Game Worlds

Fictive worlds in which gameplay takes place.

Many games explain the presences of game elements, possible actions, and goals through presenting the gameplay as taking place in a Game World. These are fictive worlds even if they are representing the real world since they are created and in several cases have no tangible presence. However, by relating to other fictional worlds (from literature, movies, or other games) and the real world they can help players understand the underlying structure of the game system and give meaning to the actions taking place during gameplay.

Examples

Even early abstract board games Chess, Go, and Stratego do have Game Worlds although with no detail to aspects not directly related to the gameplay (this can be seen in the ease which for example Chess can be given different themes). Other Board Games, e.g. Advanced Civilization, Advanced Squad Leader, Risk, Amun-Re, Origins: How We Became Human, Memoir '44, Ticket to Ride, and Pandemic, model the Game Worlds on the real world and use this to motivate some differences in connectivity, resources, and possible actions between different parts of them. Other games make use of fictive worlds, e.g. Elfenland or Risk: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition to base differences on other setups. Other games, e.g. Dominion and Race for the Galaxy, have descriptions of Game Worlds are part of their game components but the actual gameplay does not take place inside the worlds.

While so games require building of the Game Worlds before gameplay begins, e.g. Settlers of Catan or Mansions of Madness, others have the creation or destruction of the worlds as part of gameplay (e.g. Carcassonne and Hey! That's My Fish! respectively). Roleplaying games such as Dungeons and Dragons and Storytelling System typically start with the overarching structures and many minute details of Game Worlds being specified but these are then changed or added to as part of players' actions. Live Action Roleplaying Games such as Assassin, Conspiracy for Good, and Dragonbane have to take a basis in the real world for the creation of their fictional or fantastical settings.

Already early computer games such as Space Invaders contained Game Worlds. To make them larger, at least in the sense that one could theoretically travel infinitely in one direct, edges of the them could be linked together. Pac-Man did this for the horizontal axis (as does Civilization series, the Europa Universalis, and the Hearts of Iron series to the spherical shape of Earth). Asteroids does this wrapping for both horizontal and vertical axis, making it into a toroidal topology.

Other computer games made use of other design solutions to make the Game Worlds appear larger than they actually are. The Game World of Doom appears to be three dimensional even though movement is two-dimensional with a height component (i.e., this cannot be directly above or below each other). By using views of areas not reachable and mentions of areas through dialogue and video,, games such as Portal, the Dragon Age series, Super Mario series, the Half-Life series, and the Left 4 Dead series, present more parts of Game Worlds than are actually part of gameplay and can thereby give an illusion of a large world. The separation of the Game Worlds into different levels can help with this illusion as well since players can assume that travel has occurred in parts not shown.

This is not to say that Game Worlds cannot be large. The Elite series, Minecraft, Slaves to Armok II: Dwarf Fortress, and the Just Cause series make use of computer-based procedural generation to create Game Worlds which players are very unlikely to fully explore in any given game session. Minecraft and Slaves to Armok II: Dwarf Fortress (and NetHack) make use of this procedural generation to also allow players new worlds when they start new game instances. Examples of Game Worlds which are large but contain much handcrafted content include the Assassin's Creed series, the Fallout series, and the Grand Theft Auto series.

Not all games have Game Worlds: Rock-paper-scissors, Contract Bridge, Poker, and No Thanks are examples of games that have no need for Game Worlds.

Using the pattern

Designing Game Worlds consist of deciding what smaller elements (if any) they are created from, what size they are and how boundaries are handled, and what individual game elements exist in them. Inherently related to this is how players are supposed to perceive and interact with them. The following in most cases assumed that the Game Worlds are presented visually rather than through text (see Illocutionary Interfaces for more on this), or through the Storytelling and Roleplaying of Game Masters and players.

