A Longer Progress Bar Does Not Create a Deeper Game

Every few months, you’ll see a post on Reddit or some other social media site comparing the size of video game maps, stacking up the likes of Skyrim against GTA V to show how the scope of their geography compares. And with each new generation of hardware and software, there’s a temptation to shout about how the games coming to market are bigger in every measurable way from their predecessors, whether in terms of map size or the potential permutations of weapon and gear combos that can be used.

Unfortunately for developers, scale does not equal depth or quality of gaming experience. Chasing this and equating bigger with better is a trap that many a triple-A title falls into. That’s not to say big games can’t be deep, of course, but rather that the things which give them this aspect aren’t always obvious.

Simplicity & Emergent Complexity

A good example of depth in gaming that stems from simplicity, yet delivers complexity through emergent interactions, comes from the Spelunky series, the brainchild of developer Derek Yu. The original and its HD remake are simple platformers on the surface, with the player having access to a whip attack along with ropes for mobility and bombs for scenery destruction and damage-dealing. There are only 4 areas, each broken into 4 levels, and speedrunners are able to beat the game in under 2 minutes.

So by most metrics, Spelunk is a ‘small’ game with simple gameplay. The depth, instead, comes from a combination of procedural level generation and the interaction of its player and non-player components.

Players can choose to collect gold and use it to buy items from shopkeepers to make their run easier. Alternatively, they can attack shopkeepers and steal the items, which then adds an angry shopkeeper as an enemy to every subsequent level. They can take their time and be methodical, or rush through with a teleporter and take a high-risk, high-reward approach to level completion. Player agency and emergent gameplay bring more depth than a sprawling map and endless grinding would deliver.

This risk-versus-reward gameplay, as well as simplicity and emergent complexity, are commonplace in iGaming as well. If you login to Tikal Casino, you’ll find a range of games that are simple to get the hang of, but offer surprising depth once you get familiar with their nuances.

Meaningful Upgrades

Another problem with games that go for scale over substance is that they often get upgrades and character leveling wrong. Being able to make progress and get rewarded for persistent play with new levels and more powers makes sense. But if this doesn’t have much meaning in the wider context of the game and you end up overpowered, rendering the later stages trivial, then it makes the experience bland.

Upgrades and leveling rewards should therefore focus on changing how a player engages with the game, rather than just turning them into an all-powerful being. The Dark Souls series does a good job of this with many of its equipment design choices. The Ring of Favor and Protection from the original is a good example, as it offers significant player perks for being used, but will break if it’s ever removed, meaning putting it on effectively fills one ring slot permanently. Players have to think strategically about how equipment gets used and even adjust their play style to make the most of powerful gear.

So, in short, having a big map or a long progress bar with lots of levels and missions available should not be the only design goal of any game. A lot more can be achieved with simpler mechanics and smaller-scale worlds so long as there’s the potential for emergent complexity and meaningful upgrades within them.