{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-health-display","type":"mechanic","id":"game-mechanics--gm-health-display","lang":"en","title":"Health display","summary":"A health display shows how much damage a character can still take. Current and maximum values help the player judge the next risk.","updatedAt":"2026-10-21","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-health-display/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-health-display.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-health-display.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Game design techniques","Health","Visual indicators"],"sourceIds":["source-6034626a777665f9","source-fb92defc4b2ce429","source-aaa6c1c108824130","source-44b070b795a0e1a4","source-f0fc1555c3234ce6","source-1b6cd360b134bc81","source-3f053f5241b5aeb8","source-a95ad6fcb8165bd9","source-7f09c8a736762f4f"],"sources":[{"id":"source-6034626a777665f9","title":"Game Mechanics: Health display","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-fb92defc4b2ce429","title":"Mortal Kombat (1992)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/mortal-kombat","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-aaa6c1c108824130","title":"Doom (1993)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/doom","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-44b070b795a0e1a4","title":"Resident Evil 2 (1998)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/resident-evil-2","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-f0fc1555c3234ce6","title":"Trespasser (1998)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/trespasser","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-1b6cd360b134bc81","title":"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-3f053f5241b5aeb8","title":"Condemned: Criminal Origins (2006)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/condemned-criminal-origins","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-a95ad6fcb8165bd9","title":"Fallout: New Vegas (2010)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/fallout-new-vegas","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-7f09c8a736762f4f","title":"Slay the Spire","url":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"An interface presents remaining health as a readable indicator."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### How the technique works\n\n<a id=\"gm-health-display-rule\"></a>\n\n- An interface presents remaining health as a readable indicator. <a id=\"gm-health-display-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-health-display","title":"Game design techniques","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-health-display","categoryIds":["gm-category-health","gm-category-visual-indicators"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-21","title":"Health display","description":"A health display shows how much damage a character can still take. Current and maximum values help the player judge the next risk.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-battle.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Slay the Spire","sourceUrl":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/","originalUrl":"https://www.megacrit.com/images/ss8.jpg","credit":"Mega Crit","rights":"© Mega Crit. All rights reserved.","caption":"Health in combat","alt":"Slay the Spire: the hero and three enemies with numerical health bars underneath.","markers":[{"x":26,"y":71,"label":"Current and maximum player health"},{"x":70,"y":69,"label":"An enemy’s remaining health"}]},"tips":["Update the bar immediately after health changes.","Use shape or numbers as well as color."],"examples":[{"title":"Slay the Spire","url":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/"}]}},"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"}}