Synchronous Gameplay

Games in which all players' game and play sessions overlap with each other in time.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Anti-Examples

optional

Using the pattern

Synchronous Gameplay is typically either part of a game design to support Togetherness or simply a practical consequence of handling Excise in Self-Facilitated Games while at the same time letting players observe each other to mitigate risks of errors or cheating. While quite obviously Dedicated Game Facilitators are not needed in the latter case, in the former it may be necessary if only to postpone the start of gameplay until everyone is present and to synchronize eventual Game Pauses.

Can Be Modulated By

Communication Channels, Real-Time Games, Tick-Based Games, Turn-Based Games

Narration Aspects

Synchronous Gameplay is incompatible with Turn Taking when turns do not support the players not having one from having gameplay.

Consequences

Synchronous Gameplay makes games become Multiplayer Games and one sense of judging how much of Multiplayer Games they are can be how much of the gameplay is synchronous.

Game Pauses

Can Instantiate

Downtime

Can Modulate

Social Interaction

Relations

Can Instantiate

Downtime, Multiplayer Games, Togetherness

Can Modulate

Social Interaction

Can Be Instantiated By

Dedicated Game Facilitators, Self-Facilitated Games

Can Be Modulated By

Communication Channels, Real-Time Games, Tick-Based Games, Turn-Based Games

Possible Closure Effects

-

Potentially Conflicting With

Turn Taking

History

An updated version of the pattern Synchronous Games that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design.

Acknowledgements

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