{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-crawling-through-vents","type":"mechanic","id":"game-mechanics--gm-crawling-through-vents","lang":"en","title":"Crawling through vents","summary":"A low service passage provides an alternative route. Its restricted size changes the character’s posture, view and available actions.","updatedAt":"2026-10-21","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-crawling-through-vents/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-crawling-through-vents.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-crawling-through-vents.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Game design techniques","Movement"],"sourceIds":["source-ade69f27fd1704e8","source-fe8e9cfd2daa9ad7","source-fb69e578bb269181","source-0cda133de5c10966","source-02709f7ff0da8fe7","source-b2fbb336885cfd83","source-639d9bf35d44ac0a"],"sources":[{"id":"source-ade69f27fd1704e8","title":"Game Mechanics: Crawling through vents","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/crawling-through-vents","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-fe8e9cfd2daa9ad7","title":"Duke Nukem 3D (1996)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/crawling-through-vents/game/duke-nukem-3d","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-fb69e578bb269181","title":"Deus Ex (2000)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/crawling-through-vents/game/deus-ex","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-0cda133de5c10966","title":"Doom 3 (2004)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/crawling-through-vents/game/doom-3","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-02709f7ff0da8fe7","title":"Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/crawling-through-vents/game/tom-clancys-splinter-cell-chaos-theory","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-b2fbb336885cfd83","title":"F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin (2009)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/crawling-through-vents/game/f-e-a-r-2-project-origin","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-639d9bf35d44ac0a","title":"Outlast (2013)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/crawling-through-vents/game/outlast","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Ventilation ducts provide a confined alternative route through a level."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### How the technique works\n\n<a id=\"gm-crawling-through-vents-rule\"></a>\n\n- Ventilation ducts provide a confined alternative route through a level. <a id=\"gm-crawling-through-vents-definition\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"All 199 Game Mechanics entries at the check date: player actions, systems, presentation techniques and contested patterns. Entries are grouped by their first source-card category; all categories appear in their descriptions. Definitions use original wording. References link to game-specific galleries; images and videos remain at the source."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"game-mechanics","id":"gm-crawling-through-vents","title":"Game design techniques","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-crawling-through-vents","categoryIds":["gm-category-movement"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-21","title":"Crawling through vents","description":"A low service passage provides an alternative route. Its restricted size changes the character’s posture, view and available actions.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/splinter-cell-vent.webp","width":600,"height":366,"game":"Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005)","sourceUrl":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/crawling-through-vents","originalUrl":"https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/webm/splinter_cell_chaos_theory_vents.webm","sourceFrameSeconds":0.29,"credit":"Ubisoft Montréal; clip via GameMechanics.org","rights":"© respective game rights holders. Clip source: GameMechanics.org. All rights reserved.","caption":"Entering a ventilation passage","alt":"Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory: in night vision, Sam stands beneath a square ventilation opening in the wall.","markers":[{"x":49,"y":16,"label":"Entrance to the service passage"},{"x":51,"y":69,"label":"Character at the vent entrance"}]},"tips":["Keep the entrance discoverable while retaining a hidden-route feel.","Check corners, exits and camera placement inside the low passage."],"examples":[{"title":"Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/crawling-through-vents"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/game-mechanics"}}