Game State Overviews

Information provided to players that extends beyond the observational abilities provided by simply observing game elements.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Example: Most racing games, e. g., Mario Kart Double Dash!! and the Monkey Race party games in the Super Monkey Ball series, provide a small overhead map that shows the location of other players on the track.

Anti-Examples

optional

Using the pattern

Can Be Instantiated By

Auxiliary Game Screens, Cameras, Cutscenes, Dedicated Game Facilitators, Game State Indicators, Goal Indicators, God Views, Mini-maps, Narration Structures, Picture-in-Picture Views, Privileged Movement, Score Tracks, Scores, Third-Person Views

Bookkeeping Tokens together with Public Information

Game Worlds with God Views or Third-Person Views

Can Be Modulated By

Alarms, Outcome Indicators, Turn Taking

Potentially Conflicting With

Attention Swapping, Game World Navigation, Leaps of Faith, Limited Foresight, Memorizing, Reconnaissance, Surprises

Interface Aspects

Game State Overviews is an Interface Pattern.

Consequences

Can Instantiate

Cognitive Engrossment, Disruption of Focused Attention, Progress Indicators, Spectators, Speedending, Stimulated Planning, Strategic Knowledge, Races

with Game Worlds

Alignment

with Multiplayer Games and either Player Decided Results or Player-Decided Distributions

Balancing Effects

with Multiplayer Games and Turn-Based Games

Analysis Paralysis

Can Modulate

Area Control, Attention Swapping, Camping, Collaborative Actions, Extra-Game Actions, Fog of War, Game World Exploration, Game World Navigation, Identification, Memorizing, Movement, Multiplayer Games, Near Miss Indicators, Negotiation, Levels, Perceivable Margins, Perfect Information, Player Defined Goals, Preventing Goals, Public Information, Puzzle Solving, Races, Reconnaissance, Sniper Locations, Split-Screen Views, Tactical Planning, Traverse, Units

Relations

Can Instantiate

Cognitive Engrossment, Disruption of Focused Attention, Progress Indicators, Spectators, Speedending, Stimulated Planning, Strategic Knowledge, Races

with Game Worlds

Alignment

with Multiplayer Games and either Player Decided Results or Player-Decided Distributions

Balancing Effects

with Multiplayer Games and Turn-Based Games

Analysis Paralysis

Can Modulate

Area Control, Attention Swapping, Camping, Collaborative Actions, Extra-Game Actions, Fog of War, Game World Exploration, Game World Navigation, Identification, Memorizing, Movement, Multiplayer Games, Near Miss Indicators, Negotiation, Levels, Perceivable Margins, Perfect Information, Player Defined Goals, Preventing Goals, Public Information, Puzzle Solving, Races, Reconnaissance, Sniper Locations, Split-Screen Views, Tactical Planning, Traverse, Units

Can Be Instantiated By

Auxiliary Game Screens, Cameras, Cutscenes, Dedicated Game Facilitators, Game State Indicators, Goal Indicators, God Views, Mini-maps, Narration Structures, Picture-in-Picture Views, Privileged Movement, Score Tracks, Scores, Third-Person Views

Bookkeeping Tokens together with Public Information

Game Worlds with God Views or Third-Person Views

Can Be Modulated By

Alarms, Outcome Indicators, Turn Taking

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Attention Swapping, Game World Navigation, Leaps of Faith, Limited Foresight, Memorizing, Reconnaissance, Surprises

History

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

Acknowledgements

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