#I absolutely will reference it or allude to aspects of it in my gameplay

[plumdale]

☾

[inspector-montoya-fox]

let’s talk about the themes of the Sly games

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (2002):

Paris: this might not be the game’s main theme but it’s the theme that is most omnipresent. Paris is the glue that connects everything together. it immediately has such an impact on the player, even though it’s just the tutorial and the gang’s base of operations. Sly being a thief but also living in Paris just sounds so right, like it’s the way it should be. it fits. 

The Thievius Raccoonus: this is the main theme and what provides the game with its premise. it’s the book that needs to be glued back together and its importance is highlighted throughout. almost every level has a page included so we’re constantly reminded of its significance. the skills we earn by retrieving the main ancestors’ pages elevate the gameplay and force the player to respect it. other than that it’s a clever way to spotlight the ancestors and establish that Sly does come from a long line of thieves.

Family: this doesn’t need much explaining but i’ll do it anyway. we start off with Sly’s parents getting killed and him landing at an orphanage where he creates a new family for himself with Bentley and Murray. you’ve got 3 different types of family: (A) Connor and Sly’s mom getting murdered and Sly’s aim to avenge them, (B) Bentley and Murray being true brothers when Sly was left with no one (i’m tearing up), and (C) the ancestors, which are explored more in-depth through the theme of The Thievius Raccoonus. Family as a theme explores Sly’s motivations and drive, even though Connor’s role is minor, especially in comparison to his role in Sly 3

Morality: Sly 1 is rudimental in its gameplay. it was a little game with a big promise at the time it was released, hoping to serve Sony and the Playstation 2 with a worthy mascot and an even worthier title. but right off the bat the player is bombarded with a shit-ton of lore about the world Sly lives in and how he operates. we immediately find out he’s an antihero, an honourable thief who has a code of conduct. this comes into stark contrast with the game’s villains who are basically filthy crooks. thief takes down thieves and the theme of Morality is SP’s attempt to make the player distinguish between good criminal and bad criminal. Morality as a theme is spotlighted immensely in Cold Heart of Hate when Sly saves Carmelita because he truly is the good guy, but also when it’s revealed that what’s been keeping Clockwerk alive all these years is the lack of morals and the hatred. the game establishes Morality as the outlining theme of the entire series, placing Sly on a pedestal because he’s honourable. morals trump hatred, so fuck off Clockwerk (even though ‘perfection has no age’ might be one of the coolest lines in the game lol)

Sly 2: Band of Thieves (2004):

Paris: this is the theme from the first game but on steroids. like make it x10. when you take the plot of Sly 2 and boil down to its core, it turns out to be a full-on race against time to save Paris. it provides both a nod to the first game and a sense of closure at the end: the game begins in Paris and ends in Paris. It’s both a setting and a catalyst, and it is absolutely brilliant in the game. you spend most of the game globetrotting, away from home but as soon as you find out ClockLa is on her way to unleash her psychotic brain waves and turn the city evil, you find yourself at the edge of your seat, caring more about Paris than anything else. it’s omnipresent and powerful and i don’t know why but i love it.

Spice: if you wanna be my lover. here’s an amazing replacement for drug trafficking as a plot device in a children’s game: spice. the spice trail is what pushes the narrative forward but also gives the gang something to face before the pieces fall into place and the larger scale of things is revealed. before ClockLa steals the show, spice is the main antagonist in the game. it brings the villains together, leads the gang from one location to another, provides some memorable missions and obstacles (Spice in the Sky and a raged, spice-infused Murray). but it’s not to say that it fades away in the long-run. Spice is actually the subtle thread that connects the episodes together but also is significant to the final master plan of hypnotising Paris.

Deception: obvious one here. Neyla pretending to be an ally is the major example. we’ve got the Contessa pretending to be loyal to Interpol, we’ve got Arpeggio seemingly being the mastermind behind everything (which he kinda was until he wasn’t), we’ve got the whole evil plot reveal on the spice, we’ve got Neyla ripping off Arpeggio on her journey to become the most well-written villain in video-game history. lots going on here. overall great theme. on a wider scale (and i’ve touched on this before in some recent posts) we’ve got SP deceiving the player into thinking the plot is all laid out at Rajan’s ball until it all turns to shit and nothing goes as expected. Appearance V Reality is a sub-theme that pops up when Bentley fights Jean Bison and Bison constantly underestimates Bentley until the turtle fucking blows his lights out. it’s not an instance of Deception per se, but it’s worth mentioning

The Past: Clockwerk’s return makes this a theme instead of a motif. before ‘saving Paris’ becomes the main objective, it’s Sly’s determination to prevent Clockwerk’s revamping that kicks off the game’s events. the events of Sly 1 play a pivotal role here as they lay the groundwork for the plot of Sly 2. it’s not just Sly 2: The Sequel. with its own set of characters and an intricate story it becomes its very own thing. but Clockwerk is the link that connects everything.

