design not contain the prerequisites for [[Camping]]."
] | [
"[[Camping]] requires that players have [[Strategic Knowledge]] of weapons and locations in the [[Game World]], especially [[Inaccessible Areas]]. Further, it forces them to wait for events to occur which they can react to, making them do [[No-Ops]].",
"The possibility for [[Camping]] in a game lessens the incentives for [[Varied Gameplay]] and may disrupt [[Player Balance]] if other players have no or little chance of disrupting the [[Camping]] activity. [[Camping]] is especially prone to disrupt game balance when the area watched is a [[Spawn Point]] as [[Spawning]] players have little possibilities to organize. However, in [[Team Play]] the [[Spawn Points]] themselves may be design to support [[Camping]] to let the team control an extended area based around the [[Spawn Point]].",
"[[Camping]] requires the same kind of actions that are required to succeed with [[Stealth]] goals and can easily be designed to be part of such goals. They can also be designed as being part of [[Guard]] goals when the guarding does not require movement."
] | {
"Instantiates": [],
"Modulates": [
"Stealth",
"Spawn Points",
"Guard",
"Spawning"
],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"No-Ops",
"Game World",
"Inaccessible Areas"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Player Balance",
"Varied Gameplay"
]
} | [
"Weapons in first-person shooters that are good for sniping together with inaccessible areas create opportunities for camping."
] | 8. Actions and Events Patterns | [
{
"name": "Inaccessible Areas",
"file": "InaccessibleAreas"
},
{
"name": "Guard",
"file": "Guard"
},
{
"name": "Player Balance",
"file": "PlayerBalance"
},
{
"name": "Spawn Points",
"file": "SpawnPoints"
},
{
"name": "Game World",
"file": "GameWorld"
},
{
"name": "Spawning",
"file": "Spawning"
},
{
"name": "No-Ops",
"file": "No-Ops"
},
{
"name": "Stealth",
"file": "Stealth"
},
{
"name": "Varied Gameplay",
"file": "VariedGameplay"
}
] | Camping | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Camping.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Capture | Capture is the goal pattern where the end result is the elimination or change of ownership of an actively resisting goal object. | [
"The [[Capture]] is done directly by the actions performed by game elements under a player's control; thus, shooting an opponent in a first-person shooter is not an example of [[Capture]]."
] | [
"The prime design choice regarding [[Capture]] is to decide if the aim is to [[Eliminate]] or [[Gain Ownership]], but can in both cases be seen as a struggle over [[Ownership]]. As [[Capture]] is most often done through the actions of a game element under a player's control, determining what game elements can be used to [[Capture]] is usually a part of defining the goal.",
"The game design must support some action that facilitates the [[Capture]]. In the case of [[Real-Time Games]], this typically is [[Combat]], [[Maneuvering]], or [[Aim & Shoot]] promoting skills in [[Dexterity-Based Actions]]. [[Turn-Based Games]] favor the use of [[Puzzle Solving]], and thereby [[Stimulated Planning]], but can also make use of [[Investment]] or [[Bidding]]. The first type of game usually has the subgoal of [[Contact]] (with Qix as an example of [[Enclosure]]) while the second type of game commonly has subgoals such as [[Contact]], [[Alignment]], [[Enclosure]], [[Configuration]], and [[Connection]]."
] | [
"[[Capture]] goals are very often related to [[Overcome]] goals in the Hierarchies of Goals. How they are related to each other depends primarily on their individual [[Reward]] structures and on players' tactics. [[Capture]] is often achieved by [[Movement]] but in [[Real-Time Games]], this depends on [[Timing]], while in [[Turn-Based Games]], it more often is a form of [[Puzzle Solving]], as players have to take other players or [[Agents]] actions into consideration due to [[Turn Taking]].",
"[[Captures]] combined with [[Eliminate]] of game elements that are [[Non-Renewable Resources]] can quicken gameplay as fewer game elements remain and promote [[Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses]] since each element represents a greater part of players' [[Resources]]. When [[Capture]] allows [[Transfer of Control]], this causes [[Preventing Goals]] such as [[Evade]] and can trigger retaliating [[Capture]] goals by an original owner to regain control. The control of a new game element through [[Capture]] can motivate [[New Abilities]], possibly [[Privileged Abilities]], to become available."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Combat",
"Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses",
"Transfer of Control",
"Gain Ownership",
"Timing",
"Movement",
"Preventing Goals"
],
"Modulates": [],
"Instantiated by": [
"Overcome"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Aim & Shoot",
"Connection",
"Enclosure",
"Turn-Based Games",
"Contact",
"Alignment",
"Configuration",
"Evade",
"Puzzle Solving",
"Real-Time Games",
"Maneuvering",
"Turn Taking",
"Ownership",
"Eliminate"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"Go allows [[Capture]] by completely enclosing an enemy group of stones.",
"Qix allows the player to catch computer-controlled units by enclosing them in the smaller area of the two areas that are created by outlining a path in the unmarked part of the game area.",
"Priests in Age of Empires can convert pieces controlled by other players as their main offensive action."
