Varied Gameplay

Variation in gameplay for a game, either within a single play session or between different play sessions.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Torchlight

Nomic

GURPS

Using the pattern

There are two main categories of Varied Gameplay: that which is varied between game instances and that which is varied within game instances. A game can of course aspire to provide both.

Asymmetric Abilities, Asymmetric Goals, and Asymmetric Starting Conditions typically provide Varied Gameplay between game instances through giving players different Abilities or Resources each time they play (limited by the number of different Abilities and Resources). This can be packaged as Asymmetric Roles and in Multiplayer Games this can take the form of Functional Roles.

During game instances Varied Gameplay can

Can Be Instantiated By

Ability Losses, AI Players, Alien Space Bats, Asymmetric Resource Distribution, Backtracking Levels, Back-to-Back Game Sessions, Competence Areas, Complex Gameplay, Construction/Scoring Phase Shift, Converters, Cooldown, Dynamic Alliances, Environmental Effects, Ephemeral Goals, Evolving Rule Sets, Execution Phases, Flanking Routes, Freedom of Choice, Incompatible Goals, Internal Conflicts, Internal Rivalry, Minigames, New Abilities, Levels, Orthogonal Differentiation, Planning Phases, Polyathlons, Privileged Movement, Procedurally Generated Game Worlds, Producer-Consumer, Reconfigurable Game Worlds, Replayability, Selectable Sets of Goals, Sidegrades, Skills, Social Roles, Temporary Abilities, Tile-Laying, Transfer of Control, Units, Varying Rule Sets, Vehicles, Vision Modes, Vulnerabilities

Abstract Player Construct Development together with New Abilities or Privileged Abilities

Achilles' Heels together with Enemies

Boss Monsters together with Privileged Abilities

Character Development together with Improved Abilities or New Abilities

Game Worlds together with Player Constructed Worlds

Geometric Progression together with Negative Feedback Loops

Open Destiny together with Limited Set of Actions

Persistent Game Worlds together with Construction or Creative Control

Randomness together with Enemies, Ephemeral Goals, Game Worlds, Levels, or Quests

Strategic Planning together with Replayability

Weapons together with New Abilities

Potentially Conflicting With

Camping, Entrenching Gameplay, No-Ops, Quick Games, Sensory-Motoric Engrossment, Symmetric Resource Distribution

Can Be Modulated By

Diminishing Returns, Internal Rivalry, Supporting Goals, Testing Achievements

Consequences

Varied Gameplay can make games have Challenging Gameplay since players need to be able to handle shifting contexts (besides how challenging the actual activities are). This naturally affect how easy it is to haveGameplay Mastery of such a game.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Challenging Gameplay

Can Modulate

Gameplay Mastery

Can Be Instantiated By

Ability Losses, AI Players, Alien Space Bats, Asymmetric Abilities, Asymmetric Goals, Asymmetric Resource Distribution, Asymmetric Roles, Asymmetric Starting Conditions, Backtracking Levels, Back-to-Back Game Sessions, Competence Areas, Complex Gameplay, Construction/Scoring Phase Shift, Converters, Cooldown, Dynamic Alliances, Environmental Effects, Ephemeral Goals, Evolving Rule Sets, Execution Phases, Flanking Routes, Freedom of Choice, Incompatible Goals, Internal Conflicts, Internal Rivalry, Minigames, New Abilities, Levels, Orthogonal Differentiation, Planning Phases, Polyathlons, Privileged Movement, Procedurally Generated Game Worlds, Producer-Consumer, Reconfigurable Game Worlds, Replayability, Selectable Sets of Goals, Sidegrades, Skills, Social Roles, Temporary Abilities, Tile-Laying, Transfer of Control, Units, Varying Rule Sets, Vehicles, Vision Modes, Vulnerabilities

Abstract Player Construct Development together with New Abilities or Privileged Abilities

Achilles' Heels together with Enemies

Boss Monsters together with Privileged Abilities

Character Development together with Improved Abilities or New Abilities

Functional Roles together with Multiplayer Games

Game Worlds together with Player Constructed Worlds

Geometric Progression together with Negative Feedback Loops

Open Destiny together with Limited Set of Actions

Persistent Game Worlds together with Construction or Creative Control

Randomness together with Enemies, Ephemeral Goals, Game Worlds, Levels, or Quests

Strategic Planning together with Replayability

Weapons together with New Abilities

Can Be Modulated By

Diminishing Returns, Internal Rivalry, Supporting Goals, Testing Achievements

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Camping, Entrenching Gameplay, No-Ops, Quick Games, Sensory-Motoric Engrossment, Symmetric Resource Distribution

History

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

Acknowledgements

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