Our next task was to add an additional genre into our game. After some discussion, we chose Adventure as our next genre. We were then instructed to do some research on the genre, specifically the game progression structure of it. Below are the findings from that research.
Adventure games are typically narrative-driven, having some sort of story to set the direction of the game, and create the game's structure. Puzzles are a common addition to adventure games, typically requiring solutions related to the narrative, or being a direct part of the narrative themselves.
Adventure games heavily include a lot of exploration, allowing the player to find hidden things, discover new puzzles, find new sections of the world or encounter new sections of the narrative.
Players typically progress via exploring and unlocking new sections of the world by completing specific puzzles, obtaining specific items or by defeating stronger enemies or bosses. Most, if not all, of the game's progression follows the narrative, escalating as the story goes on. It usually starts with the setup of all of the elements, establishing the context to the story, and introducing the basics of the game. This all starts escalating, and the story eventually reaches a climax, before the resolution of any conflict or tension, and the story and game ends. The difficulty of the game could steadily increase until the climax, where the resolution could be a final boss battle, or a final, extremely difficult puzzle.
The resolution could however just be the answers to questions that were asked in the story along the way, and thus closes any plot holes that may have been left behind.
To conclude, progression in adventure games is typically quite linear, as it follows the structure of the narrative. Completing specific puzzles, defeating certain bosses, collecting special items, or just finding new areas of the world are some of the ways players progress in adventure games.
Sources
https://staffwww.fullcoll.edu/dcraig/gamedesign/Adventure%20Games%202018.pdf
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