] | 11. Game Design Patterns for Goals | [
{
"name": "Timing",
"file": "Timing"
},
{
"name": "Alignment",
"file": "Alignment"
},
{
"name": "Turn Taking",
"file": "TurnTaking"
},
{
"name": "Combat",
"file": "Combat"
},
{
"name": "Real-Time Games",
"file": "Real-TimeGames"
},
{
"name": "Preventing Goals",
"file": "PreventingGoals"
},
{
"name": "Configuration",
"file": "Configuration"
},
{
"name": "Puzzle Solving",
"file": "PuzzleSolving"
},
{
"name": "Ownership",
"file": "Ownership"
},
{
"name": "Overcome",
"file": "Overcome"
},
{
"name": "Eliminate",
"file": "Eliminate"
},
{
"name": "Transfer of Control",
"file": "TransferofControl"
},
{
"name": "Higher-Level Closures as Gameplay Progresses",
"file": "Higher-LevelClosuresasGameplayProgresses"
},
{
"name": "Contact",
"file": "Contact"
},
{
"name": "Movement",
"file": "Movement"
},
{
"name": "Enclosure",
"file": "Enclosure"
},
{
"name": "Gain Ownership",
"file": "GainOwnership"
},
{
"name": "Turn-Based Games",
"file": "Turn-BasedGames"
},
{
"name": "Connection",
"file": "Connection"
},
{
"name": "Aim & Shoot",
"file": "Aim&Shoot"
},
{
"name": "Evade",
"file": "Evade"
},
{
"name": "Maneuvering",
"file": "Maneuvering"
}
] | Capture | https://itch.io/queue/c/3720943/goal-playable-concepts?game_id=1780207 | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Capture.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Card Hands | A Card Hand consists of the cards, which are owned by the player, but which have not yet been put into play. | [] | [
"The basic design question when using [[Card Hands]] is determining the size of the hand; should all cards be distributed at the beginning of the game or should some cards be left in, for example, a [[Drawing Stack]].",
"Another fundamental design question regarding [[Card Hands]] is how the size and content of the hands change. Having an initial set of cards that shrinks as cards are played makes use of [[Limited Resources]] and allows the game designer to limit the length of the game. Refilling the hand continuously as cards are being played creates a [[Closed Economy]] and frees the game design to determine the game length by other means.",
"Although most often consisting of [[Cards]], a [[Card Hand]] can also consist of [[Tiles]] in games that have [[Tile-Laying]]."
] | [
"[[Card Hands]] are [[Containers]] of [[Cards]] that assign players [[Ownership]] to the [[Cards]]. Typically [[Card Hands]] are secret to all other players and being able to deduce the other players' hands offers a strategic advantage (i. e. a [[Gain Information]] goal). However, the other players may know how many cards are in the [[Card Hand]] and the cards might be marked, so the players have [[Asymmetric Information]] about the [[Card Hands]] in play."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Gain Information",
"Asymmetric Information",
"Secret Resources",
"Container",
"Ownership"
],
"Modulates": [
"Tiles",
"Cards"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Tile-Laying"
],
"Modulated by": [],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"In Poker each of the players is dealt five cards, which define the [[Card Hand]] for each player.",
"Bohnanza is a card game where the order of the cards in the [[Card Hand]] is important, as the players have to play the cards in a specific sequence."
