#asymmetrical multiplayer

[titleknown]

Video Game Idea: Asymmetrical multiplayer golf game where some of the players are golfers trying to complete the game and some of the players are alligators trying to keep them from doing that.

[ideaticaphelion]

puyo puyo tetris is a pvp game, i think everybody would agree, in which two players compete at independent tasks wherein success at ones task hinders the others ability to succeed

team fortress 2 payload race pits two teams against one another with both having the same end goal; they desire more or less the same result and are only "competing" to have done the best at that by the end. like they have a "canon" reason to fight but thats not important. this is also pvp i think we can all agree again - and if you disagree with my reasoning, we can instead turn to operation (1965), in which the end goal is unquestionably "to collectively remove all of the ailments from cavity sam" while still being unarguably pvp

in many competitions (i.e. archery, curling, etc) the end of the game is not determined by when a player gets a certain number of points, but by time or a certain number of attempts by each player or whatnot

as such, an experience where players are performing individual, separate tasks, which can make the game more difficult for the other players when performed successfully, and where all players have the same end goal, which is judged at the end of a certain length of time, is pvp, yes?

most asymmetrical multiplayer games offer up the idea that one party can hinder the other, while the other cannot respond in kind, while still being considered pvp; see "among us", among any number of other examples

now, consider The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off; a competitor in this competition (or "pvp match") has no real agency in their own victory (on account of being a pumpkin), while still being a competitor (or "player") in the game.

if we agree that the above is true, then we must agree that a contest consisting of two players performing completely different tasks, in which one party may obstruct the other through their own success, both players having a shared victory condition of "most success within a set time period" (rather than "defeating" the other), even if there are competitors that don't necessarily have any agency in how well they perform, is a pvp game

therefore, if we were to start scoring pregnancy,

[mikemadethis]

First Impressions: Project Playtime

Project: Playtime is the next game in what I will lovingly refer to as the Tag Type Game genre. Well specifically the Horror Themed Tag Type Game subgenre. Think your Dead By Daylights and VHSs of the world. This time around instead of a spooky alternate dimension or a horror film infested high school, we are instead in the depths of Playtime Co. I've personally been a big fan of the increasingly popular "Mascot Horror" IPs. Basically a Horror world where instead of ghouls or vampires, the monsters are family friendly entertainment turned evil. In Project: Playtime's case this means a vacant toy factory which serves as the hunting ground for a twisted and hungry toy.

Being a Tag Type Game Project: Playtime will drop you into one of two roles. Oddly enough unlike most games in the genre you can't straight up choose which role you would like. Instead the role of Monster will be randomly doled out to one of the players in a lobby, somewhat similar to an imposter style game like Among Us. The lack of choice does mean it's easier to find matches as everyone is funneled through one queue but it also means players that prefer playing the monster could go an entire day without touching the role. I can understand the temptation to not have a role with significantly longer queue times than other roles, especially in an Indie multiplayer game. That being said hopefully in the future there can be more options so players who prefer playing the Monster can play them more frequently.

Regardless once you are all placed in your assigned role the game of Tag begins. In this take on the game Survivors need to roam the map solving these pillars with puzzles on 3 separate sides. The puzzles themself are rather simple, but for players with memory issues or slow reflexes I can see them becoming a rather big barrier to entry. There are some perks that alleviate the difficulty of these puzzles, but that would still require you to play a significant amount of time in order to solve said puzzles. I hope this is something the developers consider as they continue to balance the game. A big plus for this genre is it's simplicity, allowing for many different kinds of people to play together regardless of their mechanical skill level.

One thing I do appreciate about these puzzles, and the rest of the survivor gameplay is how everything is done with your Grabpack. You see you have this little backpack with two hands on it and you can shoot these hands like a grappling hook. Pretty much every survivor mechanic uses this hands, which means you never have to deal with any sort of UI based quick time event. Everything you're doing is in universe. Whether you're shooting your hand at a grappling spot to swing over a gap or slapping at hungry toys crawling out of the walls as you wait for an ally to rescue you. Everything just feels much better when things feel grounded and make sense with your moveset. They could have easily made it so you would need to walk to a pit then have a pop up that says "PRESS E TO SAVE ALLY", but they went through the effort to make sure everything feels immersive, having you physically shoot your hand into the abyss and pull your buddy out like you do everything else in the game.

Once you have finished a puzzle pillar you'll receive a piece of a toy, you can take it to a deposit and once you've rounded up 6 of them you can send them through a tube, hop on a train and finally get out of there. Playing as the runners in games like this is typically pretty simple but I do like how Project: Playtime spices it up a bit more with fancy movement objects like the grapple spots as well as the more interactive puzzle spots over the passive generators of other games. The puzzles themselves may get repetitive, but hopefully the developers can add a bit more variety to them in the future. Really though, the real key to making playing as a survivor fun in these types of games is to get the monster gameplay right.

