Systemic & Emergent Games
An understanding of both system dynamics and gameplay dynamics fosters the development of systematic and emergent gameplay, creating distinct player experiences and interactions that shape how players engage with the game world.
Systematic Gameplay
Systemic games are designed so that individual systems influence one another, allowing for a dynamic interplay of mechanics. A notable example is the rain mechanic in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, where rain affects gameplay by making surfaces slippery, reducing visibility, and muffling Link's footsteps, thus facilitating stealth.
These games offer players a higher degree of experimentation and control compared to traditional designs. They create an environment where players can interact with systems in innovative ways, leading to richer experiences.
Player Agency
Systemic games enhance player agency by allowing players to make meaningful choices that influence their gameplay experience. This sense of control fosters deeper engagement and investment in the game world, as players feel their actions have significant consequences. As players experiment with different strategies, they engage in iterative learning, discovering the outcomes of their decisions and adapting their approaches accordingly.
Balance in Systemic Gameplay
Designers must strike a balance between providing structured gameplay and allowing for player-driven exploration. While systemic games offer players the freedom to experiment, excessive structure can limit creativity. Conversely, too much freedom may lead to a lack of direction. Achieving this balance is crucial for creating an engaging and dynamic game environment.
The following video from The Game Maker's Toolkit provides a quick overview of systemic game design and its mechanics.
Vid 1. The Rise of Systemic GameplayEmergent Gameplay
Emergent gameplay occurs when players have the freedom to explore game systems, leading to new and unexpected outcomes. This phenomenon is often driven by cultural trends, such as how online communities build narratives or develop in-game economies. Emergent gameplay allows players to engage in creative problem-solving, producing results that the game designers did not foresee.
Sandbox Games
Sandbox games exemplify emergent gameplay by allowing players significant creative freedom, often without predetermined goals or with player-defined objectives. This combination of flexible mechanics and player agency fosters emergent gameplay, where players can create their own experiences and solutions. In such environments, players can experiment with game systems, discovering unique interactions and narratives that evolve based on their choices.
Emergent Narrative
Emergent gameplay can create unique narratives shaped by player actions. Stories evolve organically based on interactions, resulting in personalized experiences that enhance player engagement and immersion. Players contribute to the narrative through their decisions, further enriching the gameplay experience.
Balance in Emergent Gameplay
Just as in systemic gameplay, achieving balance is essential in emergent gameplay. Designers need to provide enough structure to guide players while allowing them the freedom to explore and create. Too much structure can stifle creativity, while insufficient guidance may leave players feeling lost. By carefully designing game mechanics, creators can encourage exploration without sacrificing the overall player experience.
The following video from The Game Overanalyser categorizes different types of emergence, including strategic, systemic, and narrative emergence, enriching our understanding of these concepts.
Vid 2. How Designers Create EmergenceGameplay Considerations
As game designers strive to create engaging experiences, several key factors come into play that influence both systemic and emergent gameplay. Understanding these considerations helps developers create a richer gameplay environment that resonates with diverse player communities and enhances overall player engagement.
Creative Socio-Cultural Factors
Emergent gameplay is deeply intertwined with the social and cultural backgrounds of players, shaping their interactions with game systems and each other. Players bring their unique perspectives, experiences, and cultural influences into the gaming environment, which can lead to a rich tapestry of gameplay experiences. This diversity not only influences how players engage with the game mechanics but also impacts how they express creativity within the game world.
Systemic games allow players to explore mechanics in ways that reflect their personal creativity, leading to innovative solutions and strategies that the designers may not have anticipated. For instance, in a game like Minecraft, players utilize the building mechanics not just to achieve in-game goals but to create personal art, elaborate structures, or even functioning machines, transforming the game into a medium for creative expression. This blend of player agency and creative expression can generate emergent gameplay, where unexpected interactions and outcomes arise from the synergy of player creativity and game mechanics, fostering a deeper investment in their actions and outcomes.
Player communities also have the potential in shaping both systemic and emergent gameplay through collaboration and knowledge sharing. Online forums and social media platforms provide spaces for players to discuss strategies, share content, and showcase their creations. This communal exchange can lead to the development of new gameplay strategies and emergent mechanics, as players adapt their approaches based on shared experiences. For example, modding communities often create custom content that enhances systemic gameplay, allowing players to introduce new mechanics that can lead to unforeseen emergent gameplay scenarios.
Interactivity and Technology
Interactivity significantly influencing the emergence of both systemic and emergent experiences. Players interact with game systems in ways that can reveal new dynamics, allowing for exploration and experimentation. This interaction can take various forms, from manipulating game mechanics to crafting unique strategies, all of which enhance player engagement and investment in the game world.
In physical games, interactivity manifests through player engagement with tangible components and social dynamics. Board games like Pandemic or Codenames rely heavily on player interactions, decision-making, and strategic collaboration. The social aspect of these games can lead to emergent gameplay experiences, as players adapt their strategies based on their unique group dynamics and communication styles. Players might develop house rules or variations that alter the game's mechanics, fostering a sense of creativity and ownership over the gameplay experience.
In digital games, technological tools significantly enhance player interactions and their capacity to manipulate the game world, facilitating the creation of custom content and unique gameplay experiences. Building mechanics in games, such as those mentioned earlier in Minecraft and in titles like Skyrim, allow players to introduce new quests and mechanics, encouraging emergent gameplay where player creativity interacts dynamically with game systems. While designers may intend for these creative tools to generate unique experiences, they can also lead to unexpected outcomes. For instance, when players exploit glitches and shortcuts, such as in speedrunning, this can result in emergent gameplay that challenges the intended balance and mechanics. While these interactions enrich the community's understanding of systemic and emergent gameplay, they can create imbalances that affect overall gameplay experiences.
Technological advancements significantly enhance interactivity in physical games, with augmented reality (AR) creating new forms of player interaction and emergent gameplay. For example, Pokemon GO leverages AR to encourage players to explore real-world locations, blending digital gameplay with physical interaction. This interplay between digital and physical elements fosters unique emergent experiences as players navigate their surroundings and engage with one another in innovative ways.
Challenge Dynamics
Challenge can significantly influence both systemic and emergent experiences. In systemic gameplay, designers create structured challenges through rules and mechanics, guiding players to develop specific strategies and problem-solving approaches. Well-designed systemic games provide players opportunities to overcome challenges in unique ways, leveraging the systems at play. For example, in Far Cry, the enemy and animal systems allow players to utilize animals as distractions, letting them sneak past enemies while the latter focus on the attacking animal.
Emergent gameplay often arises from unexpected challenges that players encounter, shaped by the interactions between their creativity and the game mechanics. Escape rooms exemplify this, as players must solve various puzzles that require teamwork and innovative thinking. The unique challenges presented can lead players to think outside the box, adapt their strategies, and collaborate in unforeseen ways. As players navigate these challenges, they enrich their experiences and contribute to emergent dynamics that can alter the overall gameplay landscape.
Summary
Game designers should have a clear understanding of how the relationship between systemic and emergent gameplay enhances player experiences and interactions.
Systemic gameplay is characterized by interconnected mechanics that allow players to experiment and make meaningful choices, fostering a sense of agency. Designers must strike a balance between structure and player-driven exploration to create engaging experiences.
Emergent gameplay, on the other hand, arises from the creative freedom players have within game systems, leading to unexpected challenges and unique narratives. By examining examples from sandbox games and physical experiences like escape rooms, we see how player agency and socio-cultural factors shape gameplay. Furthermore, technological advancements, including augmented reality, enhance interactivity, opening up new avenues for creativity and emergent gameplay.