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.
Contents
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
Feelies are a type of Props so the main design challenges associated with them are similar to those of Props in general except for the physical design of them. Since Feelies are extra elements provided specifically to provide additional experiences the diegetic and narration aspects of them, for example supporting Diegetic and Thematic Consistency, become even more important to them than to other game elements. One particular choice they offer is to give players Clues or to provide Red Herrings for them.
Maps can be used specifically to provide Feelies. Another option is to create Player Aids that have Thematic Consistency as well as Diegetic Consistency for its medium (not all Feelies are Player Aids since not all of them provide narrative or gameplay information).
Consequences
Feelies are basically a type of Props that exist outside the main medium of a game. By doing so they show the simplest way of creating Transmedia Games and their special status of being physical make them Diegetically Outstanding Features. They are typically design to support both Diegetic and Thematic Consistency.
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
Clues, Diegetic Consistency, Diegetically Outstanding Features, Extra-Game Broadcasting, Red Herrings, Thematic Consistency, Transmedia Games
Can Modulate
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Can Be Instantiated By
Player Aids together with Diegetic Consistency and Thematic Consistency
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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