For the monster, in this game of tag you are "It". So your primary objective is to catch the survivors and stop them from completing their puzzles and depositing their toy parts. Each monster has an entirely unique way to help you accomplish this. Whether it's Boxy Boo's lullaby telling you when survivors are close by, or Mommy Long Legs grapple arm letting you get to anywhere on the map as long as you can reach it. While there are only 3 monsters so far it is nice how much variety there is, they all have a lot of abilities almost feeling akin to a hero shooter style of character. My personal favorite so far is Boxy Boo, mostly for his design but also because he can charge up his spring-like legs and leap across the map. It's incredibly satisfying to land on a small platform a whole two stories above you, grapple a survivor and feed them to the pit.

It can be pretty exciting to play as the monster but just like with all of these Tag Type Games it's a difficult balancing act to pull off. The monsters HAVE to be strong but they can't be too strong or else it'd feel unfair to the survivor. Then if their too weak you can end up in a situation where the survivors can bully the monster and exploit their shortcomings. The game is still too new so it's difficult to say where Project: Playtime lands on that scale but for now I want to say it's a bit too survivor leaning at the moment. Survivors can be incredibly agile and with perks they can complete their tasks very quickly. As a monster you could be chasing one guy for a minute and check the corner of the screen and see the survivors have already deposited 4 out of 6 toy parts. When the heck did that happen? I think some random elements could be put in place to make it more fair to the monster. As of right now the puzzle pillars and deposits are always placed in the same location which gives the survivors a huge knowledge advantage. Sure the Monster can see the puzzle pillars through walls, but what does that matter to a survivor that has played for 5 hours and has committed them to memory? Spicing up the layout may be the edge the Monster needs to feel a bit more balanced.

All in all the gameplay of both the Survivors and Monsters is very fun if not a bit repetitive. Hopefully by the time the game comes out of early access the game will have a much stronger balance between the two roles, maybe have a way to choose which one you want to play as well as sorting out the massive list of bugs and general lack of polish. Yes there are a ton of bugs, on top of unfinished UI and a somewhat barren soundscape. The game does feel like it launched a few months too early but there's no taking it back now, just like how there's no taking back the money you spent on the season 1 battle pass.

Project: Playtime is a very fun and unique take on the Tag Type Game genre and I'm very much looking forward to see how the team continues to expand on it's solid foundation.

[brutalgamer]

Asymmetrical multiplayer title Predator: Hunting Grounds getting a fresh host of updates

Released in 2020, Illfonic’s Predator: Hunting Grounds isn’t done yet. Fans can expect both new ports, and a host of updates.

[miserymisume]

It would be great if there were more games where you get to play as the boss enemy of a dungeon or whatever

[str8manslaughter]

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game – Reveal Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games my reaction video

[marklikely]

okayyyy im ready for the online multiplayer only era of video games to be over now

[roblox-horror-category-list]

[R15] Psycho 2: Classic

Survive the night in a 1v7 PvP horror game involving a killer known as the Psycho.

[GAME HAS NO ACTIVE SERVERS AS OF THIS PUBLICATION]

The game requires a min of 4 players to start. The only objective is to survive the night.

⬆️ This what happens when you go into 'Spectate' mode.

Sadly, I can't remember details about this game (since I just found this out in the depths of my Favorites). Here's some screenshots of the lobby tho! Also, the settings only has a button for 'Teleport to Dev Version' which doesn't work.

What's cool though is that there's an immediate prompt to teleport to the more updated version (which I'll cover soon too). And somehow the tutorial pops up repeatedly for me when re-entering the game.

Play the game through this link

[linuxgamenews]

Lightphobe – Smoothing The Way for Linux Support

Lightphobe asymmetrical co-op multiplayer game aims at Proton support via Windows PC and Linux. Thanks to the skilled team at Mutant Realm Entertainment for making it all happen. Due to make its way onto Steam Early Access in a couple of days. Let's talk about Mutant Realm Entertainment's first big splash in the gaming world – Lightphobe. Mark your calendars for February 12, 2024, since that's when it hits Steam Early Access. Plus there is a focus on Proton, but let me explain.

...no native support for Linux (or Mac) for now. However, I am considering adding native support for Linux in the future.

Exciting news from Mutant Realm. Lightphobe is clever to skip the need for anti-cheat, smoothing the way for Linux support. Plus, developer Allan Chew is keen on getting dedicated servers Linux-friendly. But for now, the focus is on Proton support during Early Access, ensuring everyone can dive into the game easily. And it's all shaping up nicely. So, what is the title all about? It's a mix of classic team survival shooter games, but with a unique twist – light is your biggest ally and enemy. You're in for matches with up to 16 players, battling it out to control points while fending off opponents. And these aren't just any opponents; we're talking about beings with solid abilities.

