20 Design Mantras for Arkane's "Prey" (2017)

I recently discovered a great video from Game Informer where they visited Arkane studios, before Prey (2017) came out, and spoke to Ricardo Bare and Raphael Colantonio, and they explain these fantastic "20 design mantras" that they had printed up on the office walls.  

They relate specifically to games that are often called Immersive Sims, a genre that I'm very much into!

I had heard Harvey Smith talk about these mantras with Steve Gaynor on the awesome podcast Tone Control - Episode 19 (specifically around 1:05:10), about the development of Dishonored as well, and I was dying to see them.  So I was delighted to find this video which showed the ones from Prey, which I think probably overlap a lot with the Dishonored ones.

These are game design philosophies that I really want to include in my own work, so I wanted to write them up for easy reference here.  :)  I love the Looking Glass Studios approach to game design, especially the Thief games, and Arkane have been one of the strongest proponents of that style of game design.

So, without further ado... I've written up the 20 mantras below for easy reference.  You can see the images themselves underneath.

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20 Design Mantras for Immersive Sims

Multiple Paths
Sand box spaces with open ended circulation, multiple entry points, verticality, crawl space.

Well Integrated Puzzles
Plausible problems to solve, not gimmicky key-lock puzzles with only one solution.

Say yes to the player
If it occurs to players, and sounds like fun, let them do it.

Ecology
AI's interact with each other and the world in interesting ways that can be exploited by the player.

Dynamic Hazards
Environmental changes force players and enemies to adapt: Solar flares, depressurization, zero-g, creature populations.

Simulated World
The game world and entities exist independently of the player and behave according to consistent rules.

Space Dungeon
The player must survive in a hostile enclosed world.

Dramatic Setups
Mission settings, plot turns, characters and outcomes should feel highly dramatic.

Intentionality
Provide information about the situation and allow the player to formulate a plan.

Grounded Sci-fi
Near future environment should feel convincing and cohesive, a careful balance of the familiar with the marvellous.

Clarity
Clearly mark the world and allow the player to navigate.

Fuck Ladders
You'd just fall to your death anyway.

Improvisation
Players like to be clever.  Let them use game systems to experiment and form their own solutions.

Consequences
Player makes choices that have meaningful emotional or mechanical consequences.

Environmental Storytelling
Invite players to create stories through interpretation.

Object Density
The world feels crafted, rich with objects and interactivity, but not cluttered.

Break the Patterns
Players like to be surprised.  Avoid repetition in encounters and setups.

Mood
All elements should serve a signature emotional tone.

Reuse of Space
Let the player return to areas that evolve over time, building investment in the setting.

Specialisation
No character should be good at everything.

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Here are the original mantra posters, with text captions as well.



Multiple Paths
Sand box spaces with open ended circulation, multiple entry points, verticality, crawl space.



Well Integrated puzzles
Plausible problems to solve, not gimmicky key-lock puzzles with only one solution.



Say yes to the player
If it occurs to players, and sounds like fun, let them do it.



Ecology
AI's interact with each other and the world in interesting ways that can be exploited by the player.



Dynamic Hazards
Environmental changes force players and enemies to adapt: Solar flares, depressurization, zero-g, creature populations.



Simulated World
The game world and entities exist independently of the player and behave according to consistent rules.



Space Dungeon
The player must survive in a hostile enclosed world.



Dramatic Setups
Mission settings, plot turns, characters and outcomes should feel highly dramatic.



Intentionality
Provide information about the situation and allow the player to formulate a plan.



Grounded Sci-fi
Near future environment should feel convincing and cohesive, a careful balance of the familiar with the marvellous.



Clarity
Clearly mark the world and allow the player to navigate.



Fuck Ladders
You'd just fall to your death anyway.



Improvisation
Players like to be clever.  Let them use game systems to experiment and form their own solutions.



Consequences
Player makes choices that have meaningful emotional or mechanical consequences.



Environmental Storytelling
Invite players to create stories through interpretation.



Object Density
The world feels crafted, rich with objects and interactivity, but not cluttered.



Break the Patterns
Players like to be surprised.  Avoid repetition in encounters and setups.



Mood
All elements should serve a signature emotional tone.



Reuse of Space
Let the player return to areas that evolve over time, building investment in the setting.



Specialisation
No character should be good at everything.

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