Endless/sandbox play versus level system
forklift
Member Posts: 386
Hey everyone, I just wanted to get a casual yet fairly deep conversation regarding endless/sandbox play versus a level system.
Obviously, we know that both ways of progressing the gameplay & difficulty work well and are well received. For instance, Angry Birds has somewhere in the ballpark of a metric crap-ton of levels, while Fruit Ninja is an endless style game that becomes progressively harder as time marches on.
Personally, I enjoy both styles for different reasons. The level system makes it easy to replay moments of the game that I truly enjoyed, while the endless style game is easier to pick up and play, because the increase of difficulty every second really draws me in and makes me not want to look away from the screen even for a moment.
Do you think certain styles of games lend themselves more to either of the two progression schemes or can any style be suited for both? I doubt Canabalt would have been as successful if it were level based, because it would have slowed the urgent pace of the game.
What are your thoughts?
*edit* Added Poll
Obviously, we know that both ways of progressing the gameplay & difficulty work well and are well received. For instance, Angry Birds has somewhere in the ballpark of a metric crap-ton of levels, while Fruit Ninja is an endless style game that becomes progressively harder as time marches on.
Personally, I enjoy both styles for different reasons. The level system makes it easy to replay moments of the game that I truly enjoyed, while the endless style game is easier to pick up and play, because the increase of difficulty every second really draws me in and makes me not want to look away from the screen even for a moment.
Do you think certain styles of games lend themselves more to either of the two progression schemes or can any style be suited for both? I doubt Canabalt would have been as successful if it were level based, because it would have slowed the urgent pace of the game.
What are your thoughts?
*edit* Added Poll
Comments
Tenrdrmer, if you could make some games endless, which ones would it be?
DL
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In what ways would it be possible to make a point and click adventure endless? Having some of the puzzles randomized or the item locations of certain hidden objects being randomized? Thoughts?
And
Hidden object games (yes they CAN be endless), are NOT a point&click adventure games. I have 16 years experience in adventure games, and I don't know any endless or sandbox adventure game. This is just impossible.
My issue is that I hate building levels. My fear is, is if I make a level that I myself can't beat or have difficulty with, I can't accurately test how the majority of gamers will tackle it or if it's beatable or if it's incredibly easy to beat and I just suck at it. There's a doodle game where you try and fit tetronimo pieces into particular shapes and each shape has a number of different combinations. Very awesome idea, but I would tear my hair out trying to figure out all the different types of combinations.
Endless play is easier to make, however, it's insanely easy to make something that becomes boring fast or does not increase in difficulty the way it should.
I was toying around with a 3rd idea which I posted about, but not many bothered to give thoguhts about it - a sandbox game or just basically scene where you can do whatever you want - like a mario game where you build a level first, then play on it or just watch enemies run into eachother, etc.
2. The increasing difficulty wasn't mapped out well.
3. Can be difficult to test
or
4. It's just too damn similar to numerous existing games that people already have.