Helplessness

Gameplay situations where players cannot themselves affect their situation.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Player in the Left 4 Dead series can become incapacitated by falling off ledges, being pinned by infected with special powers, or by simply receiving enough damage. When this occurs players cannot by themselves affect their fate, they have to be saved by other players.

Using the pattern

Extended Actions Multiplayer Games Delayed Reciprocity

Consequences

Helplessness quite easily creates Tension in players, and Anticipation either of being saved or in meeting ones fate.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Anticipation, Tension

History

An updated version of the pattern Helplessness first identified in the paper Exploring Aesthetic Gameplay Design Patterns – Camaraderie in Four Games.

Acknowledgements

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