Analyzing Key Inspirations

Now that I have established my key game inspirations and what about them inspires me as a designer, I thought it might be a good idea to dig a little deeper into the top games in the list to try and understand each of their core mechanics, supporting mechanics, dynamics and systems, and aesthetics. Hopefully this will result in a small list of prompts for me to look back to and reflect on to help with my ideation and brainstorming process when it comes to creating an idea for an interesting mechanic of my own to work on. I feel that going through this process, with the help of the MDA framework, should not only help me understand how the mechanics and systems of these games work on a deeper level, but also how their player experience goals came to be.

I will then be using these prompts to create a mindmap of my idea's and mechanics, and will also help me perform mix and match activities with the mechanics (where appropriate) when stumped for ideas.

Based on my Inspirations sheet I made earlier, I have skimmed through it and reflected on it, and it seems there is a common thread linking almost every game together, a key theme or activity that I seem to genuinely enjoy being a part of; Exploration & Adventuring. It seems explorative elements of games, or dynamics that involve exploration of the world, mechanics and systems, drive my interest the strongest as a player and even as a designer. It is for this reason I will be focusing on the, rather broad, spectrum and usage of mechanics through explorative means, or in other words, attempting to create a fundamentally enjoyable exploration dynamic.

Key Inspiration Analysis

I plan on making a bullet pointed list of a few of my top inspirations to try and understand their core mechanics.

Outer Wilds

• Basic Controls - The primary form of movement is controlled through the analogue sticks of the controller. The left sick moves your character in the respective direction and the right stick is used to position and rotate the camera. If you are in outer space then you have full 360 degrees of movement and rotation. Square button allows interaction with the environment (Talking to people and picking up objects)

  • Holding X allows you to charge your jump to jump higher, the height is determined by the gravity of the planet you are jumping on.
  • Holding R2 allows the use of the jetpack which consumes fuel to propel the player upwards to gain momentum in the air. This allows for easier navigation on low gravity environments. Pressing L2 propels the player downwards from the players relative location.
  • R3 Allows the use of the light in darker environments.
  • When looking at a scannable item, the character will take out their scanning device to which the player can hold R1 to scan the item (This is usually how the story is told, through ancient Nomai writings - a long gone alien race)

• Camera Launcher - Pressing R1 Equips the Scout Launcher. A very simple mechanic with a lot of utility for this type of game. It essentially launches a small ball that reacts to physics forces and the pulling of other forces, and while it glides you can press R1 to take a snapshot in from of the launcher (to gauge where its going) and L1 for a snapshot from the rear. It's a relatively simple mechanic and yet they do so much with it.

  • There are areas inaccessible to the player due to ghost matter that is only visible with the scout launcher. So when players see little crystals in the environment, they know to put the scout launcher to use to ensure they do not die.
  • You are very limited for time on each run, so using the scout launcher helps save time in exploration as it can allow you to scout far off distances without moving.
  • The scout launcher can also be used from your ship.
  • When the game introduces quantum mechanic concepts to the player (such as objects changing position whenever the player looks away from them) and after the player has explored and discovered this little secret, the camera can be used to keep objects still, in their original position, long enough to be used to complete puzzles or be interacted with.

• Signal Scanner - Pressing Triangle equips the signal scanner. This allows you to find your way around the solar system by following radio signals left behind by your astronaut friends, or even tracking down quantum fluctuations.

  • When in use, two halves of a circle will become visible on either side of the screen (left and right) looking closer to its origin destination brings the two halves of the circle closer together.
  • When they meet they glow and emit the sound/instrument being played at that location

• Ship - The ship, as well as the player, has full 360 degree freedom of movement in space. Hold R2 to lift of and engage the thrusters below the ship. Using the left thumbstick will engage the thrusters to push the ship in the respective direction, the left thumbstick is restricted to the ships local X and Z location, the Y location is controlled with R2 and L2.

  • Holding L1 and using the right thumbstick can roll the ship in any direction you want, allowing for greater freedom of control in space.
  • The ship will always provide a safe haven to return to, refilling the players oxygen and fuel
  • Pressing L1 on a planet will auto align the ship to that planet and engage autopilot.
  • The ship offers an extensive amount of protection to the elements of outer space, but can be damaged. If this happens the player must simply get out of the ship and hold square while looking at it and standing close to it.

Journey

• Movement - The core mechanic of this game is it's free flowing and serene movement. The left thumbstick moves the character in the respective direction and the right thumbstick orients the camera. If the player walks on a hill of sand and their intended direction is going up the hill they will be slowed, if it is down then they will speed up and surf on the sand, everything in this game is built to support this flow of movement from the storytelling, environment and other mechanics.

  • The feel of this mechanic is key as that's how the game intends for it's story to be told, the story of the stages of life. So the feel of the movement itself is used as a storytelling tool.
  • Through learning to pay attention to the environment, if the player moves along with the wind then the character will usually start sand surfing sooner and even faster.

• Floating - If the player presses and holds X they can float in the air for a short period of time, depending on the length of their scarf depends on the height they can reach and for how long they can stay in the air.

• Communicating - Pressing circle allows the player to communicate with the other player that might join their game through a simple noise. Holding it allows the player to absorb shreds of scarf material to extend their scarf.