Studio: The Fullbright Company
Genre: Adventure
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4
Year of Release: 2013
Core Mechanics:
Movement: Allowing the player to move around the house.
Interaction: Allowing the player to find clues, figure out the story and build the world around them.
MDA:
Movement - Interaction: Moving from room to room in the house, being led by a trail of ‘breadcrumbs’, gives the player a sense of both wonder and intrigue as they try to uncover the mystery.
Game Loops
Core Loop: Clue - Assess Clue - Move to next clue
Moment to Moment:Find Clue - Assess Clue
Level Loop: Begin Game - Repeat Core Loop until Mystery is Busted! - Finish Game.
Session Loop: As above. Roughly 3 hours, depending on mystery solving ability.
Innovation:
Tells an in-depth story, without laying eyes on a single character, not even yourself. Allowing the player to dive headfirst into the narrative of the House and the people in it.
Level Design:
Using classic tricks like sideways lamps to point to clues on the wall makes sense in this literally upturned House. Being in a house, lights are used realistically to convey direction to the player. The house is locked off from the start, slowly unlocking areas as you move through but you are constantly going back to old areas via new secret pathways in the walls. Doing this makes for a tight and concise level design without the player feeling trapped or confined.
Narrative Design:
The player is given the end of the story and have to now figure out what happened to get it there. Her sister has run away and specifically told her not to try and figure it out. The premise alone is something not often seen in games, usually the ending has a twist but this one, it was exactly as she said. We just HAD to know why. Uncovering secrets of her family home and relatives both past and present, Kaitlin (The protagonist) explores her world with a new purpose and opened eyes. We, the player, are alongside her discoveries the whole way.
What Have I Learnt?
Telling a good story doesn’t mean you have to be the protagonist. It doesn’t need to be that you’re controlling the person going through the trials and tribulations. You’re the one at the end, putting together what happened after being left behind, and it’s just as compelling.
Originally released back in 2008 on the PlayStation 3, PixelJunk Eden was developed by Japan-based studio Q-Games and has the player jumping, climbing and swinging through the game’s levels, or gardens, collecting items to grow the plants in the gardens and to unlock even more gardens to grow.
PixelJunk Eden’s zen experience of collection and growth is accentuated its techno soundtrack but it is the ‘synchronization meter’ that throws this experience out a little and I would like to talk a little more on this feeling of mechanical dissonance.
First things first though, a little bit more on the game and its mechanics because I find Eden a little hard to throw into a generic game category. The mechanics themselves are quite simple but polished to a point where they feel responsive and are easy to quickly come to grasp with.
The player traverses the world by jumping from plant to plant or by swinging on a thread of silk. There is a little bit more to the movement, like the slam and teleport but the player can move just fine with these two options. The jump, shown in the gif above when held will have the player attempt to move towards the mouse cursor and will fall through any of the world's geometry, releasing the key will have the player stick to most surfaces in the game.
Then there is the thread which when deployed will not only let the player swing around a central point but will blink and leave a residual image when the strand reaches the direction of the next ‘spectra’, the games main collectable similar to Mario’s stars. Combining these two mechanics allows the player to quickly orient themselves without the need of a minimap or an increased number of inputs, which allows them to focus on the games main goal of collecting.
But ‘spectra’ are not your only collectable in Eden there is also what the game refers to as pollen. Collecting the pollen will activate coloured blobs in the world, seeds, which will grow when the player runs into them.
So glide through the world, collect objects that allow you to glide to different parts of the world to collect more objects, a nice little game loop. But what about this dissonance you speak of?
This is where the synchronization meter comes in and adds an element of time pressure to an otherwise calming game. If the player does not collect ‘crystals’ before the meter in the bottom left of the screen before it runs out they are ejected from the level with all of their progress being lost. This pulls the player right out of their swing, jump, glide, bounce routine and into oh no, where is this every specific object in the specific part of the level that I am currently in?
This change in tone feels out of place and because the player has their focus on moving to ever greater heights it feels like it just comes out of the blue or could even remove the zen aspect of the game making the player laser focused on a specific rarer collectable, where the other collectable, the pollen, is freely scattered over the gardens.
Game Overview: Portal is a 3D puzzle game built around a test environment with an overruling robot guiding you through the tests while then leaving you to solve said puzzles using a combination of simple physics and portals. You play as Chell a test subject who has recently been woken in order to begin testing again
Player + Portal:
The player and their ability to interact with portals is the majority of what forms the game, a player is able to create one or two portals which then lead to the corresponding portal. This allows the player to reach new heights and places previously unaccessible.
Player + Enemies:
The combination of enemies to the player’s situation specifically the gun bots gives the player a sense of fear as previously they have yet to encounter anything that can “kill” them the threats were all somewhat safe.
Narrator + Player + Puzzles:
The use of the overarching narrator allows for the puzzles to blend together as well as to convey a meaningful story. This gives feedback to the player in constant small packages of positive reinforcement as they complete each puzzle, rather than the normal puzzle trope of stars and points based on your time scores.
