{"id":308,"date":"2023-09-30T21:12:41","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T21:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/?page_id=308"},"modified":"2023-11-13T00:13:56","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T00:13:56","slug":"a-pattern-language-for-expressive-environments","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/a-pattern-language-for-expressive-environments\/","title":{"rendered":"A Pattern Language for Expressive Environments"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>How can virtual spaces convey meaning and evoke emotional states?<br \/>\nThis is a set of building blocks for expressive level design. They are very abstract so you can take any of them and try to apply them to your project.<\/p>\n<p>Each comes with an example from a game you should definitely play. The titles are always from the player&#8217;s perspective and the focus is on first and third person &#8220;immersive&#8221; games.<\/p>\n<p>The patterns span across different domains and scales, it&#8217;s a flexible structure borrowed from the classic architecture and urban design book <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/A_Pattern_Language\">A Pattern Language<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This is a living page, feel free to suggest more patterns!<\/p>\n<h3>Making a choice<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Stanley Parable - Full Game (All Endings) (No Commentary)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-pHsFDiRqOM?start=586&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/221910\/The_Stanley_Parable\/\">The Stanley Parable<\/a> by Galactic Cafe<\/p>\n<p>From the &#8220;lanes&#8221; in DOTA to a series of doors, virtual spaces present more or less explicit choices through obstacles and passages.<br \/>\nChoices that don&#8217;t have an apparent way to backtrack (eg jumping off a cliff) can be daunting to many players who want to make sure they explored everything before moving to the next &#8220;level&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h3>Reading affordances<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mirror&#039;s Edge - Full Game Playthrough (No Commentary)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uNZHU55tMMM?start=722&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>A crucial part of\u00a0 game design is communicating the affordances of the world: the doors you can open and those you can&#8217;t, the ledges you can climb, and the platforms you can walked.<br \/>\nIn art games the player might not have as many actions and as much urgency, but a confusing space can ruin the atmosphere and undermine your aesthetic goal.<\/p>\n<h3>Following a landmark<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Journey - Gameplay \/ Playthrough (No Commentary)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bkL94nKSd2M?start=532&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thatgamecompany.com\/journey\/\">Journey<\/a> by Thatgamecompany<\/p>\n<p>A common way to orientate the player in vast spaces is to put a prominent landmark (signposting).<br \/>\nIn theme park design such landmarks are called <a href=\"https:\/\/theoryofthemeparks.blogspot.com\/2015\/08\/wayfinding-in-themed-design-weenie.html\">weenies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Following the light<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ABZU Gameplay Walkthrough FULL GAME (4K 60FPS) No Commentary\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WJSdvnP4ENQ?start=1167&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/abzugame.com\/\">Abzu<\/a> by Giant Squid<\/p>\n<p>Avoiding darkness is a natural human instinct. Lighting is one of the most common signposting techniques.<\/p>\n<p><em>Note how the doors appear brighter at distance regardless of the actual lighting conditions of the passage.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Entering a dark space<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Neo-Brutalism of Tomorrow\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k4HHiXzasi4?start=326&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/moshelinke.itch.io\/neo-brutalism-of-tomorrow\">Neo brutalism of tomorrow<\/a> &#8211; Moshe Linke<\/p>\n<p>If humans and gamers are inclined to follow the light, how do you put them in dark spaces?<br \/>\nA light at the end of the tunnel? Turning off the lights?<\/p>\n<h3>Following a trail<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Firewatch Full Game Walkthrough - No Commentary (#Firewatch Full Game) 2016\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/O_r6t6_bN3c?start=2012&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/383870\/Firewatch\/\">Firewatch<\/a> by Campo Santo<\/p>\n<p>Communicating walkable areas outside of a built environment can be challenging. Think about how the cues you follow in maintained natural environments like parks: opening in the brush, beaten paths, clearings, secondary landmarks&#8230;<\/p>\n<h3>Entering a portal<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"THAT NIGHT, STEEPED BY BLOOD RIVER\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lqAOtHnRurg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/taylored.itch.io\/that-night-steeped-by-blood-river\">That night steeped by blood river<\/a> &#8211; Taylor Swietanski (2020)<\/p>\n<p>Dimension hopping for practical (level size) and expressive reasons.