Conditional Passageways

Passageways in games that can only be moved through if certain conditions are met.

Many games have areas that players cannot access before fulfilling certain objectives or goals. Conditional Passageways are the places in the game worlds that provide the blockage and these may be literal blockages, like a pile of rocks blocking a tunnel, or be more abstract reasons why movement is not possible, e.g. a rocket that will not take off before it is repaired.

Examples

Many doors in the Doom, Far Cry, and Quake series cannot be opened before players have accessed the proper security cards. The Legend of Zelda series requires players to collect keys, defeat boss monsters or manipulate the environment in different ways to open doors. The Super Mario series requires players to collect stars to be able to enter more difficult levels and thereby guarantee that players have completed easier challenges before trying more difficult ones.

Adventure Games like Day of the Tentacle, the Leisure Suit Larry series, and the Zork series have meeting the requirements of Conditional Passageways as major part of their gameplay, although in many cases figuring out what the requirements are is the most difficult part.

Using the pattern

Not all Conditional Passageways need to be apparent as potential routes to new areas.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Gain Competence, Gain Ownership, Predetermined Story Structures, Privileged Movement, Safe Havens, Secret Areas, Smooth Learning Curves

with Vehicles

Balancing Effects

Can Modulate

Game Worlds, Levels, Movement, Vehicles

Can Be Instantiated By

Environmental Effects, One-Way Travel

Choke Points together with Enemies or Obstacles

Can Be Modulated By

Controllers, Inaccessible Areas, Switches, Teams, Tools, Vehicles

History

New pattern created in this wiki.

References

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