Lightphobe - Early Access Trailer

The plan is to keep Lightphobe in Early Access until the devs decide it's fully ready with content. They're thinking about a year, but it's not cast in stone. They want to use this time wisely: gathering feedback to make upgrades, and seeing how much attention it creates. Due to figuring out the overall direction and scope. Now, let's dive into the gameplay. This is an asymmetrical co-op multiplayer experience. You get to pick sides – either as a soldier defending Earth or as a Lightphobe, these ethereal skeletal creatures that are all kinds of terrifying. They are beasts in the dark but don't count the soldiers out. They come equipped with five different loadouts, offering various ways to tackle these nightmares. Gameplay is a blend of competitive shooting and stealthy melee action. It's a strategic cat and mouse battle where dynamic lighting plays a crucial role. Choose to play as a Soldier in first-person shooter mode or as a Lightphobe in third-person melee action. Each with multiple loadouts. And you can play with up to 16 players, with options for peer to peer networking or dedicated servers. As for future additions, they're planning on introducing new abilities for both Soldiers and Lightphobes, plus a couple more multiplayer maps. Play the Demo!! So, keep an eye on Steam Early Access. Due to release of the asymmetrical co-op multiplayer on Linux with Proton via Windows PC, with plans for a native build. Also, get this, it's priced at $5.99 USD / £4.99 / 5,99€. HINT: Keep an eye on the Linux_game Subreddit, you might get a Free Steam code.

[whimseysthrone]

Vast: The Crystal Caverns (boardgame, 2016)

What an incredible premise. What a fun game! If only it were playable without constantly referencing reams of paper on rules, errata, and commentary on the rules and errata. Vast is admirably ambitious. It’s designed for up to five interlocking, competing, asymmetrical roles that all fit together beautifully to make this boardgame a nail-biting, neck-and-neck race toward victory. With a few…

[ghosty-facey]

I know dead by daylight is the top asymmetric multiplayer survival horror online game, but do the other games of that genre get anywhere close to that popularity?

to me talk about vhs, evil dead the game, Friday the 13th the game, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, and Predator hunting grounds had fizzled out.

it would seem like a bad idea to pull your franchises out of Dead by daylight. especially now with licensed tomes.

[b0tster]

Hallu. Prospective game dev, here.

Was wondering if you could give some advice.

What game engine would you suggest for an open world-ish Multiplayer game.

Super TL;DR'd synopsis:

Asymmetric Multiplayer (1-4 vs Comp/1-2)

RPG elements with customizable characters

Large procedurally generated maps

Wide variety of "Enemy" player characters

Sort of a super sized, super cereal game of Hide-and-Seek

I'd like for it to be playable on as many systems as possible in terms of hardware requirements. If it can be comfortably played on a laptop, that'd be perfect.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

as much as it pains me to say this, my advice is 'do not make this game as your first project'

open world online multiplayer rpg game is one of the most difficult games to make, entire studios struggle to make games like this.

my advice is to start small. make a game with 1/5th of the scope here. make mistakes, fix those mistakes, learn and grow. your next game will be 2/5ths of the scope. work ur way up until you are a seasoned developer multiple games into your career. then and only then would i suggest you attempt to tackle one of the most complicated games that could be made.

i've had this conversation with a lot of people over the years, and one of the most common responses is 'well i dont care if this'll take a decade, i'll stake it out and get it released no matter how long it takes'. my response to this is that it isnt a question of time, but skill. if you try to build an entire house as your first workshop project it doesnt matter how long it takes if the foundations (the thing you build first when you are at your least skilled) are rickety and falling apart. it will fail no matter what.

i know this is probably the last thing you want to hear, and you are free to do whatever you wish with this advice, but as a person who attempted to make an entire zelda ripoff on my own as one of my first projects and only released a 1 hour long game with no free exploration after 4 long years, it is what i urge you to do

[bionicboxes]

they put some kind of slinky in my online asymmetric multiplayer survival horror game 

[rouxboo]

yall ever have a breakup so messy that you start hunting each other's offspring in asymmetrical multiplayer horror action games

[alpha-beta-gamer]

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Level Zero is an asymmetric multiplayer Sci-Fi horror game where light-phobic aliens use telepathic powers to hunt humans!

Read More & Sign Up For The Beta (Steam)

[bikwin5]

i've been watching a bunch of wii u videos from around the console's launch recently. i think the #1 thing that infuriates me about that console is that the way the controller setup is designed. if there's one player, they expect you have the gamepad. that's fine if you stick to that. if you go out of your way to do anything else that's where things go bad. i remember replaying bayonetta with the pro controller and having the gamepad plugged in on the floor because they don't let you start the game without it. there's a ton of menus that are arbitrarily on the gamepad. they expect you to be chained to this $100 tablet and pray it never breaks.

i was going to say it's fine for multiplayer games but sometimes it was weird too. for asymmetrical games it was fine since you had player 1 on the gamepad and the others on the wii remotes or pro controllers. but with other games they expect people to be using the same controller and have the gamepad be some kind of hub...? take bill and miyamoto playing pikmin 3 bingo battle for example where the map is only available on the gamepad:

if one player decides to use the gamepad they get the map to themselves. this was a problem with mario kart 8 pre-patch too. now you might ask why is this a problem if you have multiple controllers... not everyone has four functioning wii remotes in their house. i think i only have 2 left that still work. nintendo really liked the idea of the wii u gamepad as being this living room centerpiece entertainment hub like the xbox one was supposed to be. perhaps the two are closer than we think