Morality: this one sneaks up on you in the game’s second half and just bites you right in the ass when you least expect it. Contessa, who until her boss-fight seems to be just another selfish spider bitch witch, manifests into this advocate for Sly’s inner demons through simple dialogue. fucking brilliant. ‘You’re an ignorant child playing dress-up in his father’s legacy’ (in my opinion, the best line in the entire series) kicks it all off. and then the theme becomes obviously present throughout. it explores the fine line that Sly walks between robin hood and scumbag thief, it shows how the villains are down-right criminals who want to benefit from their crimes, it cracks black and white into a million pieces because in a single game there are like a million layers of good and evil: Barkley at the very top as the authoritarian white, Carmelita as a sympathetic cop who tries to grasp onto her own code of ethics while occasionally running with the thieves, Sly and the gang as antiheroes, the villains as... villains, and Neyla as the embodiment of satan. it’s a scale and the game spotlights this. i had a different bullet point for Justice but i think it falls under Morality. basically, Carmelita’s story arc in Sly 2 deals with blurring her views a bit and re-defining justice

Sly 3: Honour Among Thieves (2005):

Ancestry (Cooper Vault): this is what the game is all about, or at least the premise. after stitching the cottdamn book back together by the end of the first game, Sly 2 doesn’t give any attention to the Thievius Raccoonus. in fact, Sly 2 exists on a completely different plane, using its amazing plot to elevate itself away from the lore of the first game. ancestry is rarely mentioned. flashforward to Sly 3, where SP takes us back to the mythos for a new caper involving a new reveal: the Cooper Vault. what we thought we knew about the ancestors is thrown out the window to pave the way for this mystical place where the Coopers buried their secrets and their loot. i’d like to point out that the theme of Ancestry is great and all but SP does a shitty job in spreading it throughout the game. whilst recruiting the new gang members we often forget why we’re doing so and it’s not until the last episode of the game that we get the fulfilment of the theme’s promise. it’s also worth mentioning that the theme pops up in A Cold Alliance when Tsao is comparing himself to Sly and he speaks of his ancestors but we somehow get the feeling that his ancestors were all colossal jerks like him and had absolutely 0 honour

Family: this is not the same as Ancestry. the new gang members could have very well been distant with each other if not for the adventures that made them bond. Bentley’s fascination with the Guru, Murray being the Guru’s apprentice, Bentley falling for Penelope, Penelope and Panda King helping Murray with the van, Panda King and Sly working alongside each other to kill vampire mantises and the Crusher. these are all moments that helped sell the ‘group of thieves’ aspect of the game. but Family also explores the bond of the original trio and how, even when they face their differences (Bentley and Murray living in the shadow of Sly), they can still make it through, even stronger than before. other references here might include: Panda King and Jing King, Dimitri and the Lousteau diving legacy, Dr. M and McSweeney being Conner’s “sidekicks”

Honour: this replaces the theme of Morality from the previous two games as the situations the characters face allude to honour (doing what’s right for the greater good) rather than morality (black and white, good vs evil). what i mean by that is SP making an effort to distinguish why Sly is a different thief and ultimately an antihero. this was sorta explored in the previous games by having Sly put an end to the villains’ various operations but the overall plot overshadowed those instances. Sly 3 on the other hand fully explores the theme of Honour by including the word in the title and having the gang save the day in every episode. stopping harm to the environment (polluting the Venice canals, destroying the Australian outback), helping Penelope come to terms with her inner demons by encouraging her to drop the facade of the Black Baron, saving Jing King from forced marriage, etc. the theme also ties into the theme of Redemption (below) but what i’d really like to point out is that Carmelita gets in on it as well. i can’t think of a more honourable moment than when she finally, after 3 games, puts the petty cop bullshit aside and comes to Kaine Island with her squad to save Sly from Dr. M. she makes Sly’s battle her own and doesn’t give up, showing up at the very end to save him from Dr. M’s horrific boss-fight (ugh)

