u/aFewBitsShort

r/Inclusion r/disabledgamers r/metroidvania r/gamedesign r/IndieDev r/AssistiveTechnology r/gaming

What is your must-have metroidvania mechanic?

What elevates a MV from good to great?

I'm torn between "Every Weapon is a Tool" and "Sequence-Breaking".

Every Weapon is a Tool (all attacks/abilities/weapons can be used in combat/traversal and to pass ability gates. There are no "just a key" or "just a weapon" with no other use).

Sequence-Breaking (or multiple routes / able to mix up ability collection order / non-fixed progression path).

If I had to pick one I'd probably say Every Weapon is a Tool, especially when the tools are multi-purpose or the ability gates have multiple solutions.

What's yours?

reddit.com

u/aFewBitsShort — 10 days ago

▲ 26 r/disabledgamers+5 crossposts

Accessibility and Difficulty are not the same

Accessibility removes barriers. Difficulty creates challenges. Games can be accessible without becoming easier.

When designing a system in a game I ask myself:

“What exactly am I testing?”

Am I testing: Observation? Timing? Problem solving? Decision making? Mechanical skill?

Or accidentally testing: Visual acuity? Memory? Information overload? Ability to filter noise from signal?

Those aren’t necessarily the same thing.

A difficult challenge can be rewarding. An unnecessary barrier usually isn’t.

The goal of accessibility isn’t to remove challenge.

It’s to remove barriers that prevent players from engaging with the intended challenge.

I wrote a whole article on this:

https://afewbitsshort.com/can-games-be-accessible-without-being-easier/

But I'd like to hear your opinions as well.

u/aFewBitsShort — 10 days ago