{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-flashlight","type":"mechanic","id":"game-mechanics--gm-flashlight","lang":"en","title":"Flashlight","summary":"A portable directional light reveals part of a dark space. Turning the beam becomes a decision about where to look next.","updatedAt":"2026-10-21","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-flashlight/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-flashlight.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-flashlight.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Game design techniques","Immersion","Lights","Atmosphere"],"sourceIds":["source-4c5777f151eb0c21","source-a81993c251695ad9","source-c10c54b0d6b803c8","source-b06a46d3c170aef2","source-51db20ed82fe2a2f","source-28c3f32c67c4c3f6","source-0a031a39aeeef0d8"],"sources":[{"id":"source-4c5777f151eb0c21","title":"Game Mechanics: Flashlight","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/flashlight","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-a81993c251695ad9","title":"Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (2001)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/flashlight/game/alone-in-the-dark-the-new-nightmare","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-c10c54b0d6b803c8","title":"Half-Life 2 (2004)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/flashlight/game/half-life-2","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-b06a46d3c170aef2","title":"Doom 3 (2004)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/flashlight/game/doom-3","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-51db20ed82fe2a2f","title":"S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (2007)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/flashlight/game/stalker-shadow-of-chernobyl","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-28c3f32c67c4c3f6","title":"The Last of Us (2013)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/flashlight/game/the-last-of-us","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-0a031a39aeeef0d8","title":"Deep Rock Galactic","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/548430/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"A carried directional light reveals part of a dark space."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### How the technique works\n\n<a id=\"gm-flashlight-rule\"></a>\n\n- A carried directional light reveals part of a dark space. <a id=\"gm-flashlight-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-flashlight","title":"Game design techniques","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-flashlight","categoryIds":["gm-category-immersion","gm-category-lights","gm-category-atmosphere"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-21","title":"Flashlight","description":"A portable directional light reveals part of a dark space. Turning the beam becomes a decision about where to look next.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/drg-zipline.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Deep Rock Galactic","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/548430/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/548430/ss_3fff97072bf18e192b0bc99f59209d357c62d624.1920x1080.jpg?t=1792497307","credit":"Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing","rights":"© Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing. All rights reserved.","caption":"Headlamps illuminate the cavern","alt":"Deep Rock Galactic: dwarves on a zipline cast directional cones of light from their headlamps into a dark cavern.","markers":[{"x":48,"y":37,"label":"A cone of portable light"},{"x":77,"y":26,"label":"Darkness outside the beam"}]},"tips":["Keep the route minimally readable outside the beam.","Check glare and contrast when the light faces a nearby surface."],"examples":[{"title":"Deep Rock Galactic","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/548430/"}]}},"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"}}