Regarding what they consist of, Game Worlds can be classified first into continuous and discrete. The Movement for players in continuous Game Worlds show be seemingly fluid and continuous (at least unless closely scrutinized) with miniatures wargames such as Warhammer Fantasy Battle and LARPs such as 1942 – Noen å stole på as clear examples. In discrete Game Worlds Movement or distances are measured in larger and noticeable steps, e.g. Chess and Frag, and are often made out of Tiles. This classification is not clear cut for computer-based Game Worlds since internally the positions and the environment are expressed in digital formats, and the importance of if games such as World of Warcraft or the Starcraft series belong to one category or another may only be important for discussion regarding gameplay which for some reason have high stakes. A second categorization regarding the consistency of Game Worlds concerns the main spatial relationships between their game elements; Basic categories include: linear (or 1D), reticular, 2D and 3D. These categories are orthogonal to the continuous and discrete dichotomy, creating eight basic categories (although the reticular-continuous category is slightly troublesome). Linear Game Worlds are those in which the movement can happen only in one or two directions, e.g. Backgammon and Ludo have linear Game Worlds. The Movement in reticular Game Worlds can happen only between connected nodes in a graph and the arrangement of different territories in Diplomacy, the Hearts of Iron series, Pandemic and many other strategy games are examples of this. 2-dimensional Game Worlds have Movement and positions restricted to a two-dimensional plane and the board in Chess and Pac-Man's Levels are examples of this (Go can be seen as being either reticular or 2D is this is somewhat abstract since there is no Movement in the game). The last category, 3-dimensional, is a simple extension of the previous one: here Movement and location is described through coordinates in the three dimensions. Games with 3D Game Worlds but limited movement in the vertical axis are common, e.g. the Just Cause series, Super Mario series, and Minecraft, while games with true 3D movement are less common (examples include Descent and the Elite series). The games with 3D Game Worlds but where things cannot co-exist on the same vertical axis are called 2.5D. Examples include the early version of the Quake series, Viewtiful Joe, and LittleBigPlanet. Pandemonium can be classified as being 2.5D also but as an alternative a 2-dimensional plane (or varying breadth) twisting in a 3D environment. These classifications are based on how Movement and positioning is done in Game Worlds rather than on the graphical representation of them. This means that, while a computer version of Chess may be rendered in full 3D it is still has a 2D Game World.

The size of Game Worlds can influence gameplay significantly. Having large worlds is one way to create Illusion of Open Space but Invisible Walls can work as well, and for sufficiently open worlds the latter may be needed even though they are likely to break Diegetic Consistency. Regardless, game designs need to consider how to handle the edges of the Game Worlds. One way is to avoid them through using Warp Zones, like for example the Civilization series and the Hearts of Iron series do to model the spherical nature of planets. Levels can be used to split Game Worlds into smaller chunks either to support Narration Structures or clearly let player clearly have Progress Indicators as they complete them. Game Worlds presented through Storytelling and Roleplaying can effectively be infinite in size they can be expanded as needed.

Categories of basic game elements that can be placed in Game Worlds include Alarms, Props, Obstacles, Environmental Effects, Game Items, Helpers, Installations, Resources and Resource Generators, Self-Service Kiosks, Traps as well as Vehicles (Invisible Walls are theoretically possible but typically only used to create the outer border of the Game Worlds). How players behave to these and thereby the Game Worlds as well can be influenced by modifying this in various ways, e.g. making them into Destructible Objects. The representation used for these and their placement can in turn be used to create Clues, Traces, and Environmental Storytelling. They can all be modified to be Diegetically Outstanding Features, and Landmarks such as Big Dumb Objects are game elements specifically used for this purpose, but parts of the Game Worlds themselves can become Diegetically Outstanding Features simply by changing the presentation locally. Diegetically Outstanding Features and Landmarks in the Game Worlds can help Game World Navigation but can also be used to draw attention to Red Herrings so that players are lured towards certain areas. Game State Indicators such as Geospatial Game Widgets are a special option to place in Game Worlds in that they are spatially located in the Game Worlds but are diegetically not present.

Game elements in Game Worlds that can be Agents are various types of Inhabitants, including the more specific Enemies and Non-Player Characters, although some of the latter may be actual more accurately described as Helpers if they are sessile. The use of Algorithmic Agents can be used to make the worlds less predictable and more "alive". Avatars and Units also belong to this category but they are typically not placed in the Game Worlds before game instances begin; instead they are placed in them through Construction or Game Element Insertion. Ghosts are Replays of previous players' actions in the game and can because of this be seen as a form of Geospatial Game Widgets for Agents of earlier game instances.

Abstract aspects of the Game Worlds, that is subsections of the actual space of the Game Worlds, include Goal Points, Inaccessible Areas, Safe Havens, Spawn Points, Resource Generators (since these can be immaterial besides being tangible game elements). Also include in this category are those parts of Game Worlds under dispute due to Area Control goals. Since all these do not have natural representations, the Game Worlds may need to be changed to have Diegetically Outstanding Features to show where they are. Characters are also abstract aspects of Game Worlds, so they modulate them through how they influence actions of Agents (or the Narration Structures). Related to Safe Havens, Private Game Spaces are worth noting here. These spaces, particular to Massively Single-Player Online Games such as FarmVille and Zombie Lane and some board games (e.g. Puerto Rico and Race for the Galaxy), can in one sense be said to describe the whole Game Worlds for their players but since other players can be allowed to do Visits (at least in the Massively Single-Player Online Games) the spaces can in another sense be said to be parts of larger Game Worlds.

