Studying Chain Reactions
What I discovered in looking at games that have a chain reaction mechanic is that many games use this mechanic literally. I would assume that many people are familiar with Dominoes (1). In this game the chain reaction is the whole game. Each player places a domino on the table and the next player will react to what has been put on the table. Scrabble (2) works this way also. On the table top there is also a game actually titled, Chain Reaction (3).
Dominoes, Scrabble, and The Manhattan Project: Chain Reaction, respectively.
In video games I found more literal chain reactions in The Incredible Machine (4), Boom Blox (5), and Lemmings (6). The Incredible Machine is a series of video games in which players create a series of Rube Goldberg devices to solve puzzles. Boom Blox is a puzzle video game by Electronic Arts that was developed by EA Los Angeles and directed by filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Lemmings’ objective is to guide a group of anthropomorphized lemmings through a number of obstacles to a designated exit.
The Incredible Machine, Boom Blox, and Lemmings, respectively
Each of these games has a certain draw to them because of the promise that chain reaction mechanics bring to the play experience. They are very fun to play and they have is an easy entry point into the game. we all understand these literal chain reaction games easily and there is almost no learning curve. The barrier to entry into the game is almost non-existent. But…. this literal chain reaction will not do it for My Child’s Eyes (working title). I need something more metaphorical. I have always been a fan of the indie game studio 2D Boy because they exist in between the literal and metaphorical with their game World of Goo (7) .
These images show how the player manipulates the goo balls (people) to reach the goal. The goal is abstract and as the goo balls are sucked into the pipe the structure will fall apart behind them.
The main objective of World of Goo is to get a number of goo balls to a pipe designed to be the exit of the level. The player must use the goo balls to construct bridges, towers, and other structures to overcome gravity and various terrain difficulties such as chasms, hills, spikes, windmills, or cliffs. There are several types of goo balls in the game, each of which has unique properties. The player must exploit combinations of these goo balls, which all have eyes - so they are humanized, in order to complete each level. It is a metaphor for how corporations exploit individual workers to meet their goals.
I then delved deeper into chain reactions. I was thinking that perhaps there was something out there that I had not seen before. A game that really pushed the chain reaction game mechanic. I was not disappointed.
Gorogoa is a puzzle video game developed by Jason Roberts and published by Annapurna Interactive in 2017.
I found Gorogoa (8) and I was stunned. I had to buy it and play it. This game really uses visual metaphor to tell a story and it is gorgeous. The developer built on the tile sliding games that we have all played as children and used this chain reaction mechanic to deliver the story. “The original gameplay of Gorogoa involves arranging pictures around the panel and interacting with them to form a cohesive narrative. Find 5 fruits and fill them with unique colors to uncover the … journey of the boy as he grows older and more mature with time.” (9)
OK - I just have to stop there. I have too much in my design mind-space right now to continue.
See you in the next entry after I process this game.
(1) How to play Dominoes for those who have not played it in a while: https://youtu.be/NqV3xioFR4w
(2) A free place to play it! https://playscrabble.com/
(3) Here is a Chain Reaction game that is themed with the Manhattan Project. https://youtu.be/t7E7WnTIgEA
(4) The Incredible Machine was first released in 1993 and was designed by Hideki Kamiya. It has been published by Dynamix, Sierra Entertainment, Capcom, Soft Club, and Cybelle. https://youtu.be/5yOS5gDmal0
(5) Boom Blox was first released in 2008 for the Wii and N-Gage https://youtu.be/KSSYbvTt0VY
(6) Lemmings was originally developed by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis for the Amiga in 1991. https://youtu.be/N6DfGKfVWPs
(7) Released in 2008, World of Goo was designed and developed by Ron Carmel, Kyle Gabler, and Allan Blomquist. https://store.steampowered.com/app/22000/World_of_Goo/
(8) Gorogoa is an elegant evolution of the puzzle genre, told through a beautifully hand-drawn story designed and illustrated by Jason Roberts. Winner of Debut Game at the 2018 BAFTA Games Awards, as well as Best Mobile Game and the Innovation Award at the GDC 2018 Choice Awards. https://store.steampowered.com/app/557600/Gorogoa/
(9) Shout out to Chetan Shekar for writing this article. https://gamerant.com/beginner-tips-gorogoa/