] | 5. Game Design Patterns for Game Elements | [
{
"name": "Tiles",
"file": "Tiles"
},
{
"name": "Cards",
"file": "Cards"
},
{
"name": "Tile-Laying",
"file": "Tile-Laying"
},
{
"name": "Ownership",
"file": "Ownership"
},
{
"name": "Container",
"file": "Container"
},
{
"name": "Secret Resources",
"file": "SecretResources"
},
{
"name": "Asymmetric Information",
"file": "AsymmetricInformation"
},
{
"name": "Gain Information",
"file": "GainInformation"
}
] | CardHands | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "CardHands.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Cards | Cards are physical game elements used to distribute tokens, often with different characteristics, to players without necessarily revealing the distribution. | [
"Cards are common game elements in traditional games. They provide an easy way to randomize distribution and keep that distribution secret from players. The information can either be secret to all players, as for example when the game uses a stack from which cards are drawn, or known only to one player, as is the case in card games where each player has a card hand. The use of cards also allow game designers to choose the exact distribution, not only guaranteeing the overall chance for a value specified by a card to be drawn but also guaranteeing that certain values will appear during gameplay.",
"See The Penguin Encyclopedia of Card Games by Parlett for numerous examples of card games."
] | [
"The most well-known card games use the common card pack with 52 cards in four suits. However, there are many other types of card packs and many games use game specific card sets to provide either additional or different information or to have different distributions of the cards.",
"Games where players have control over the cards, i. e. by using [[Card Hands]], the [[Cards]] are given to players either by distributing all cards before the gameplay begins or by using a [[Drawing Stack]].",
"[[Cards]] usually are taken out of play after being used once, making them [[Non-Renewable Resources]] and [[Focus Loci]] for the actions they represent, and the actions of playing them can be seen as an abstract form of [[Consumers]] or [[Converters]]. Independent of how cards are used by players, most games use [[Discard Piles]] to separate the cards that have been used from others, except for card games which use tricks."
] | [
"Sets of [[Cards]] allow game designers to determine exactly the distribution between different resources, events or outcomes in a game while still providing [[Randomness]]. Since cardsare two-sided, the information contained on the card can be distributed in various ways between the two-sides: having no information on one side (except that it is a card in the set) as is the case for traditional cards; marking functionally different cards on both sides but not the specific characteristics or placing one of several categories of information on both sides. This allows fine-tuning of the use of [[Imperfect Information]] in the game design, including using it in [[Book-Keeping Tokens]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Randomness",
"Imperfect Information",
"Non-Renewable Resources",
"Book-Keeping Tokens",
"Focus Loci"
],
"Modulates": [],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"Discard Piles",
"Drawing Stacks",
"Card Hands",
"Consumers",
"Converters"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"The common set of cards, used for example in Blackjack or Poker, consists of 52 cards split between four suits of 13 cards each, where the 13 cards are numbered from 2 to 10 and include a knight, queen, king and ace.",
"Alternative card designs include the \"card sets\" of collectable card games such as Magic: the Gathering or Illuminati: New World Order. In both of these several different categories of cards are mixed and are required to be used in order to win, some enabling actions, some acting as resources generators. Illuminati: New World Order also uses spatial relationships of the [[Cards]] as a meaningful element of the gameplay.",
"The board game Talisman uses [[Cards]] to randomize the contents of areas on the game board, and the [[Card Hands]] players possess are public inventories of items found."
] | 5. Game Design Patterns for Game Elements | [
{
"name": "Converters",
"file": "Converters"
},
{
"name": "Discard Piles",
"file": "DiscardPiles"
},
{
"name": "Consumers",
"file": "Consumers"
},
{
"name": "Focus Loci",
"file": "FocusLoci"
},
{
"name": "Book-Keeping Tokens",
"file": "Book-KeepingTokens"
},
{
"name": "Randomness",
"file": "Randomness"
},
{
"name": "Imperfect Information",
"file": "ImperfectInformation"
},
{
"name": "Card Hands",
"file": "CardHands"
},
{
"name": "Non-Renewable Resources",
"file": "Non-RenewableResources"
},
{
"name": "Drawing Stacks",
"file": "DrawingStacks"
}
] | Cards | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Cards.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Character Development | The improvement of characters' skills or knowledge. | [
"Games with characters that can change offer chances for [[Character Development]]. This can either be in the form of becoming more likely to succeed with actions, or make actions that were previously unavailable possible. The changes can either be described as improvements in skills or changes in attitude toward other characters and the [[Game World]]."
