ABSTRACT
Sometimes a game just needs a little something more to bring it all together. You can have a well-crafted core mechanic that works as expected and still find playing the game to be a little lifeless, a little boring. For a designer, this can be vexing. Through iteration, you’ve given the core mechanic the proper constraints. The interaction plays as you envisioned it. The player can move straight through the game, accomplishing small goals which lead to winning the level or the game. Yet playing the game feels as if you’re painting by numbers and the game lacks a sense of tension. In cases like this, the game probably needs an additional mechanic, to add a different vector to the gameplay. By adding another vector, you offer a fork in the clear path through the game. The player can no longer simply proceed along the straight line toward the finish line without at least considering taking the other path. Done right, adding another vector adds tension and choice to the game and infuses it with more life.