<\/p>\n<h3>Changing a space<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Shape of the World Gameplay (PC HD)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-8Rib3n22VI?start=264&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Most immersive games involve some kind of spatial progression: unlocking areas, opening doors, activating secret passages. Not even open world games provide complete access to their entire world from the beginning.<br \/>\nGameplay aside, letting the player change the environment can be an expressive and dramatic strategy.<\/p>\n<h3>Enjoying a view<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"PSYCHONAUTS 2 Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 FULL GAME [4K 60FPS PC] - No Commentary\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QuDGtXQiH54?start=11673&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/nyc-design\/function-of-vistas-and-views-in-game-design-5bd069cfc05f\">Views and vistas<\/a> are observation points that show the overall layout of a location. They can be used expressively to provide a release after a moment of tension, convey a sense of wonder and encourage exploration, give the impression of a world bigger than the explorable area, or foreshadow some future locations.<br \/>\nFunctionally speaking, they can\u00a0 allow the player to set their next goal in open worlds or give an overview of a puzzle\/challenge.<\/p>\n<h3>Finding a view<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Umurangi Generation 100% Walkthrough | ALL Achievement \/ Trophy Guide | * Under 1 Hour Completion *\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-DUoq1qWbis?start=1317&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/1223500\/Umurangi_Generation\/\">Umurangi Generation<\/a> by Origame Digital<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes level design is not about communicating clearly but about hiding secrets in the environment (hidden object games, secret passages, Easter eggs&#8230;).<br \/>\nPhotography games (like photography itself) force the player to look at the world more carefully.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.blind-magazine.com\/stories\/the-imaginary-worlds-of-in-game-photography\/\">Game photography <\/a>and machinima further decouple the act of looking from the stated goals of a game.<\/p>\n<h3>Getting lost<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Oikospiel Book I FULL GAME || 100 Indie Classics #29\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5o9fjKL1Oww?start=5001&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.oikospiel.com\/\">Oikospiel Book 1<\/a> by David Kanaga<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s the biggest fear of every mainstream level designer (and mainstream gamer). Yet being lost in a virtual space can be powerful. Am I supposed to be here? Is this a bug? Is this the edge of the map? These are questions that break the &#8220;immersion&#8221; but maybe immersion not the only way to experience a virtual space.<\/p>\n<h3>Reaching a boundary<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"XT Mood Play: Bient\u00f4t l&#039;\u00e9t\u00e9 (Tale of Tales Games #5) [1080p]\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Wg-2ewZ-TfA?start=3222&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tale-of-tales.com\/bientotlete\/\">Bient\u00f4t l&#8217;\u00e9t\u00e9<\/a> by Tale of Tales<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.molleindustria.org\/blog\/invisible-walls-puffy-clouds\/\">Artificial spaces have limits,<\/a> and hiding the end of a level is a primary concern of a level designer.<br \/>\nGames are often set in islands, valleys, or other self enclosed environments to take advantage of their natural boundaries. Sometimes the border is an invisible wall or, in student games, an endless drop into the void. Boundaries can be meaningful and integrated in the story.<\/p>\n<h3>Not reaching a boundary<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Interminal Indie Game\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/onAegQEzQUg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nothke.itch.io\/interminal\">Interminal<\/a> by Ivan Notaro\u0161<\/p>\n<p>Procedurally generated spaces may not have boundaries, and that can be unsettling too because it reminds us of the infinity of the universe.<\/p>\n<h3>Moving in three dimensions<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gameplay from Mirror Drop\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UNRlq_cGCb8?start=34&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/845270\/Mirror_Drop\/\">Mirror Drop<\/a> by Ian Lilley<\/p>\n<p>Most 3D games have a predominantly 2D logic because we are puny creature forced by gravity to crawl on horizontal surfaces. A few games, typically set in space, allow you to actually operate in all 3 dimensions. When combined with a lack of horizon this can be very disorienting.