] | [
"[[Character Development]] is defined by two characteristics: what caused the development and what effect the development has. Common causes for [[Character Development]] are from parts of [[Rewards]] or [[Investments]]. The latter is usually done by various forms of [[Collecting]] to complete [[Gain Competence]] goals and may be [[Planned Character Development]] if players had the [[Freedom of Choice]] to create [[Player Defined Goals]]. If the effects of [[Rewards]] that give [[Character Development]] were known before they were received, they may also give these goals but are more likely to be part of the unfolding of a [[Narrative Structure]].",
"[[Character Development]] usually takes the form of [[New Abilities]] or [[Improved Abilities]], which either expands a [[Limited Set of Actions]] or increases [[Skill]] levels. The introduction of [[New Abilities]] or [[Improved Abilities]] can over time produce [[Paper-Rock-Scissors]] to give [[Varied Gameplay]] between playing different [[Characters]]. More uncommon changes due to [[Character Development]] are [[Ability Losses]] and [[Extra-Game Consequences]], the latter of which can be evident only in the [[Narrative Structure]] or purely affect how the [[Avatar]] is represented. [[Character Development]], especially of [[Skills]], can be limited by [[Balancing Effects]] such as [[Diminishing Returns]] to modulate the increase rates over time; for example, skill increases happen often when one is a novice in the skill and happen rarely when one is an expert."
] | [
"[[Character Development]] is a way to make [[Characters]] advance the [[Narrative Structure]] of a game. The actual development can be done by explicitly affecting the characters possibilities to influence the game state, for example, by [[Privileged Abilities]],[[New Abilities]], or [[Improved Abilities]], or by modifying the characters relations to other parts of the [[Game World]]. The latter may explain [[Ability Losses]], for example, not being able to attack innocent bystanders, as a positive development within a [[Consistent Reality Logic]]. By changing how the [[Character]] can interact within the game, [[Character Development]] promotes [[Varied Gameplay]], for example, by changing how [[Roleplaying]] the [[Character]] should be done. [[Character Development]] that allows [[Varied Gameplay]] or affects the chances of performing actions can modulate players' [[Perceived Chance to Succeed]] but risks losing [[Player Balance]].",
"[[Character Development]] between game and play sessions are handled by [[Trans-Game Information]] that not only passes the original [[Character]] between the sessions but can also introduce changes. This happens intuitively in games with [[Persistent Game Worlds]] where the lifetime of [[Characters]] in general is long enough for reasonable [[Character Development]]."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Player Defined Goals",
"Paper-Rock-Scissors",
"Varied Gameplay",
"Extra-Game Consequences",
"Perceived Chance to Succeed",
"Improved Abilities"
],
"Modulates": [
"Avatars",
"Consistent Reality Logic",
"Narrative Structures",
"Persistent Game Worlds",
"Roleplaying",
"Characters"
],
"Instantiated by": [
"Gain Competence",
"New Abilities",
"Skills",
"Ability Losses"
],
"Modulated by": [
"Rewards",
"Collecting",
"Planned Character Development",
"Diminishing Returns",
"Balancing Effects",
"Freedom of Choice",
"Investments",
"Privileged Abilities",
"Trans-Game Information"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": [
"Player Balance"
]
} | [
"The characters in The Sims have a range of skills and jobs as explicit values of [[Character Development]]. Other values such as the relationships between characters can be used by the player to read emotional or social character development into the characters, but this is not supported by the game system.",
"The Tamagochi toys can be said to allow players to influence the virtual pets in the game to have [[Character Development]].",
"Some tabletop roleplaying games use skill improvements as a measure of [[Character Development]]. In these cases, it is common with progressively slower advancement and diminishing return for trying to raise the skill; a common way of achieving this is to require a roll above the skill level to increase the skill level.",
"Character levels associated with skill improvements are a general way of measuring [[Character Development]]. These levels are typically raised by gaining experience points and give the players' characters more hit points and abilities."