Deception: although not as major as in Sly 2, i’ve said this time and time again: Flight of Fancy perfectly encapsulates the theme of Deception. Penelope dressing up as the Black Baron is not the only instance of deception. you’ve got Bentley and Penelope blowing their online avatars out of proportion, you’ve got Dimitri who was initially a villain finally turning sides, you’ve got an episode card full of sunshine and bright blue and gold fonts for a hub that’s all gloomy rainclouds. beyond Flight of Fancy, i can think of a few more instances: some Shakespearian shenanigans when Carmelita disguises herself as Jing King, or when the gang doesn’t reveal their Dead Men Tell No Tales plan to the player and we’re left thinking that Sly is going to get eaten by sharks

Redemption (Choices): speaks for itself, really. this one ties in with Honour and is a sub-theme, maybe a motif. we’ve got Murray’s desire to redeem himself for feeling guilty over Bentley’s accident. we’ve got Dimitri and the Panda King joining the gang after previously being villains in the series, and eventually redeeming themselves through helping with the heist. we’ve got Penelope redeeming herself as the Black Baron by joining the gang. i also named it Choices because these characters chose to redeem themselves. Choices are all over the game, whether its the lack of free will or the sacrifice characters make: Jing King isn’t in a position to choose whether or not she gets married during her capture, Sly sacrifices his cane at the very beginning of the game to save Bentley and then jumps in front of Dr. M’s shot to save Carmelita (!!!)

Closure: or the lack of, smh. SP’s trilogy comes to a close and therefore the theme has to exist even if the game doesn’t provide the player with mass satisfaction. Sly finally gets together with Carmelita, Bentley finally gets over his fear and self-doubt and lives the good life (with Penelope), Murray kicks off his racing career, and we get happy-ever-afters for the rest of the gang as well

[nimrodinked]

