Game Pauses

The suspense of progress of game time.

Games typically progress through a series of gameplay events, and in many games these events progress automatically. Game Pauses are intentional breaks in this flow of progress of gameplay events.

Examples

Left 4 Dead series

Anti-Examples

optional

Using the pattern

Game Pauses are introduced in games to interrupt the otherwise progress of game events occurring. This means that Game Pauses are typically introduced into games where this would automatically occur otherwise, i.e. Real-Time Games and Tick-Based Games. It can also be used to let players create their own natural break points in Unwinnable Games.

While Game Pauses in their most basic form simply is the halting of updates to a game state, some other patterns cause it. Cutscenes stops the game state from being updated while showing information to players while Save-Load Cycles not only stops updates to game states but replace the current game state with another. Turn-Based Games are often more easy to introduce Game Pauses in since it can be very clear between which turns a pause is done (and all players that did not have a turn just before the pause were likely to have some form of Downtime already). One way of modulating Game Pauses is to limit how long they can be, that is, connect Time Limits to them.

Entering Inventories often cause games to pause regarding everything but the actual manipulation of Game Items in the Inventories. This is basically a Game Pause applied to most of the game state, so the pattern can be seen as a way to modify how Inventories work.

Consequences

Game Pauses creates Downtime for players and provides time for them to engage in Stimulated Planning. This can provide Interruptibility but only strongly as long as it doesn't cause unwanted Downtime for other players; Game Pauses in Single-Player Games creates Drop-In/Drop-Out. The pattern also creates a simple (and weak) form of Game Time Manipulation.

When players themselves can trigger these Game Pauses, it provides them with Extra-Game Actions that give them the Freedom of Choice when to play (especially so for Single-Player Games). This opens up for Casual Gameplay, Negotiable Play Sessions, Social Adaptability, and Ubiquitous Gameplay. Game Pauses can help players not feel stressed by having to choose between different game actions, so the pattern can help promote Framed Freedom. Further, Game Pauses let players engage in Social Interaction if this is possible already and they wish to do so.

Game Pauses work against several other patterns. Its purpose is to interrupt The Show Must Go On and since pauses may let players take their focus away from gameplay it also works against Attention Demanding Gameplay and Tension. From this perspective it also works against Always Vulnerable and Time Limits but this is only true in that it lets players interrupt their experience of the gameplay these patterns cause (as they may have to begin dealing with them against when gameplay begins again).

Relations

Can Instantiate

Casual Gameplay, Downtime, Extra-Game Actions, Freedom of Choice, Game Time Manipulation, Negotiable Play Sessions, Interruptibility, Social Adaptability, Stimulated Planning, Ubiquitous Gameplay

with Single-Player Games

Drop-In/Drop-Out, Freedom of Choice

Can Modulate

Framed Freedom, Inventories, Real-Time Games, Social Interaction, Tick-Based Games, Unwinnable Games

Can Be Instantiated By

Cutscenes, Save-Load Cycles

Can Be Modulated By

Time Limits, Turn-Based Games

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Always Vulnerable, Attention Demanding Gameplay, Tension, The Show Must Go On, Time Limits

History

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

Acknowledgements

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