Game Mechanics: Undertale – Week 6

Choose a game: Undertale

What are the game mechanics? List them and describe how they work.

Mechanics:

move through world – joystick/wasd

• Move through the underground world by traveling from room to room and going in shops. This can also be used when in an attack and you need to move your attacks.

special attacks in attack mode

• Use your special attack/defense to get through attacks from other players

check/have inventory

• Use inventory items to help in attacks/your health when needed

talk to other players

• Talk to other players to get hints on how to continue through the game’s puzzles

buy/sell inventory items

• Buy items from other players to help your attack or sell items to get money

List 3 examples of feedback loops. Describe them.

1. Chatting to players

• Players can chat to get help/info from players
• They may have to answer questions from the player
  • They can get useful info for something the user didn’t know/info on how to pass a puzzle
  • Or they can just be left with no information
• The player may use whatever information they get from the players they chat with to continue advancing in the game.

2. Buy an item from a shop

• Players can go look through a shop and buy an item
  • The item costs money and the player decides which item to get through its specs
  • A player loses money from buying the item, but gains a tool to use in the game
• The tool can be used on themselves or given to other players they chat with

3. Attack another player

• Another player will initiate the attack with the user
  • If the user decides to attack, they must either defend themselves, use the player’s attack against them, or attack (depends on the player attacking the user)
  • The user will either give the other player damage or receive damage themselves
  • The more damage the other player receives, the easier it is to defeat them
  • Damage is displayed through health bars
• After an attack, the winner will be displayed
• The attack can help a user move forward through the game, or make them go in for another attack.

 

Discuss the relation between narrative and feedback loops.

• Game mechanics are the foundation of how a game works, and they are systems of rules that support the user in exploring their game world. Feedback loops lead the user to more information or lack of information about what they can/can’t do in the game’s world. The feedback from game mechanics’ systems help support and further the narrative in the game.