Feelies

Physical props that are shipped with the games to strengthen the game experience.

Games are typically designed to provide a certain type of experience regarding the game world or gameplay. One way this can be supported outside the game itself is through various props, Feelies, shipped with the games.

Wikipedia has a page describing feelies and GiantBomb has a list of games with Feelies.

Examples

Feelies were most common in Infocom games such as Planetfall and the Zork series. However, they are also packaged with some collector's editions of games, e.g. Dead Rising 2 and the Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Edition.

Using the pattern

The main design challenges associated with Feelies is the physical design of them but designing Feelies also have diegetic and narration aspects.

Red Herrings Clues Diegetic Consistency Thematic Consistency Diegetically Outstanding Features Transmedia Games

Consequences

Feelies are basically a type of Props that exist outside the main medium of a game. While many times Feelies simply provide extra experiential value to a game, they sometimes also can help gameplay. One example of this is the map of the Underground Empire shipped together with Zork I which gives some hints to players.

Feelies can arguably be said to provide Extra-Game Broadcasting when they depict events that have taken place in the game world, e.g. the diary provided with Planetfall.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Extra-Game Broadcasting, Props

Can Modulate

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Can Be Instantiated By

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Can Be Modulated By

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Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

New pattern created in this wiki.

References

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Acknowledgements

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