Principles for creating fun locomotion mechanics in games

Moving around in games is a full-fledged mechanic that not only allows you to change the location of the hero in space, but can also be fun. The movement gives a feeling of freedom, speed and personal mastery.

But there is no single formula for movement mechanics that would work equally well in different games – movement in Sunset Overdrive follows completely different rules than in Titanfall 2. However, in both games, movement mechanics are fun for users.

To learn how to create exciting movement mechanics, YouTube author Mark Brown, Game Maker’s Toolkit, analyzed several games. He chose titles in which movement is a full-fledged part of the gameplay, which greatly affects the user experience.

Movement system

The ability to combine different movements into a single chain. For example, in Super Mario Odyssey, the player can use long jump and dive sequentially to reach distant locations.

Using the environment as a movement tool. In Sunset Overdrive, the hero can jump off walls, ride on wires, swing on pipes. Thanks to this, the player begins to see the most diverse possible for movement, scattered throughout the game world.

Considering timings. In The Pathless, archery increases the movement speed of the character. In this case, it is important to wait for the maximum degree of tension of the bowstring and release the arrow at the right time. If you shoot too late, the arrow will not hit the target, and the character will not receive acceleration. This makes the gameplay rhythmic and forces the player to evaluate their abilities carefully.

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