] | 9. Game Design Patterns for Narrative Structures, Predictability, and
Immersion Patterns | [
{
"name": "Freedom of Choice",
"file": "FreedomofChoice"
},
{
"name": "Gain Competence",
"file": "GainCompetence"
},
{
"name": "Consistent Reality Logic",
"file": "ConsistentRealityLogic"
},
{
"name": "Player Defined Goals",
"file": "PlayerDefinedGoals"
},
{
"name": "Extra-Game Consequences",
"file": "Extra-GameConsequences"
},
{
"name": "Perceived Chance to Succeed",
"file": "PerceivedChancetoSucceed"
},
{
"name": "Avatars",
"file": "Avatars"
},
{
"name": "Investments",
"file": "Investments"
},
{
"name": "Improved Abilities",
"file": "ImprovedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Characters",
"file": "Characters"
},
{
"name": "Collecting",
"file": "Collecting"
},
{
"name": "New Abilities",
"file": "NewAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Balancing Effects",
"file": "BalancingEffects"
},
{
"name": "Player Balance",
"file": "PlayerBalance"
},
{
"name": "Varied Gameplay",
"file": "VariedGameplay"
},
{
"name": "Paper-Rock-Scissors",
"file": "Paper-Rock-Scissors"
},
{
"name": "Skills",
"file": "Skills"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "Diminishing Returns",
"file": "DiminishingReturns"
},
{
"name": "Narrative Structures",
"file": "NarrativeStructures"
},
{
"name": "Roleplaying",
"file": "Roleplaying"
},
{
"name": "Privileged Abilities",
"file": "PrivilegedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Trans-Game Information",
"file": "Trans-GameInformation"
},
{
"name": "Persistent Game Worlds",
"file": "PersistentGameWorlds"
},
{
"name": "Ability Losses",
"file": "AbilityLosses"
},
{
"name": "Planned Character Development",
"file": "PlannedCharacterDevelopment"
}
] | CharacterDevelopment | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "CharacterDevelopment.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Characters | Abstract representations of persons in a game. | [
"Many games let players control game elements that represent people or creatures that act in the [[Game World]]. When these people or creatures have characteristics not directly shown in the [[Game World]] that can change during gameplay, these game elements have an abstract element called [[Character]]."
] | [
"The design of use of [[Characters]] in games can either be on the level of creating explicit characters or by creating rules for how players can create their own [[Characters]]. Independent of how [[Characters]] are created, the game designer can choose whether [[Character Development]] should be possible and if players should be able to affect it. Allowing players control over [[Character Development]] increases [[Freedom of Choice]] as well as creates [[Planned Character Development]], which is a form of [[Investment]]. This planning offers players the chance of [[Varied Gameplay]] by making use of [[New Abilities]] to instantiate potential [[Orthogonal Unit Differentiation]]. [[Planned Character Development]] gives the possibility for [[Team Development]] in games with [[Team Play]]. However, unless games make use of [[Game Masters]], this kind of [[Freedom of Choice]] regarding [[Characters]] may be difficult to combine with [[Narrative Structures]].",
"Creating complete [[Characters]] lets them fit within an [[Alternative Reality]] and allows personalized and unique [[Avatars]] for each [[Character]]. In games with [[Combat]] or [[Overcome]] goals between the players, pre-created [[Characters]] can be extensively play-tested to ensure [[Player Balance]]. The use of pre-created [[Characters]] is common in games either where [[Character Development]] is not a large part of gameplay or where the [[Character]], and any [[Character Development]], is closely tied to a tightly controlled [[Narrative Structure]].",
"Typical ways of letting players create [[Characters]] are based around [[Randomness]] or [[Budgeted Action Points]]. These are in turn used to determine the many various characteristics possible: the [[Handle]] that identifies the character to other players; number values that represent physical or mental abilities or status of measurements such as [[Lives]], health, and fatigue; [[Skills]] that affect the likelihood of succeeding with actions and may give [[Privileged Abilities]] such as being a [[Producer]] that can create [[Renewable Resources]]; advantages, disadvantages, quirks, or other ways of describing character traits and motivating initial Decreased Abilities, Improved Abilities, or [[Privileged Abilities]]; worldly possessions and equipment that represents [[Resources]] or [[Tools]]; and occupations, social statuses, and social networks that define the characters place in the [[Game World]]. In games with [[Avatars]], some of these characteristics are usually cosmetic. The variety of values associated with [[Characters]] then open up for the range of [[Rewards]], such as [[Improved Abilities]] through raised [[Skills]], and [[Penalties]], such as [[Decreased Abilities]] through received [[Damage]], that can occur during gameplay.",
"When players have rules for creating [[Characters]], this gives them [[Freedom of Choice]] and [[Creative Control]] depending on the level of [[Randomness]] involved in the process, but this increases the possibilities for [[Identification]] and[[Immersion]] through [[Emotional Immersion]] in all cases. The personalization possible also allows players to construct [[Player Defined Goals]] for their [[Characters]] as they are created, and can give them the [[Illusion of Influence]] over how the [[Narrative Structure]] will develop. However, with a larger amount of [[Freedom of Choice]] regarding the character creation process, the problem of fitting or adjusting the character to an integral role in a [[Narrative Structure]] increases also. This problem can be mitigated by the presence of [[Dedicated Game Facilitators]] that can perform [[Negotiation]] to make the [[Character]] suitable to the planned events in the game or modify the [[Narrative Structure]] to fit the [[Character]]."
