I was musing on this same topic recently, not just things that are mysterious but this sort of "mechanical" mystery.  We could categorize mysteries on a continuum from "related to core gameplay" to "unrelated to core gameplay":

• 1. Gameplay that is itself mysterious (Starseed Pilgrim), or aspects of the mechanics are mysterious (the hidden stats in Pokemon games).
• 2. Mysteries that are found by core gameplay, even if the player never finds them.  Many of the mysteries of Star Control II were this kind.  You didn't necessarily have to do much thinking outside the box -- just searching around -- but you had the feeling that there were deeper secrets out there for you to find.  The similar game "Nomad" or "Project Nomad" was similar.
• 3. Mysteries that require the use of core gameplay in difficult, clever, novel, or unlikely ways.  Either using your skills to get somewhere difficult or hidden (Mario secret levels, Metroidvania secrets), or that arise from interesting or rare combinations of existing gameplay elements (the special levels in Spelunky).
• 4. Mysteries that rely on exploits or glitches, or that you can only get to once you get an ability that breaks ordinary gameplay. Most of Chrono Trigger's alternate endings become available only once you've New Game+ed enough to become game-breakingly powerful. Anodyne gives you an endgame power-up that lets you break the world and find the glitchy margins.
• 5. Mysteries that don't make use of the core gameplay at all, that are like a separate game alongside the core game.  Like figuring out a language: deciphering the languages of Fez, figuring out what the Orz are talking about in Star Control II.

Anyone have any examples of mysteries that require you to do something outside of the game entirely, or in a metagame?

Good work there, lovely bit of thinking.

Long before I ever put fingers to keyboard for coding I have a design appraisal system which starts out with the core gameplay mechanic.

I have a big spreadsheet which helps me to take the core idea through six levels trying to understand how it might perform, how much substance it might have, ultimately trying to pitch the amount of resources I should give it.

Time is the thing people never factor in - Not the whole underestimating how long things take - But deciding up front how much time that they want to give to an idea. The single decision has a huge impact on what you genuinely can create and if more people though about it, what a difference it would make!

Yeah, expect a letter from their lawyers.

Yeah, if your mate gets done over by another game that uses the same name as one of his games he might throw a fish-level fit and quit the industry lol

8b is absolutely the right one - With the day/night shadow mentioned above - Gorgeous idea

Cheers for reading!

I'm trying to make a quick arcade high score game flash game around the idea of platforming precision (think meat boy) but a single screen high score game with leaderboard. I need something that is possibly interesting to play to keep wanting to beat your/your friends score that doesn't get too boring.

Anyone have opinions on these or better ideas?

- Some kind of falling debris game that forces you to keeping jumping/wall jumping/basically working your way upwards at speed
- Tetris with you not controlling the blocks, but the player hitting the blocks to move them along and turn them
- randomised dangers flying in and out, the player constantly moving to stay alive

None terribly original but that's not really the point - I just want to make and finish something, get that first game done and out there.

Any input welcome!

Unfortunately we lost a lot of time pivoting from multiplayer only to including a single player aspect. How do you guys feel about a campaign that's released in chapters over time?

Chapters are absolutely fine as long as they each are distinctive and offer something new rather than just some more maps - Planning out the long term release strategy to a high detail from the start would be the way to go.

Just to point something out, and lovely as it looks, Advance Wars (1) worked so well because levels were very specifically well thought out, instatized, purposeful battles - It worked in a way that number 2 and then the DS editions didn't really live up to - Just putting together a loads of maps won't make this great - Please really, really work on the design of the structure and flow and share some information on how that's going.

Maybe you could start a thread in the Design subforum giving examples of what you mean.

I'd certainly have a crack at it - Is this something other people would be interested reading?

Just to point something out, and lovely as it looks, Advance Wars (1) worked so well because levels were very specifically well thought out, instatized, purposeful battles - It worked in a way that number 2 and then the DS editions didn't really live up to - Just putting together a loads of maps won't make this great - Please really, really work on the design of the structure and flow and share some information on how that's going.

Yeah! Stab the bastard! I'll keep my eyes out for the video

You start with the most insane levels that work, and are fun, and then you work your way backward. Much more interesting to design that way as you know what the climax will be at the outset.

Hey guys.

I'm thinking about making my next game in Unity. It's about a WWII concentration camp. You escape and you then have to survive in a procedural generated Germany. You have to scavenge for food and water, survive through the harsh winter (warmth mechanic, craft weapons etc..., evade the German army and so forth. Is this a good concept? If so I'll start modelling and programming straight away. And there'll also be randomly generated quests, task to do. Like find the Anti-Nazi resistance etc...

Regards,

Jedesis

The setting sounds quite interesting, but you'd have to elaborate a bit more about the gameplay - First person/Third person/Overhead? Stealth/Survival/Action? Level based/mechanic exploration/set piece/RPG?

Or, add an extra mode at the end with remixed challenges that are more difficult - Think Portal: Everyone has to play the same base game and master it. Then the people who want the challenge can then go onto play the remixed hardcore levels, but no-one misses out on the core game.

In my game, Luna's Wandering Stars, we're trying to appeal to both new players and the "hardcore". By doing this, we made levels that are easy to beat, but hard to get all the collectibles in.

You can beat the main game without getting any collectibles (collectibles unlock challenge levels), but hardcore players might feel a lack of motivation if they have no interest in challenge levels.

Is there any way to change the difficulty in games with environmental puzzles?

Can I be honest - This is a very dishonest way to make games. If your game is designed to challenge players into doing x then don't gimp the experience. It's the same reason that being asked to choose a difficulty level from the outset of a game just kills it for me.

If your making a hardcore game then with incredible AI that is designed to really make the player work then you have ruined your work by including an easy mode that then turns off the AI. You suddenly have two different games and no single proper vision. Sorry to rant but it's bloody true.

Super Meat Boy is fucking solid whether you choose to go for the 100% bandages or not. The bandages are just an extra test for your skill.

Hotline Miami is an obvious one if you haven't played it yet. Has what you're looking for executed amazingly.

I don't think this meets the brief - The purpose of Hotline Miami isn't really about stealth because you are forced to address the enemy, the enemy also don't actively seek out the player, and instead your deliberately trying to harm them.

Metal Gear Solid 3 really has to be the ultimate example - It's a game built around the idea of exploring stealth, survival and close quarter combat, built into a type 5 set piece structure with action set pieces?

Hmm, seems interesting, it seems to need a little something to inject a bit of action and this could really go somewhere - have you been following the mewgeneics development (or what information Team Meat do put out) - Might some ideas in there worth looking at. Overall, I don't think it's a baaaa-d idea...

Thanks, Safari played it for me. Great concept and quite unique. Your example is obviously just to demonstrate the idea and I have to say the central idea works!

Where do you take it from here depends on how long would you like to spend on it?

I'd really like to play and provide some feedback, but I cant seem to get it to load in browser - Any direct link to an .exe?

Dammit - How does hangout works to notify you when a hangout it occurring?

yeah posting, want to get in on the next one if poss

Have you reached the point where you're revealing what's so special? Last time I posted hi mentioned you hadn't yet covered what makes the game stand out. I've been checking in to see?