For Honor and the Importance of Positioning

I play a good deal of For Honor, and have experienced a lot of the new game mode Breach, and all that experience has given me a fair few points to make on the subject of positioning. First however, I must explain, at least a little, who I used to play, and who I play now. I am fickle with my mains, and swap around between factions and classes on whims at best. My first rank up was with the Japanese as Nobushi, before I began my foray deep into the Viking classes, first with Raider, then dabbling with Valkyrie, and stopping for a stretch of time on Warlord. Now Warlord left me in an odd spot and I’ll explain why in my roundabout manner. I firmly believe that given enough thought, each hero in the game can be distilled down to a single, or perhaps two words. For Warlord, the word is Traditional. You can see very clearly in his intro video that his profession is one of tradition. His sword and shield, his status as a leader and the earning of his title are all viking traditions. Topping that off with the story, and the fact that the only true leaders of the viking people are warlords really cements the word. I realize of course the player character is a raider for most missions, but I put him more in the role of general or hero, an exceptional fighter that people gather around, rather than a true leader. The same goes for the only other viking leaders, as both Ragnar and Sif were less true leaders and more strong personalities. I’ll talk lore in another post some other time. Anyway, both Gudmundr and the jarl who I can’t remember were warlords, and both showed that they were capable jarls and warlords, the one I’m blanking on with his bold attack strategy of the Japanese, and Gudmundr with his control of a small but terrifying wolf pack, and near limitless bravery to defend his people in the face of the Blackstone Legion. Anyway, the warlord’s gameplay is also very traditional if that makes any sense. He has simple and to the point combos, heavy light, or light heavy, and very little in the way of extra weight. He isn’t here to show off flashy tactics, he’s here to bulwark for his people. Playing him is an interesting experience due to the fact that in lieu of an opening attack that’s viable he can headbutt, and stab for damage afterwards.This, along with his only real combo makes him an odd play, as usually your thought process is on external fighting factors, rather than the best way to get around the guard the enemy presents. I enjoy that aspect of him, but playing him in breach didn’t suit my wants so I switched to a heavy even heavier than the Warlord. I chose Shugoki, the samurai heavy hero, and if there is a word to describe him it would undoubtedly be unreasonable. On top of his trailer, showcasing how terrifying brutal he is in combat (On top of them making the Oni reference, which seem only natural when he wields a Kanabo) It’s alluded to that his club is entirely unreasonable, which yes, in a land comprised mostly of fine edge thin steel swords designed for slicing through most objects found on a human body in combat, a giant fracking club with iron studs is very unreasonable. On top of that this word carries over to his gameplay, where everything he does is as unreasonable as his weapon. again, only two combos, light heavy and heavy heavy, along with the other combat tricks he has. Fighting a Shugoki can be an absolute drag due to his natural stance, making the first attack against him not stagger him out of his moves. because of this, a good Shugoki can exploit the resetting animations of attacks against his enemies and push through with the armor, setting up guardbreaks and heavies and whatnot. After the armor, he possesses a headbutt on a confirmed first hit, meaning if his bat connects, he can headbutt the enemy, eating away a, once more here, unreasonable amount of stamina. Moving on he can charge his first heavy attack, making it unblockable and do more damage. When I say more damage, I mean half of a lighter characters health bar. I don’t think I need to say the theme word here. Finally he can initiate a rather long animation for a grab. If it lands, he heals based on his missing health, and does damage for the same amount. At critical health state, this will instant kill any hero. I do mean any hero, even the heaviest of heavies with a full health shield wont survive. Not very reasonable now is it? Shugoki is enjoyable for sure, but due to a certain lack of speediness, I decided to offset my play with him, and main into someone else of a faster variety. Enter Peacekeeper, who I will call PK because of the length of her full name. PK is the fastest of heroes, matched by the actual ninja and a crazy viking lady, which I think is pretty good. Back to the word of the hero, I would most likely label her Unexpected. Drawing from the trailer, she is, well, an assassin. It is Ubisoft after all, the obligatory sneak character was bound to be in the game. I enjoy the aesthetic, semi-forced though it may be, and moving to gameplay PK really does live up to her chosen word. First of all, being an assassin class, and in my opinion the truest of the assassin classes, she suplements her damage with bleeding, a mechanic that removes health over time. A fair few of PK’s combo options either end or can be mixed up with bleed hits, and working with that word, many a foe have found that while they were still moving around, they are unexpectedly dead. On top of that, she has stealth, what I view as the best perk in the game. Stealth removes PK from the hud entirely, meaning that unlike most other heroes, you have to actively find her on the battlefield. Now it isn’t especially hard to find a large moving hero, but not being on the hub means taking back paths and staying out of common sightlines gives you a near free path to side objectives and easy picking kills. Landing on top of that now, that PK’s only out of  combat move is a guardbreak, a move which easily leads into her shanking the enemy thrice with a bleed dagger, and you have the perfect formula for an enemy player staring at their body toppling to the floor mere feet from a healing spot, all because I cut their healthbar down to zero. Now after all this long preamble I will actually talk about positioning, because all my playing has really made me privy to how important it is to be in the right place at the right time. Shugoki and PK represent two very different approaches to the mentality of positioning. PK, due to her movement and the stealth option, she can rather freely traverse the expansive map to get to where she wants to be, making her wonderfully adaptable. You can shift like water from defending the ram to getting an enemy off the ballista to stopping the other team from getting the shield banner, and back to whatever else my team needs. Shugoki on the other hand, is an absolute presence when he finally does show up to a location. Possessing the slowest in game movement speed, a 63 percent of PK’s speed, Shugoki has trouble getting from places to other places, making him much less adaptable. While he does have a dash that increases his speed nearly twofold, it drains too much stamina to spam, and the startup and ending animations mean that it’s not good for long distance travel, only short dashes to places. As I said however, once he gets there, Shugoki can easily turn a fight to his side. Between all of his options to change a battles flow (A player’s mindset is much different when their healthbar is halved, or their stamina is majorly low) and his amazingly powerful ability to ignore enemy troop damage, a Shugoki can execute an enemy in the midst of a teamfight, making sure they won’t get up again, despite the spearmens attempts to thwart him. I know I personally have turned tail many times when a Shugoki shows up as PK, just from the fact that if I don’t fight him absolutely alone I can’t guarantee my safety, and even then it’s a dangerous game. With his kit, Shugoki buries himself in a contested zone and rebuffs the enemy with his massive frame. He defies the flow and positioning, because for a final team, he is utterly unreasonable. I have to say to close this I love both of these heroes, and they each give me an amazing feeling of power when playing them. Playing PK I feel the smoothness of how she can pick and choose battles, and her graceful executions make me feel like a deadly ballerina. With Shugoki I feel like I’m playing a force of a nature, a man so powerful and indomitable that he is regularly compared to a literal demon. For God’s sakes the man crushes peoples heads with his bare hands, and his feet! I can never express how much I enjoy those twin feelings of power these Heroes give me, and at the end of every game, despite the win or loss, I still smile thanks to their lovely done presence, and I try my best to use my positioning knowledge to show off those ending poses. 

