How can game developers balance mechanics to create mystery?

1 Define the scope of mystery

The first step to balance mechanics to create mystery is to define the scope of mystery in your game. This means deciding what aspects of the game world, story, characters, or gameplay are mysterious, and how much information you want to reveal to the players. The scope of mystery can vary depending on the genre, theme, and tone of your game. For example, a horror game might have a high scope of mystery, as the players are constantly in the dark about the threats and secrets of the environment. A puzzle game might have a low scope of mystery, as the players are given clear clues and feedback about the solutions and outcomes. The scope of mystery can also change throughout the game, as the players progress and uncover more details.

3 Adjust the difficulty and feedback

The final step to balance mechanics to create mystery is to adjust the difficulty and feedback of your game. This means setting the level of challenge and the amount of guidance that your game provides to the players. The difficulty and feedback can affect how the players perceive and respond to the mystery, and how satisfied they feel when they solve it. For example, if you want to create a game with a high difficulty and low feedback, you might use mechanics such as permadeath, randomization, or ambiguity. These mechanics can make the game more unpredictable, risky, or open-ended, and force the players to rely on their own skills, intuition, or interpretation. However, this can also frustrate or confuse some players, and make them lose interest or give up. On the other hand, if you want to create a game with a low difficulty and high feedback, you might use mechanics such as hints, checkpoints, or tutorials. These mechanics can make the game more accessible, forgiving, or instructive, and help the players to overcome obstacles, learn the rules, or follow the story. However, this can also reduce the challenge or the mystery, and make the game too easy or predictable.