] | [
"[[Characters]] provide games with points for [[Identification]] and through these points [[Emotional Immersion]], which can strengthen the impact of, and widen the range of, [[Penalties]] usable in the game, especially in the case of [[Persistent Game Worlds]]. The presence of [[Characters]] also allows more detailed [[Enemies]] and richer [[Narrative Structure]] where social relationships and [[Character Development]] can be important components. This is especially true in cases where [[Roleplaying]] the [[Characters]] or [[Storytelling]] about the [[Characters]] is possible.",
"In games with [[Game Worlds]], [[Characters]] form links between abstract game state values and concrete game state values through their connection to [[Avatars]]. When no concrete [[Game World]] exists, [[Characters]] take the role of [[Focus Loci]] in replacement of [[Avatars]].",
"In [[Multiplayer Games]], having [[Characters]] with different [[Privileged Abilities]] allows [[Orthogonal Unit Differentiation]] and lets players specialize in different [[Competence Areas]]. However, the differences in abilities may cause [[Player Balance]] to be disrupted."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Competence Areas",
"Emotional Immersion",
"Investments",
"Focus Loci",
"Illusion of Influence",
"Identification",
"Creative Control",
"Immersion",
"Enemies",
"Orthogonal Unit Differentiation",
"Player Defined Goals",
"Narrative Structures"
],
"Modulates": [
"Avatars",
"Multiplayer Games",
"Player Balance",
"Alternative Reality",
"Varied Gameplay",
"Roleplaying"
],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"Damage",
"Penalties",
"Planned Character Development",
"Producers",
"Resources",
"Budgeted Action Points",
"Decreased Abilities",
"Improved Abilities",
"Dedicated Game Facilitators",
"Renewable Resources",
"Persistent Game Worlds",
"Rewards",
"Lives",
"Tools",
"Skills",
"Privileged Abilities",
"Storytelling",
"New Abilities",
"Character Development",
"Randomness",
"Handles",
"Freedom of Choice",
"Game Masters"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"Roleplaying games let each player control a character, and one of the main types of achievement in the games is to raise the character's level, stats, or skills.",
"Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a first-person shooter where players have characters that can develop between levels by gaining experience points in various skills."