[ruwinhimself-blog]

Day 27 - Slay the Spire (long)

So today I wanted to talk specifically about Slay the Spire. Most notably, its new player experience and what its gameplay loop achieves really well. We might be edging on the side of UX/UI design here but a lot of those systems are a part of the regular game design process so they will be helpful to review.

Main menu, pretty straight forward. We have a hierarchy of information here. The most commonly element that is interacted with is ‘Play’ here, so naturally it should be at the top. I’d actually wager it deserves even more visual priority.

Something like this. Once we click into play we’re greeted with the modes screen.

It has been some time since I first played the game so it is possible that some of my settings or menu elements have updated or become available since I have nearly 90 hours in. I think the menu again is fairly minimalistic-- not too much text. The most commonly interacted with element is furthest to the left so it is most likely to be noticed. The only change I would make here is probably to push the ‘Daily Climb’ and ‘Custom’ options back even further. We want to be as aware of cognitive load as possible and giving the player too many options or information right away might overwhelm them (Again, daily climb may be locked on an account that hasn’t beat the game-- so this may be somewhat irrelevant). I’d probably present the starting mode menu like this.

Not much different, but obviously quartering off the unimportant or potentially overwhelming information for new players. On the next screen we have our character select.

Again, fairly minimalistic character select. The nice thing here is that you have a sequential motion from left to right. You enter from the left (where you can also go back), select your character in the middle and begin the game on the right. This is some nice menu stepping which gives the player a bit of navigational orientation. If they want to go back, they look towards the left of their screen, if they want to go forward, they make their way towards the right. After embarking, you have clicked 4 times. From main menu to play, 4 clicks isn’t a lot to ask for the level of customization the game is offering you. Once you are in the run-- if it is not your first time playing you are greeted by some sort of whale creature. 

Side note: The amount of clicks required to play the game should absolutely be reduced to a minimum. 

This system is interesting as it offers some variation per run. This system exists in other games as well, like Dead Cells where at the beginning you get some agency over your starting weapon. This little bit of player choice can impact the run quite a lot and hopefully offer a bit of a jump start for the player’s preferred playstyle. As an interesting aside, the amount and quality of the options increase based on how far you made it in the previous run (this is to discourage a dynamic where players chain restart to get their preferred opener). It was smart of them to do this, as much of the charm and allure of roguelikes comes from making do with the tools that you are given. Side note: Sometimes players will want the easy way out, or shortcuts to the finish. It is occasionally our jobs as designers to step in and say... “you’ll enjoy the success much more if the journey was epic.” And the sub-system element here is doing. We don’t want you to trivialize your own achievements! Have an epic win with a rough start and it will be that much more memorable.

Side note: The tone of the post prior to this has been positive critique but that is about to change. At this point of the post I will start getting a bit praise-y (For the record... I think Slay the Spire is a near perfect game. There are very few things I would change about it, if anything).

 After selecting your starting buff, you are greeted with the map. The first thing to note is that your available encounters are pulsing, while unavailable ones are not.

Side note: Remember we are mostly considering the game from a new player perspective. 

This is very subtle but it grabs attention and very quickly alludes to the structure of progression. You start at the bottom and work your way up, and you can’t select an encounter that isn’t pulsing. You also have a very clearly defined goal one minute into the game. So much is communicated in this simplicity.

There’s also a legend for quick reference if you are new, or forgot what encounters the icons represent.

As a new player, you are greeted by cards whose contents are unknown. Before we get into the actual reading, though, we already know that they are calling your attention.  The frame has an emanation to it. The player is probably thinking, “I must be able to interact with this.” Upon hovering over it they will see its text as well as its energy cost.

Players may or may not notice this, or even know they have an energy resource to manage, but they will learn quickly. Perhaps even in one turn. You’ll also notice that its visual is very similar-- a green swirling circle inside of a bulging triangle. This is undoubtedly on purpose. These design/theme considerations will make a big difference in the player’s ability to understand the rules and objects in the world (at least at less of a cognitive cost if this consistency is carried throughout). So when you run out of energy what happens?

