There are four categories of mechanics: QUANTITY, SPATIAL, STATE, and ACTION.

During our first brainstorming session – and thanks to the contributors that participated – we identified a few broad and hyper-focused mechanics.

Here are the results:

Hyper-focused mechanics:

• Grappling Hook (ACTION)
• Sliding & Slipping (STATE) [REJECTED]*
• Constant Movement (QUANTITY)
• Sticking to Walls (SPATIAL) [REJECTED]*
• Stamina Management (QUANTITY)
• Photography & Camera (ACTION)

Broader, game-defining mechanics:

• Object/Environment Manipulation – physics-based or coding-based (SPATIAL, STATE, ACTION)
• Precision/Speed Platforming (QUANTITY, STATE, ACTION)
• Time Manipulation (QUANTITY, SPATIAL, STATE, ACTION)
• Fast-paced/Arcade Combat (STATE, ACTION)

*Rejected because they are too restrictive.

A few of these, I’ve added myself.

Essentially, the hyper-focused mechanics can exist (however un-ideal it may be) in only one mechanic category and have the potential of being refined and expanded inwards into other categories. For example:

Grappling Hook can be expanded into QUANTITY by limiting its usage, into SPATIAL by hooking objects or the environment towards or away from you, and into STATE by differing rules when swinging, having different hook types with different effects, and activating objects with the hook. While these new mechanics can not stand on their own, they provide the base Grappling Hook mechanic with a lot more depth.

The broader mechanics, on the other hand, can not be contained within a single category and need to bleed into others for them to make sense. Those mechanics don’t mean much on their own, but with additional mechanics and refinement, they can serve as a foundation and grow outwards into completely different mechanics, therefore having a lot of potential. For example:

Precision/Speed platforming can easily be accompanied by a stamina management system, a constant movement requirement, and even the grappling hook to provide more fluid traversal and more intense speed-running gameplay.

The new mechanics that were tacked-on make sense on their own, but they support and reinforce the base Precision/Speed Platforming mechanic.

Since we are building a game in only one year, I’ve decided to bring your attention towards the hyper-focused mechanics, as those are easier to rein in if they get out of hand and any additional supporting mechanics can easily be cut without making too big an impact. Basically: Hyper-focused mechanics are narrow, but deep, while broader mechanics are shallow, but wide.

As such, here is the new poll:

AROUND WHICH CORE GAMEPLAY MECHANIC SHOULD WE BUILD THE GAME?

• GRAPPLING HOOK
• CONSTANT MOVEMENT
• STAMINA MANAGEMENT
• PHOTOGRAPHY & CAMERA

However, just because we are building on one of these as the core mechanic, does not mean we can not steal some ideas from the broader mechanics suggested! For example, we can build a game around photography and still have object manipulation, or a game around stamina management and still have some arcade combat. Deciding on the core mechanic simply means that, moving forward, every new mechanic and system we build has to expand, support, or strengthen the core mechanic.

BONUS:

Here’s a chart showing the expansion potential of each hyper-focused mechanic:

And here’s a chart that shows what categories each suggested broad mechanic falls under: