Conflict Without Combat
Although many critics of video games claim all games all super-violent, nothing could be further from the truth. For every Splatterhouse, there is a Braid. For every Manhunt, there is The Act. For every Mortal Kombat, there is a Katamari Damancy. In truth, the super-violent games are the exception, not the rule. And that’s not counting the hundreds of thousands of puzzle games, music games, sports games, adventure games, farming games … to name just a few. However, these games do need conflict. Programmer John Rose states that the cornerstone of conflict is tension … and release.9 Here are a few ways to interject some conflict into a game without a trigger being pulled or a punch being thrown:
- Timer—Whether you have to race against time to find a hidden object, assemble a puzzle, or drive a lap around a track, nothing gets the heart beating like a ticking clock. Make sure your clock allows players just enough time to get the task done...