Intelligently, your energy icon goes dim and is no longer animated. Cards that cannot be used are denoted by a red cost and no longer have their border emanation. Part of what makes the game so incredible for new players is that it not only allows the player to experience the core gameplay loop immediately, it also teaches them the rules quickly and intuitively.

Strike... pretty straight forward. It’s probably it attack. It has a dagger in motion. It immediately calls to that functionality. Defend.. it has the characters cloak turned to what looks like bullet fire. The cloak appears to be defecting that fire. You don’t even have to read the cards-- and some players won’t. Or at least have some sort of consistent theme (be it of objects within the image, color schemes, etc) carried throughout the cards. For example, if it’s a card that does damage, try to make sure there are always weapons in their frame. If it’s a card that doesn’t do damage, it should have no weapons in the frame.

With neutralize, because it does damage, I probably would’ve represented this by having a hand pushing down on a sword (It’s also worth taking into account art scope. A scale is likely much easier to render than a hand over a blade). This alludes to the fact that it’s an attack, and... the hand appears to be deflecting the blade, which alludes to the ‘Weak’ ailment (which reduces the damage that enemies do). It also checks out flavor-wise, as The Silent is a stealthy, acrobatic assassin. Being able to intercept a blade seems entirely possible. Just a slight critique, though this is very nitpick-y.

So how about attacking enemies?

When you drag a card, it will have a pointer that is clearly communicating ‘At What?’ I have a hard time imagining that playtesters found the usage of cards unintuitive.

The change in color to red and the border around the targeted enemy act as feedback to your input. There is little left to misinterpretation. Again, teaching the player how to play and how the rules in your little world operate is absolutely critical. The sooner they understand the actions behind their decisions, the sooner they can make meaningful ones. When players are making deliberate decisions and not just bopping flashing lights on a console, they will be engaged and they will be learning. The learning process is what makes roguelikes great. The.. “a-ha” moment. The “okay.. so if I do this..” moment. It’s extremely difficult to put down a game that you are actively improving at.

So what about combat? This is part of what makes Slay the Spire marvelous.

You have perfect information. You know exactly what the enemy is going to do.

And you know exactly what you can do. This largely leaves the success or failure of a turn or sequencing up to the player. Take as long or as little time as you need to contemplate your actions, and execute. If the player gets it wrong, they have no one to blame but themselves. If you want to reduce player frustration with your game, it is paramount that you reduce the amount of blaming that the player can place on the game. If the player makes a mistake, they can blame themselves for lack of execution and not the game for its lack of fairness. Another game that does this well is Cuphead. I died many, many times in Cuphead but it was rarely frustrating. I knew my deaths were largely due to my inability to execute. Each death brought me closer to an understanding of how to better approach a particular aspect of a fight. I was learning-- mastering, with each life.

There are, of course, elements of chance in StS. Just like any roguelike-- or any game meant to have high replayability. Variance adds excitement and good players know how to utilize their tools and reduce that inherent ‘RNG’ in any situation to give them the best odds of success.

So what about progression?

Akin to the solo adventures in Hearthstone, after completing an encounter, you are given a semi-random amount of gold, a chance at a potion and one of three cards to add to your deck. 

This deck-build as you go design successfully achieves the signature roguelike ‘no two runs are the same’ dynamic. Having the agency to select one of three random cards, or none at all (which is sometimes the right call) gives you the freedom to pursue(with some luck) your preferred playstyle. At treasure rooms, you will find relics.

These relics will generally offer some type of gameplay altering effects that last for the entirety of the run.

Relics offer an additional layer of customization to each playthrough which is common in most roguelikes, like Binding of Isaac’s items.

In StS, just like in Isaac, you can create absurd combinations that break the game and create memorable player experiences. The nice thing about StS’s relics is that they are clearly defined in tooltips.

Unlike Isaac where item functionality is not described, but learned through experience. This is of course a design choice, but I generally side with providing the player as much information as possible.

Which brings me to my final point.

StS utilizes progressive disclosure. A design principle that aims to provide player information progressively, and as they need it.

Let’s take Poisoned Stab for instance. It deals 6 damage and applies 3 poison. The text is clean, concise and straightforward. No need to explain keyword functionality on the cards. Information is then progressive disclosed via tooltips if the player wants to educate themselves.

There are of course many elements which we did not cover. I set out to cover the most important and new player relevant mechanics and systems. Understanding this can help me design a game that is a fraction as easy to play and approach as this masterpiece.

Until next time!