All the game elements, including the abstract ones, can easily be used to create Asymmetric Starting Conditions for the players. This is especially easily done when Randomness is used to place the game elements, as for example done in Drakborgen, Forbidden Island, Minecraft, or NetHack.

Game Worlds typically imply Movement or Maneuvering through them, and all the game elements mentioned above can be used to affect this, especially Vehicles. The range of ways to design how players can move through Game Worlds can be used to create Races as well as goals of Exploration or Traverse. Movement discretely between parts of Game Worlds can be designed through dividing them into Levels or through providing Quick Travel within them. Quick Returns is often used together with Quick Travel to make Exploration and Traverse goals possible but avoid the Grinding travelling back can feel like. Movement between Game Worlds can arguably be designed through Visits to other players' Private Game Spaces, especially so when the effects of the Visits are not exactly shared but rather the actions or overall effort. Another type of travel between Game Worlds is that letting Player Characters in Roleplaying Games change campaigns (and Game Masters and this can happen regardless of a game's design. The however clashes with Diegetic Consistency.

There are several patterns that can be applied to control players information about Game Worlds. The choice of First-Person Views, Third-Person Views, or God Views is basic one about how players are supposed to get knowledge about the Game Worlds. The first option supports the use of a Detective Structure (and can be seen as a very literal use of Line of Sight) while the second one provide a limited form of Game State Overview since players can detect somewhat more than the Avatars or Units the view is tied to. God Views in turn offer the possibility of very good Game State Overviews but this is often countered by the use of Fog of War initially. This makes all options usually not provide players with complete access to whole Game Worlds, and this is often wanted by designers to allow the possibility of Easter Eggs, Secret Resources and to encourage Exploration. The restrictions of being able to perceive Game Worlds can of course be modified through various Privileged Abilities, e.g. commanders in Battlefield 2 can get Game State Overviews through doing scans in Secondary Interface Screens that temporarily locate all enemy units. For large Game Worlds, or Levels for that matter, Mini-maps can be necessary to locate oneself in them.

Populating the Game World with game elements can be done before gameplay begins or as part of how the Game Worlds evolve. Besides the effect of players' actions (e.g. Pottering), Irreversible Events, Storytelling and Ultra-Powerful Events can lead to the content in them being changed through Construction, Game Element Insertion, or Game Element Removal. Continuous Game element Insertion by the game system requires Resource Generators or Spawn Points, and these are likely to become Strategic Locations. The Game Worlds themselves can change through Shrinking Game Worlds, as found for example in Forbidden Island or Greed Corp, or have the potential to expand infinitely in the Player-Constructed Worlds (or perhaps Game Master-Constructed Worlds) possible in Roleplaying Games or text-based multi-user dungeons such as Kingdoms or DragonMud.

Another aspect of Game Worlds are how long they should last. Arbitrary Time Limits or diegetically easier to explain Shrinking Game Worlds can both be used to destroy or end Game Worlds after a certain amount of time, and by doing so gives games Time Limited Game Instances (gameplay can continue even if the Game Worlds end by using (Game Time Manipulation - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is an example of this). In contrast to this, Game Worlds can be Persistent Game Worlds, that is Game Worlds that exist independently of players' game sessions. This is a requirement for Drop-In/Drop-Out gameplay, and since Massively Multiplayer Online Games require this feature also a requirement these types of games. Related to this is if Game Worlds are Reconfigurable Game Worlds, which can be either before gameplay begins (e.g. Space Hulk) or during gameplay (e.g. Drachen Delta).

A final consideration is how updates the Game Worlds and maintains their states between play sessions. Unless players or Game Masters are to be burden with Excise in Self-Facilitated Games, Dedicated Game Facilitators are needed.

Diegetic Aspects

Game Worlds provide a basis for Spatial Engrossment but gameplay activities taking place "outside" the Game Worlds, e.g. Excise or manipulation of Characters or Inventories in Secondary Interface Screens, can distract from this. If Diegetic Consistency is not important, the use Alien Space Bats can allow greater freedom in the range and themes possible for both the actual environments and the game elements in them. Props are worth mentioning in relation to Diegetic Consistency since simply having too few Props may break the Diegetic Consistency or a world.