] | 9. Game Design Patterns for Narrative Structures, Predictability, and
Immersion Patterns | [
{
"name": "Competence Areas",
"file": "CompetenceAreas"
},
{
"name": "Freedom of Choice",
"file": "FreedomofChoice"
},
{
"name": "Decreased Abilities",
"file": "DecreasedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Damage",
"file": "Damage"
},
{
"name": "Character Development",
"file": "CharacterDevelopment"
},
{
"name": "Storytelling",
"file": "Storytelling"
},
{
"name": "Immersion",
"file": "Immersion"
},
{
"name": "Game Masters",
"file": "GameMasters"
},
{
"name": "Alternative Reality",
"file": "AlternativeReality"
},
{
"name": "Producers",
"file": "Producers"
},
{
"name": "Player Defined Goals",
"file": "PlayerDefinedGoals"
},
{
"name": "Emotional Immersion",
"file": "EmotionalImmersion"
},
{
"name": "Avatars",
"file": "Avatars"
},
{
"name": "Investments",
"file": "Investments"
},
{
"name": "Budgeted Action Points",
"file": "BudgetedActionPoints"
},
{
"name": "Improved Abilities",
"file": "ImprovedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Identification",
"file": "Identification"
},
{
"name": "Focus Loci",
"file": "FocusLoci"
},
{
"name": "New Abilities",
"file": "NewAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Randomness",
"file": "Randomness"
},
{
"name": "Renewable Resources",
"file": "RenewableResources"
},
{
"name": "Player Balance",
"file": "PlayerBalance"
},
{
"name": "Penalties",
"file": "Penalties"
},
{
"name": "Enemies",
"file": "Enemies"
},
{
"name": "Varied Gameplay",
"file": "VariedGameplay"
},
{
"name": "Dedicated Game Facilitators",
"file": "DedicatedGameFacilitators"
},
{
"name": "Tools",
"file": "Tools"
},
{
"name": "Lives",
"file": "Lives"
},
{
"name": "Skills",
"file": "Skills"
},
{
"name": "Rewards",
"file": "Rewards"
},
{
"name": "Orthogonal Unit Differentiation",
"file": "OrthogonalUnitDifferentiation"
},
{
"name": "Multiplayer Games",
"file": "MultiplayerGames"
},
{
"name": "Illusion of Influence",
"file": "IllusionofInfluence"
},
{
"name": "Narrative Structures",
"file": "NarrativeStructures"
},
{
"name": "Roleplaying",
"file": "Roleplaying"
},
{
"name": "Privileged Abilities",
"file": "PrivilegedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Handles",
"file": "Handles"
},
{
"name": "Persistent Game Worlds",
"file": "PersistentGameWorlds"
},
{
"name": "Creative Control",
"file": "CreativeControl"
},
{
"name": "Planned Character Development",
"file": "PlannedCharacterDevelopment"
},
{
"name": "Resources",
"file": "Resources"
}
] | Characters | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Characters.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
Chargers | Chargers are locations in the Game World that affect the players' resources when they are in the location. | [] | [
"Selecting the [[Improved Abilities]], the [[New Abilities]], and possibly [[Privileged Abilities]], or [[Resource]] gained defines the use of the [[Charger]]. The way it produces [[Resources]] is similar to [[Resource Generators]] except that players usually do not have any choice if they should be affected by the [[Charger]] (besides not entering its affect area), and any [[Privileged Ability]] granted by the [[Charger]] may be activated at once, for example, as in the case of speed boosters in most racing games. [[Improved Abilities]] can be handled by simply increasing [[Skills]] or increasing the effect of player actions."
] | [
"[[Chargers]] provide means for players to get [[New Abilities]] or [[Improved Abilities]] as well as providing [[Renewable Resources]].",
"They function as both [[Resource Locations]] and [[Resource Generators]] but do not produce any [[Resources]] unless a player is within the area, which may require [[Maneuvering]] to get to. They are typically used to give the player [[Renewable Resources]], which can be used as goals or to set the [[Right Level of Complexity]]. Their presence in a [[Game World]] creates natural [[Gain Competence]] and [[Traverse]] goals.",
"If the [[Charger]] provides a bonus beyond the normal limits, i. e., letting players move faster than otherwise possible, it can be seen as a form of [[Power-Up]] that gives [[Privileged Abilities]]. For [[Chargers]] that give a certain effect per time unit spent in its effect area, staying on it is a [[Risk/Reward]] [[Tradeoff]] for players as their [[Freedom of Choice]] is limited. If the area that contains the [[Charger]] can be controlled so other players cannot access the [[Charger]], this can give rise to [[Gain Ownership]] goals."
] | {
"Instantiates": [
"Gain Competence",
"Resource Generators",
"Privileged Abilities",
"Renewable Resources",
"New Abilities",
"Improved Abilities",
"Resource Locations"
],
"Modulates": [
"Traverse",
"Renewable Resources",
"Maneuvering",
"Skills",
"Resources",
"Gain Ownership"
],
"Instantiated by": [],
"Modulated by": [
"Outstanding Features",
"Risk/Reward"
],
"Potentially conflicting with": []
} | [
"Speed boosters in Super Monkey Ball II: Monkey Race give, as their names imply, more speed to the player driving on top of the charger.",
"Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield Vietnam have two categories of chargers: medicine cabinets and ammunition caches that replenish the health and ammunition of the players' [[Avatars]] and repair facilities that fix damages to vehicles.",
"The board game Robo-Rally contains repair areas, which remove damage from the player's robot if it spends time there."