[spudthecat]

My Thoughts on Fran Bow

Where do I begin? Well, I guess let’s start with my overall opinion of the game. A+++!!! I absolutely loved this game, and everything was pinpoint; it all meshed together beautifully to create memorable haunting scenes, characters, and stories. The music, the art style, the gameplay mechanics, the characters, everything. Purrfect!

This game, to me at least, was so damn unique. The main gameplay mechanic, the center focus that set it apart from other similar games (at least to my knowledge), was the Duotine, red pills that allowed Fran to see the Ultrareality. This allowed the puzzles to be even more complex and interesting (thought still not too complex as this is a story-centric game) as every room and area was basically two rooms and you were required to switch to and from the Ultrareality to progress. And even when Fran didn’t have access to Duotine, the game maintained its core mechanic, an example being the season clock in Ithersta where there were FOUR variants of each area, one for each season. Not only did these mechanics add a sense of uniqueness to the game, they also made it all the more ominous, with screams echoing and macabre scenes appearing after Fran would take a Duotine pill.

Now I guess I’ll tackle the characters. I loved them! Well, except the ones I hate (looking at you Dr. Oswald and Aunt Grace). Fran, Mr. Midnight, and Itward are my particular favorites, and it’s so interesting that there’s a lot of allusions to Alice in Wonderland with these characters, Fran, Mr. Midnight, and Itward being Alice, the Cheshire Cat, and the Mad Hatter respectively. I even noticed some Wizard of Oz references in Ithersta, with Fran, Mr. Midnight, and the Great Wizard being well, Dorothy, Toto, and Oz, respectively. Even the overarching goal in Ithersta alluded to the Wizard of Oz. Fran wanted to go home, and in addition, she wanted to be human again (just like how the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow were seeking human aspects). 

Anyways, I’m getting off topic! Fran was such an adorable, yet at times creepy, character that somehow fit in to all this madness while at the same time was out of place (and I mean that in a good way). We get to know Fran on a personal level since we’re exposed to everything little quirky thing she says when you interact with something and we even get to control some of her actions (which I’m not really sure if they have a long-term impact). By the end of the game, I came to adore Fran and felt like I was on this journey right beside her, so much so that I related to her situation, her madness, sorrow and loneliness. Mr. Midnight was such an adorable kitty! I loved his proper personality, always being polite despite all the horrors going around. He was also your only companion throughout most of the game, the only consistent company Fran had on this adventure, and I don’t think Fran would’ve made it without him. I loved Itward when I immediately heard this theme! It fit him perfectly. And I loved how badly the game tried to make you think Itward was going to harm Fran, but he never did. He was one of her closest allies. I loved and really related to his eccentricity, and I really enjoyed his gentlemanly attitude. It was kinda surprising to learn that he came from the Fourth Reality, the reality of death, though I suppose death is not necessarily an evil idea. It is but natural. Now, I would write more about these characters, but this is already getting too long.

The music for this game, although simple, was phenomenal! It masterfully set the mood with each provoking an emotional response from me, a tinge of sadness, a sigh of relief and safety, a fearful and anxious squeal, and so on. The music really stuck with me, and I mean all of it, including the minigames’ music, which are actually pretty good in and of themselves. Like, I really don’t know what else to say here. The music was just fantastic, and each piece was memorable and some of them were just so damn peaceful that I could fall asleep to them. A++!

I guess one last thing before I end this monster of a post is something that I’m still struggling with to figure out. Was any of this real? Did any of it really happen? Was Itward real? Was Remor real? Is Mr. Midnight dead? Was this just all within the maddened mind of Fran? Was she laying in a bed in an asylum the entire time? Idk, and I like that I don’t know. I’m glad that the ending was really ambiguous as providing too many answers would’ve ruined the ominous feeling of the game. The game is based in supernatural worlds with supernatural elements so an ambiguous ending makes sense, as not everything can readily be explained. In addition, throughout the game, Fran is seeking the truth behind, well, a lot of stuff, though mainly why her parents were murdered, and despite a shocking reveal, it’s still unclear if that’s what really happened. There’s multiple stories and theories here, and that’s a part of the charm of the game. I guess we can’t stop seeking the truth, cause when we do stop...what’s the point of well, anything I guess?

In the end, I for one, would like to adventure through the Five Realities of Essential Existence and the Ultrareality, a macabre journey that I would fear and enjoy at the same time, a thrilling experience to remember for the rest of my life.