The use of Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences or Enforced Agent Behavior show two opposite ways of how the actions of Agents and Inhabitants of Game Worlds can be made to have Diegetic Consistency.

Narrative Aspects

Game Worlds provide a basis for Environmental Storytelling but other Narration Structures can create parts of Game Worlds that isn't part of gameplay at all. By using Cutscenes and Storytelling, games can provide backstories and hints of other parts of Game Worlds that may be important to setup conflicts or simple help provide an Illusion of Open Space.

Consequences

Game Worlds give players an Alternative Realities, and creates a foundation for a Diegetic Consistency, in which they can experience Engrossment through Spatial Engrossment, especially in games with First-Person Views. Those with sufficient Game State Overview can be used to create Alignment goals and these may spontaneously arise as well in these circumstances. They also provide an invitation for Emotional Engrossment related to their Inhabitants, as well as a basis for Roleplaying them. Game Worlds limit the area on which players have to focus the attention, and typically very intuitively limits the possible Movement (Movement and Maneuvering in turn modifies how Game Worlds are experienced).

Those Game Worlds which cannot completely be viewed at once by players encourage Exploration and especially so if players are aware of the presence but not location of Easter Eggs and Secret Resources. Those in which players need to move Avatars or Units very often spawn Traverse goals unless they have already been explicitly designed into the game (this might also happen in games about connecting flows of various kinds, e.g. steam in Cogs or "flooz" or goo in Pipe Mania).

Concentrations of certain game elements or the presence of uncommon ones in any areas of a Game World makes it likely that those areas become Strategic Locations. The presence of these can be Strategic Knowledge, significantly affect Player Balance, and encourage specific actions such as Camping.

When players (and Game Masters) actually create the building blocks of Game Worlds, these become Player Constructed Worlds. This can be done quite literally (e.g. Carcassonne), through many small actions (most often Pottering as found for example in FarmVille or Minecraft), through coding (e.g. DragonMud), or through Roleplaying and Storytelling (e.g. the Storytelling System or Basic Roleplaying). The types of games, and those using Game Worlds created with the help of Randomness (e.g. Minecraft) support Varied Gameplay and Replayability since game instances are very unlikely to have similar gameplay conditions.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Alternative Reality, Dedicated Game Facilitators, Diegetic Consistency, Emotional Engrossment, Environmental Storytelling, Exploration, Player Constructed Worlds, Races, Roleplaying, Spatial Engrossment, Traverse

with First-Person Views

Detective Structure

Game State Overview

Alignment

with Invisible Walls or Storytelling

Illusion of Open Space

Player Constructed Worlds or Randomness

Varied Gameplay, Replayability

with Resource Generators or Spawn Points

Strategic Locations

with Self-Facilitated Games

Excise

with Strategic Locations

Camping, Strategic Knowledge

with God Views or Third-Person Views

Game State Overview

with Time Limits or Shrinking Game Worlds

Time Limited Game Instances

Can Modulate

Maneuvering, Movement

Can Be Instantiated By

Game Masters, Illocutionary Interfaces, Levels, Roleplaying, Storytelling, Tiles

Can Be Modulated By

Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences, Alarms, Algorithmic Agents, Alien Space Bats, Asymmetric Starting Conditions, Avatars, Big Dumb Objects, Characters, Clues, Construction, Cutscenes, Destructible Objects, Diegetically Outstanding Features, Easter Eggs, Enemies, Enforced Agent Behavior, Environmental Effects, Exploration, First-Person Views, Game Element Insertion, Game Element Removal, Game Items, Game State Indicators, Geospatial Game Widgets, Ghosts, God Views, Helpers, Illusion of Open Space, Inaccessible Areas, Inhabitants, Installations, Invisible Walls, Irreversible Events, Landmarks, Mini-maps, Maneuvering, Movement, Non-Player Characters, Obstacles, Persistent Game Worlds, Player-Constructed Worlds, Pottering, Private Game Spaces, Props, Quick Returns, Quick Travel, Randomness, Reconfigurable Game Worlds, Red Herrings, Resource Generators, Resources, Safe Havens, Secret Resources, Self-Service Kiosks, Shrinking Game Worlds, Spawn Points, Storytelling, Third-Person Views, Time Limits, Traces, Traps, Ultra-Powerful Events, Units, Vehicles, Visits, Warp Zones

Possible Closure Effects

-

Potentially Conflicting With

Diegetic Consistency when Invisible Walls are present

Player Balance when Strategic Locations are present

History

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