] | 5. Game Design Patterns for Game Elements | [
{
"name": "Skills",
"file": "Skills"
},
{
"name": "Outstanding Features",
"file": "OutstandingFeatures"
},
{
"name": "Improved Abilities",
"file": "ImprovedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "New Abilities",
"file": "NewAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Risk/Reward",
"file": "RiskReward"
},
{
"name": "Privileged Abilities",
"file": "PrivilegedAbilities"
},
{
"name": "Renewable Resources",
"file": "RenewableResources"
},
{
"name": "Gain Competence",
"file": "GainCompetence"
},
{
"name": "Resources",
"file": "Resources"
},
{
"name": "Resource Generators",
"file": "ResourceGenerators"
},
{
"name": "Maneuvering",
"file": "Maneuvering"
},
{
"name": "Traverse",
"file": "Traverse"
},
{
"name": "Resource Locations",
"file": "ResourceLocations"
},
{
"name": "Gain Ownership",
"file": "GainOwnership"
}
] | Chargers | Not available yet | {
"version": "1.2.2.2",
"date_processed": "2025-04-26T00:00:00",
"source_file": "Chargers.htm",
"converter_version": "1.2.2.2"
} |
End of preview. Expand
in Data Studio
Game Design Patterns Dataset
Original Source Attribution
This dataset is derived from the work of Staffan Björk and Jussi Holopainen. The original content comes from "Patterns in Game Design," published by Charles River Media in 2005.
- Original authors: Jussi Kuittinen, Staffan Björk and Jussi Holopainen
- Original format: HTML documents publicly available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379683418_collection.zip
- Citation: Bjork, S., & Holopainen, J. (2005). Patterns in game design (Vol. 11). Charles River Media Hingham.
Dataset Preparation
This dataset represents a cleaned and structured JSON version of the original HTML content, prepared to facilitate machine learning, knowledge graph applications, and other computational approaches to game design research.
Dataset Curator
- Name: Liu, Hugh Xuechen
- Contact: https://hughxuechen.github.io/
- Affiliation: Chalmers Univeristy of Technology
Version History
v1.2.2.2 (April 26 2025)
- Fixed issue with handling already formatted [[Pattern]] links
- Now correctly handles special characters in pattern names (e.g., [[Captured)]])
- Prevents double-wrapping of pattern links that are already in [[...]] format
- Improved pattern link processing to maintain special characters properly
v1.2.2.1 (April 26 2025)
- Enhanced text processing to remove consecutive spaces in all text fields
- Improved example extraction by:
- Automatically capitalizing the first letter after removing "Example:" prefix
- Using regex to clean up all whitespace issues (newlines, tabs, multiple spaces)
- Applied consistent text cleaning using re.sub() instead of simple replace()
- Fixed issue where multiple consecutive spaces could appear in processed text
- Ensured uniform text formatting across all sections of the JSON output
v1.2.2 (April 26 2025)
- Pattern links in Example sections are now converted to [[Pattern]] format
v1.2.1 (April 24 2025)
- Added functionality to export all pattern links to a CSV file
- The CSV includes source pattern, target pattern name, and target file name
v1.2 (April 24 2025)
- Added pattern_id field based on filename for stable references
- Modified HTML links to use Markdown-style [[Pattern Name]] format
- Removed example sections from content as they're already extracted separately
- Removed "\n" characters in examples for consistency with other sections
- Standardized section names to snake_case for better consistency
- Added metadata section with version, processing date, and source file information
v1.1 (March 26 2025)
- Added "playable" property to each entity
- When playable concepts are available at "https://itch.io/c/3720943/goal-playable-concepts", the value points to the specific page
- Otherwise, the value is "Not available yet"
- Removed "\n" characters in "content", "Using the pattern" and "Consequences" properties for improved clarity and parsing
v1.0 (March 11 2025)
- Initial release of the structured JSON dataset
License
This dataset is released under the MIT License, allowing for both academic and commercial use with proper attribution.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the original authors for their foundational work in game design patterns. This dataset aims to make their valuable research more accessible to the computational game design community.
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