Puzzle + Exit:
The use of the exit in the game allows the player to always have a bearing in some form as to where they should be heading as in the early levels the player is taught what the exit looks like.
Puzzle + Portals + Physics:
The use of portals combined with the potential puzzles unlock a whole new variety of puzzles this layered with basic physics over the top allows for many a variating puzzle. A player is able to jump in a portal from a great height and their momentum carries over as they exit the next portal.
Moment-2-Moment Loop:
Create Portal -> Access Area -> Create Portal
Innovation:
As previously mentioned the game takes the old puzzle expectations and turns them upside down. The use of puzzle and narrative blended together is something I have rarely seen, although the game may be shorter in the long term it is a richer experience for it. Through the strong characters and extremely specific path, there was a lot for the developers to work with to make the story and the puzzles blend to give a rewarding puzzle game with enough story to break the mold of boring repetitive puzzle games.
Nuclear Throne is a rogue like top down shooter with the constant goal of reaching the “nuclear throne”. You select a player which comes with their own abilities and health. Then try and progress through the constant barrage of enemies with a vast amount of weapons.
Core Mechanics:
- Character types
- Random weapons/levels
- Enemies
- Combat
MDA Analysis:
Character types & Combat:
The link between these two is that the approach you take in combat is greatly affected by the character types you choose. Seeing as the different character have different health and special abilities, is will affect how you will play.
This gives the player more control over how they want to play the game, and use the characters better suited to their play style.
Random weapons/level and enemies:
Similar to the character types the gun drops that you receive can affect the way you go about killing particular enemies. Alongside that is the random generation of the levels. They to can change how you go about certain situations.
This gives the player something new every game and keeps the play ability of the game nice and high. This also gives the player an ability to try and challenge themselves.
Game Loops:
Moment to moment loop:
The moment to moment loop is shoot weapons, kill enemies and picking up ammo.
Core game loop:
Killing enemies, clearing stages and picking up new weapons.
Level loop:
The level loop is to shoot and kill enemies, pick up guns and clear all enemies and complete the stage.
Downwell is a vertical scrolling platform game, where you kill enemies by shooting guns attached to your feet, to kill enemies and complete levels.
Core Mechanics and MDA Framework
Movement:
The movement of Downwell is based on free falling system. You are constantly moving down in the level the only thing that stops you is enemies, blocks within the level and shooting your guns. The fact that you are constantly moving down, there is a lot of easy sideways movement. You can swap from one side of the level to the other very easily.
Guns:
In Downwell you can shoot from your feet this enables you to kill enemies, but also control your movement as well. When you shoot your guns projectiles fire out from your feet and keep you somewhat suspended in the air for a short period of time, enabling you to hover. There is a specific amount of ammunition you can use before it refills when you hit a block. Combining movement and Guns enables better general control and makes the player feel cautious about choosing where and when they use their guns.
Combo System:
Aside from using your guns to kill enemies you can jump on the top of enemies to defeat them. If you stack numerous head jumps together, before you hit a block on the level you can produce Gems, these gems add major bonuses to your score. Once you have hit a block, post combo you can no longer stack this bonus. As you jump on the heads of enemies and create a combination the player feels empowered and successful building on their score and creating Gems.
Genre: Adventure
Platforms: PS4, PC
Year of Release: February 9, 2016
Developer:Campo Santo
Summary:
Firewatch is an emotional tale of a man, Ned Goodwin, whose story unfolds as you explore the world around you. Taking a job away from everything and everyone is the escape he needed. Using your radio, you can communicate with Delilah (a fellow park ranger) and learn your way through the wilderness, both the player’s understanding of Ned and his own sense of self are explored subtly and meaningfully.
Firewatch is not an action heavy game but instead a game that sets itself up for action. The tension in this game is done realistically and brilliantly.
Core Mechanics:
Radio: Talking to Delilah over the radio is core to the game feel. Being out in the wilderness alone means hearing that buzz over the radio is the only sign of human life in your day to day. The player comes to need that interaction, not only for story purposes but for the sanity of Ned.
Navigation: rather than waypoints or objective markers of any kind, not even a path of blue dots. There is only one way to find your way around and that is with a compass, a map and directions given only in the form of landmarks or North/South/East/West.
MDA:
Radio - Navigation: Your Radio gives you the missions to follow and is the main source of storytelling. Talking with Delilah, you are given missions and directions which you then need to follow with your navigation tools to successfully complete the mission. Doing so is vital to the player experience. There is a sense of survival given to everyone who successfully makes to each checkpoint. Getting lost and being able to find your way back to your mission is empowering.