<\/p>\n<h3>Traversing a soundscape<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Proteus (No Commentary)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BMQfCMIk4F0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/219680\/Proteus\/\">Proteus<\/a> by Ed Key and David Kanaga<\/p>\n<p>Sound is a powerful and relatively cheap way way to characterize a space.<br \/>\nAlso,\u00a0 spatializing sound with a modern game engine is very easy.<\/p>\n<h3>Being trapped<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Beginner&#039;s Guide FULL NO COMMENTARY WALKTHROUGH GAMEPLAY &quot;The Beginner&#039;s Guide Walkthrough&quot;\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bswgQg-F3QE?start=926&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thebeginnersgui.de\/\">The Beginner&#8217;s Guide<\/a> by Davey Wreden<\/p>\n<p>Denial of agency is the greatest affront to a player.<br \/>\nBut then cutscenes can &#8220;trap&#8221; you for minutes, so it&#8217;s about setting expectations and making the prison time valuable.<\/p>\n<h3>Ascending<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Songs of the Lost \u2728 by PALGAL \u2728 playthrough\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5dVdGJBQHRE?start=449&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/palgal.itch.io\/songsofthelost\">Songs of the lost<\/a> &#8211; Paloma Dawkins Jlin and collab<\/p>\n<p>Moving upward toward heaven or to VIP floor of the club. Meaning can be embedded in a level verticality.<\/p>\n<h3>Traversing high places<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"THE LAST GUARDIAN | FULL Gameplay Walkthrough (no commentary) PS4\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o4RYTFz1DnQ?start=8567&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The fear of heights translates well in 3D environments and putting players in dangerous situations can be emotionally powerful. But beware: if the danger is too &#8220;real&#8221; and the player keeps &#8220;dying&#8221; there will be less <em>gravitas<\/em> associated to the event. Invisible walls and control aids may be necessary to provide a sense of peril without the frustration of falling over and over.<\/p>\n<h3>Floating<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Promesa Gameplay (PC Game)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EyMRvoN-YK4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.julian-pg.com\/promesa.html\">Promesa<\/a> &#8211; Julian Palacios<\/p>\n<p>Consider the game feel of your control system and how your environment accommodates for it.<br \/>\nA first person perspective can be grounded with heavy footsteps and head bobbing, or disembodied and ghostlike.<\/p>\n<h3>Gliding<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SABLE Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 - The Ceremony [No Commentary] [PC]\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uK7X9yJt6_4?start=2167&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/757310\/Sable\/\">Sable<\/a> by Shedworks<\/p>\n<p>Gliding is a mechanic but also a factor in the organization of a level. Gliding makes a vertical level feel less dangerous: the nice feeling of reaching new places, and traversing long distances effortlessly&#8230; the reward of a difficult climbing session.<\/p>\n<h3>Falling<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Manifold Garden - Full Game Playthrough (No Commentary)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GWoRHz-Ri7c?start=7215&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/manifold.garden\/#home\">Manifold Garden<\/a> by William Chyr<\/p>\n<p>Generally associated with death, damage, or narrative turning points.<\/p>\n<h3>Descending<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"D\u00e9panneur Nocturne (100% All Achievements Unlocked, Full Playthrough, No Commentary)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hPnnEBDHpJs?start=485&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-op.itch.io\/dep-nocturne\">D\u00e9panneur nocturne<\/a> by ko-op mode<\/p>\n<p>Descending to a lower level is a trope in dungeon crawling games. Lower into the ground is closer to hell, harder and scarier. However movies like Parasite or Us present more symbolically complex kinds of underworlds.<\/p>\n<h3>Traveling across vast distances<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Outer Wilds - Full Game Playthrough &amp; True Ending (No Commentary)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zm3wkQ9BCC4?start=10733&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mobiusdigitalgames.com\/outer-wilds.html\">Outer Wilds<\/a> by\u00a0Mobius Digital<\/p>\n<p>While technically challenging, virtual spaces can be designed for different modes of movement such as vehicles or mounts. The visual sparsity or density of an area can give the player a clue to switch to a slower mode of transportation.<\/p>\n<h3>Entering a vast space<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dear Esther - Complete walkthrough (1080p, no commentary)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hlGdbziSwEY?start=1771&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechineseroom.co.uk\/games\/dear-esther\">Dear Esther<\/a> by The Chinese Room<\/p>\n<p>Conveying a sense of relief or wonder, especially after going through a narrow passage.