The distinguishing take-away most gamers take from memorable levels almost always seem to be new and unique feature that the level is centered around. What’s often overlooked though, is how the feature works, is presented in a compelling yet intuitive way. A specific approach that I am a big fan of is forcing the player to take part of the feature and see it in action in order to let the player progress. This can be very challenging to pull of, but incredibly rewarding if it works.
This topic has always interested me, and it's the focus of this blog post!

What I've found in games with this approach, is that the player is often met with an obstacle on a linear path that they overcome with help from the feature. This ensures the player will not only get to learn the feature, but also does it in an immersive and smooth way that compliments the experience. As opposed to telling the player the information or showing it in a cutscene, which, although necessary sometimes, could also be jarring and ruin the player agency.
INSIDE

The Shockwaves
We'll start by looking at Playdead's Inside which is praised for delivering a cinematic and immersive experience without ever taking control from the player.
Nearing the middle of the game, the player has to cross a bridge with powerful shockwaves firing off from the backdrop of the view, brutally destroying anyone in line-of-sight. By design, you will never see what or who fires the shockwaves, which puts the responsibility of showing how the shockwaves work to the designers.

How did they teach the shockwaves being lethal, and the timing of the interval?
The designers method of introducing the shockwave mechanic was by having a breakable crate on the player path. As the crate is too tall and blocks the narrow platform, the player can neither climb over or walk past it. The only way forward is to literally walk forward and push the crate past the wall, to which it then will be obliterated by the shockwave. In turn this not only clears the path for the player, but also brutally shows the consequences of exposing yourself to the shockwaves hiding in the fog.

Setting an example...
Additionally, the designers made sure the player wouldn’t be able to die to the shockwave without breaking the crate in the first shockwave. By utilizing the 6 second interval between each shockwave, the crate was made bigger and placed far enough away so that most players wouldn’t be able to fully push the box past the wall and risk expose themself.
Even when deliberately timing the box push to reach further than the wall, the box will be stopped by a crack in the floor, preventing the player from exposing themselves. This design decision ensures the player takes part in and learns the feature, and avoids the player getting frustrated by being killed by something they don’t understand.
LITTLE NIGHTMARES 2

The mannequins
The next game Little Nightmares 2 has a very similar approach but in a different order, instead letting the obstacle come to you.
The moving mannequins behave alot like the weeping angels from Dr.Who. Though since Little Nightmares 2 is a third-person side-scroller where players always have a fixed view of them, they only move when the room is dark and stop when the room is lit up. As a result, the lighting becomes part of the feature.

This part is deliberately added to communicate the connection between the mannequins and the light.
The first encounter with moving mannequins happens after dropping into the room via a One-Way Jump, forcing the player to approach the mannequin blocking the next room. For now it is harmless and the only other interactable object is the lever in the middle of the room. Pulling it causes the light to flicker, making the mannequin move closer and closer.

To capitalise on the horror theme, Little Nightmares 2 takes the approach further by giving the control to the player, yet still forces them to dangerously risk death.
It is only when the light turns off and becomes broken entirely that the player is prompted to take part in it. The mannequin will move towards you, which will in turn leave the entrance to the other room unblocked. Since you are slower than the mannequin, you’ll have to prevent it from getting to you by using your flashlight. Flashing it on the mannequin will make it stop and let you enter the next room safely.
HALF LIFE 2

The Barnacles
Half life 2 is already famous for it's elegant design, especially regarding it's unique features but not so much in how it can introduce them. There's many to choose from but here we'll investigate the monster called Barnacles and how it's integrated into the design of the chapter Route Kanal. This was shown to our class in a presentation by our former teacher Max Forsberg at The Game Assembly.
Though the same enemy appeared in Half-Life 1, this game was designed to reach a broader audience, so features like this, among many others, had to be made more accessible.

In the beginning you'll only observe the first few Barnacles eat up anything that touches their tongues. However they're still easily avoidable since it's in between combat but not yet the main focus. Therefore you'll already get a little familiar with them.

Before entering it's own dedicated area, you encounter a row of barrels blocking your path and your view in to the sewers. Since you're already in a small tunnel, the only way around them is to push one which inadvertedly makes it roll down the slippery hill.
Only afterwards can you notice the row of barnacles waiting at the end of the hill. But by that point it'll already be too late as the barrel will already be rolling towards the barnacles.

As a bonus the designers of Half-Life 2, decided to replicate the exact same set-piece, but with a small twist, while letting players feel smart.
After just turning around from sliding on the hill, you'll notice an exploding barrel with significantly more barnacles awaiting you at the next hill. By cleverly placing the second set-piece afterwards, the game allows players to explore a what-if scenario that takes the previous interaction further, giving them a sense of accomplishment as they figure it out.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Designing to this specific approach in introducting new features can be challenging, but as seen in the examples discussed in this blog, they can lead to powerful results that contribute to a memorable and immersive experience.
However, in some cases, a different solution may be more appropriate. For features that are more complex, a more detailed introduction might be needed, such as using text for narrative features or showing interact prompts for unique actions. This approach isn't necessarily bad; it has its place, as it encourages players to take a more active role and helps ensure they fully understand the mechanics. Thanks for reading!
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