Setting - Navigation: There is very little in this game that causes the player to stand back and go; “I’m in a video game”. But at the same time, the player needs to be able to find their way around the map and navigate to their next mission. Using navigation tools to help can only get you so far, the world is built logically around the player in the sense that there are mountains and trees, lakes and rivers and they all follow real world conventions. Using these devices the player is subtly familiarised with the world. Gaining that immersion and understanding of their surroundings. Making the player feel like they are surviving through this tale alongside Ned.
Game Loops:
Moment to Moment -The player is constantly talking over their radio, checking their map and/or compass and walking through the level.
Session Loop - I would say about 5 days would be a session loop (the equivalent of 5 level loops) about an hour of gameplay.
Level Loop - Wake up at the start of the day, the player is given their mission, they follow their directions and complete the mission, and go to bed at night. Concluding the level loop as 1 day.
Core Loop -Same as the MTM Loop; The Core Loop would be checking their radio, checking their navigation tools, and progressing through the world in accordance to that.
Innovation: Firewatch is one of the first games I have played that hasn’t shoved the story in my face. It has a gentle way of storytelling that both entices the player to keep going and allows the player to transport themselves into Ned’s story.
It also has a very relieving way of guiding the player. I honestly felt like I was getting lost and it’s been a long time since a video game has done that. The world was there, I was there but we weren’t forced together in anyway. It was more of a “World, this is Player” situation. I wanted to get to know this place and everything it had to say.
The other main point of innovation which may also be considered a spoiler so...if you’re still reading but haven’t played the game feel free to skip down to the Level Design section…
I didn’t see another face, I felt like I was in danger, at some point someone or something was going to attack me or jump out at me but there was nothing. It was ALL tension which was infuriating but in a good way, it gives me a reason to go back and relax on my second playthrough. I know what’s coming so I can just enjoy what the game has to offer without being on edge the whole time. (I mean, it may have been the old 3:00am delirium talking but either way it was very well done).
Level Design:
I feel like subtlety is one of the best ways to describe this game. It hands you everything you need to jump into what it has to offer and trusts you to get as much out of it that you want. Everyone will walk away with something different and a slightly different experience but at the end of the day, they’re all Ned’s stories. The level design is so complimentary to the gameplay and the story that you don’t even notice what it’s doing. Even playing with a design perspective in mind, I found it hard to point out anything cheesy with it’s leading the player or narrative devices.
Why is it on the list?
It has something to say that should be heard. Whether that’s the level design, the narrative design, the storytelling in general, the character development, or the refined mechanics there is something there for every type of dev to take notes on.
The game takes place through online chat. The game screen is the screen of your chosen chat platform, and that is all you see.
Each answer triggering different responses from the only interactable character in the game: Emily.
Game Loops
In this, the game loop is: (Emily types) - (Choose response) - (Press button to type response) - (Emily responds to that) - (Choose next response) etc.
This is the whole game, the core loop, the moment to moment loop and the level loop. The Loops aren’t where the intrigue of the game comes from. And certainly not where the fun is.
Mechanics
‘Emily is Away’ requires 2 buttons: Mouse Click and the pressing of any button on the keyboard. The idea is that the player will mimic the typing of responses from your character to Emily. As each key you hit, the next letter of your pre-determined sentence will come up on the screen.
Dynamics
Towards the end, your character will be typing and then delete what you’ve said, or say something completely different to what you chose because he doesn’t want to say that. That is where the pressing 1 button to type becomes frustrating. It takes away player choice.
Aesthetics
You, as the player, think that if he just said what you told him to say then life wouldn’t be spiraling down. But, the character seems to have a mind of his own. As he should really, but it’s at that point you realise, despite what happens next, you’re emotionally invested.
Design
Emotional investment, curiosity, intrigue and guilt/happiness/pride/embarrassment.
A game with such simple mechanics, a single screen the whole time, the only thing that changes is the words as their conversation unfolds. I played this game through to 1 ending and would happily pick it back up again to see what else can happen. Akin to the Stanley Parable in the way that it pushes the preconceived terms and conditions of what makes a game, it is fun and captivating. And the mechanics are so well refined that you forget for moments that you are playing a game.
Commentary
Obviously appealing to everyone who used online chat, and resonating with those of us who used the same lingo, who have come across similar scenarios and were faced with similar patterns of ‘chat talk’. The way the sentences were structured and the way the conversation flowed has been so accurately represented.
It really makes those players sit back and go: “Was I like that?”. A subtle social commentary on people apart of that era.
Why is it on the List?
Similar to ‘The Stanley Parable’ being on the list, or ‘Dr. Langeskov, the Tiger, and the Terribly Cursed Emerald’. ‘Emily is Away’ pushes the boundaries on what games are/should be and does it well. There are plenty of games that try so hard to be different and just don’t work out well, but this game represents the ones that do.
It also makes the player ask; was this a game? It wasn’t ‘fun’, or at least it wasn’t ‘typically fun’ but I played it all the way to the end. Showing that games don’t need to be fun to be a good game. They just need to give the player an experience.
And the players certainly experienced what it’s like to have ‘Emily’ in their lives.