<\/p>\n<h3>Destroying a place<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Indifferent Wonder of an Edible Place\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oXs_HBLXLVA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/studio-oleomingus.itch.io\/the-indifferent-wonder-of-an-edible-place\">The Indifferent Wonder Of An Edible Place,<\/a>\u00a0by Studio Oleomingus<\/p>\n<p>Destroyable environments are common in games but what does it mean to destroy a place?<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Indifferent Wonder of an Edible Place is a story about a building eater consuming a tower in a town condemned to be removed from history.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Deconstructing architecture<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"TEARDOWN Walkthrough Mission 8 HEAVY LIFTING ALL OBJECTIVES Part 7 [1080p 60fps]\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AErFpJPUCkc?start=156&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Also see: Artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=gordon+matta+clark&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS910US910&amp;hl=en&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsbV54lD2ZjzsNUAl1J5aYz4uwE8ew:1666219205028&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwitntWeru36AhVrF2IAHaM9BYwQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&amp;biw=1745&amp;bih=852&amp;dpr=1.1\">Gordon Matta Clark<\/a> anarchitecture<\/p>\n<p>Also see: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metamute.org\/editorial\/articles\/art-war-deleuze-guattari-debord-and-israeli-defence-force\">urban warfare by the Israeli Defense Forces<\/a> inspired by post-structuralist theory<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;During the battle soldiers moved within the city across hundreds of metres of \u2018overground tunnels\u2019 carved out through a dense and contiguous urban structure. &#8230; they used none of the city\u2019s streets, roads, alleys or courtyards, or any of the external doors, internal stairwells and windows, but moved horizontally through walls and vertically through holes blasted in ceilings and floors. This form of movement, described by the military as \u2018infestation\u2019, seeks to redefine inside as outside, and domestic interiors as thoroughfares. The IDF\u2019s strategy of \u2018walking through walls\u2019 involves a conception of the city as not just the site but also the very medium of warfare \u2013 a flexible, almost liquid medium that is forever contingent and in flux.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Transcending architecture<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"0N0W 0\u00b0N 0\u00b0W PC Gameplay Steam\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Q0u-GJPcEoY?start=86&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/colorfiction.itch.io\/0n0w\">0N0W<\/a> by colorfiction<\/p>\n<p>In 1991, when computer graphics and the Internet were still seen in a kind of virtual continuum, Marcos Novak imagine Liquid Architectures for the cyberspace.<br \/>\nHe imagined an architecture that tended to music.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf architecture is an extension of our bodies, shelter and actor for the fragile self, a liquid architecture is that self in the act of becoming its own changing shelter\u201d<br \/>\nMarcos Novak, \u201cLiquid Architectures in Cyberspace\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Interpreting a place<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Alien Caseno - A Super Fun Alien Re-Creation of a Human Casino!\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2z5dhlI3RpU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fisho.itch.io\/alien\">Alien Caseno<\/a> &#8211; Grace Bruxner<\/p>\n<p>What are the signifiers that make a space recognizable?<br \/>\nHow can you &#8220;communicate&#8221; a living room, a church, a casino with the least amount of details?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Recognizing a real place<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gameworkers and Guildworkers (2020 trailer)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Vo8KUBRUUck?start=1&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/spekwork.itch.io\/gameworkers-and-guildworkers\/devlog\/143399\/gameworkers-and-guildworkers\">Gameworkers and guildworkers<\/a> &#8211; by Spekwork<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to photogrammetry and ever-expanding asset stores is easy to recreate existing spaces in game engines. But with great specificity comes great responsibility.<br \/>\nNotre Dame is different from a generic fantasy church. Do you have a reason to reference a piece reality?<\/p>\n<h3>Noticing a change<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Anatomy (Full Playthrough + No Commentary)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k3doDGELrfo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kittyhorrorshow.itch.io\/anatomy\">Anatomy<\/a> by kitty horrorshow<\/p>\n<p>The built environment is not supposed to change, when it does it can be unsettling or a sign that time is passed and other entities acted upon it.<\/p>\n<h3>Feeling at home<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rainy Season - First Fifteen Minutes\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TLh_WrfokFU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/inasa.itch.io\/rainy-season\">Rainy Season<\/a> by Rainy Season by Inasa Fujio<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/projecthorseshoe.com\/reports\/featured\/ph17r3.htm\">How to create cozy games <\/a>is a hot topic in game development as the range of experiences in gaming expands from mere adrenaline-based tension and release loops. A cozy space can be a safe area you return to multiple times in a game, or an environment that evokes a feeling of domesticity and familiarity even if it&#8217;s new to the player.<\/p>\n<h3>Reading the environment<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"BIOSHOCK REMASTERED Full Game Walkthrough - No Commentary (#Bioshock Full Game) 2016\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nFjMkFwB1ck?start=602&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Narrative elements can be embedded into environments through various strategies: architecture, staging of props, signage etc. This is referred as environmental storytelling, and originates from story-rich shooters that needed to flesh out a scenario without continuously stopping the action for cutscenes.<\/p>\n<p>In action-adventure games, environmental storytelling typically answers the question <a href=\"http:\/\/www.worch.com\/files\/gdc\/What_Happened_Here_Web_Notes.pdf\">what happened here?:<\/a> something has gone terribly wrong so the level is infested by enemies that the player has to kill and there is no human to talk to (how convenient).<br \/>\nThe cliche&#8217; of environmental storytelling is the skeleton, which has <a href=\"https:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/memes\/environmental-storytelling-skeletons\">become a meme<\/a>.<br \/>\nCan environment storytelling convey more than catastrophes?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RwlnCn2EB9o&amp;ab_channel=GameMaker%27sToolkit\">More on environmental storytelling\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Reading objects<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gone Home (Full Playthrough, No Commentary)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SS5eQmRgBlY?start=779&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gonehome.com\/\">Gone home<\/a> by Fullbright<\/p>\n<p>Disseminating &#8220;lore&#8221; through spaces in the form of logs, letters, meaningful objects etc has been common practice in action-adventure games for a long time. It&#8217;s a way to provide optional story bits without forcing players into cutscenes.<br \/>\nWalking simulators (or wandering games) have turned this exposition technique into an artform.<\/p>\n<h3>Following NPCs<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"???? Even in Arcadia ???? PixelPop Trailer\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UjvuXtTs_xY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/plasticflower.itch.io\/arcadia\">Even in Arcadia<\/a> by Phoebe Shalloway<\/p>\n<p>Way too often Non-playing characters (NPCs) are just hanging out waiting for the player to arrive, like an information ATM. What if they had a behavior, a routine, and their own adventures?<br \/>\nIn games like Tacoma, Elsinore, and Even in Arcadia, the narrative space is organized around NPCs movements and conversations, following the lead of the critically acclaimed immersive play Sleep No More.<\/p>\n<h3>Assuming a different perspective<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What Remains Of Edith Finch - Full Game Walkthrough Gameplay &amp; Ending (No Commentary Longplay)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q-fj8PhdWeI?start=807&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/edithfinch.com\/\">What Remains of Edith Finch<\/a> by Giant Sparrow<\/p>\n<p>While it&#8217;s impossible to know <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/What_Is_It_Like_to_Be_a_Bat%3F\">what it is like to be a bat<\/a>, in games you can shift player perspective by playing with scale and movement system. Spaces have to be (re)designed accordingly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How can virtual spaces convey meaning and evoke emotional states? This is a set of building blocks for expressive level design. They are very abstract so you can take any of them and try to apply them to your project. Each comes with an example from a game you should definitely play. The titles are &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/a-pattern-language-for-expressive-environments\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;A Pattern Language for Expressive Environments&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-308","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":309,"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/308\/revisions\/309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/nomorevideogames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}