{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-terrain-deformation","type":"mechanic","id":"game-mechanics--gm-terrain-deformation","lang":"en","title":"Terrain deformation","summary":"Actions reshape the terrain, creating pits, passages and footholds. The altered surface affects what the player can do next.","updatedAt":"2026-10-21","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-terrain-deformation/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-terrain-deformation.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-terrain-deformation.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Game design techniques","World interactions"],"sourceIds":["source-407bd652108bee27","source-d33bd92599f51d0e","source-d0e84aec2e7ab9d6","source-da7d94407a9a620a","source-a80bc317834fee79","source-fc74289282acaca1","source-5441304ec5c4d11c","source-ca6b0895463b9f0e","source-1404171b36eceff2","source-0a031a39aeeef0d8"],"sources":[{"id":"source-407bd652108bee27","title":"Game Mechanics: Terrain deformation","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/terrain-deformation","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-d33bd92599f51d0e","title":"Call of Duty (2003)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/terrain-deformation/game/call-of-duty","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-d0e84aec2e7ab9d6","title":"Far Cry (2004)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/terrain-deformation/game/far-cry","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-da7d94407a9a620a","title":"Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (2008)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/terrain-deformation/game/mercenaries-2-world-in-flames","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-a80bc317834fee79","title":"MX vs. ATV Reflex (2009)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/terrain-deformation/game/mx-vs-atv-reflex","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-fc74289282acaca1","title":"Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (2010)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/terrain-deformation/game/battlefield-bad-company-2","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-5441304ec5c4d11c","title":"Off-Road Drive (2011)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/terrain-deformation/game/off-road-drive","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-ca6b0895463b9f0e","title":"SnowRunner (2021)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/terrain-deformation/game/snowrunner","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-1404171b36eceff2","title":"Enlisted (2024)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/terrain-deformation/game/enlisted","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":"Interactions alter the ground's shape during play."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### How the technique works\n\n<a id=\"gm-terrain-deformation-rule\"></a>\n\n- Interactions alter the ground's shape during play. <a id=\"gm-terrain-deformation-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-terrain-deformation","title":"Game design techniques","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-terrain-deformation","categoryIds":["gm-category-world-interactions"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-21","title":"Terrain deformation","description":"Actions reshape the terrain, creating pits, passages and footholds. The altered surface affects what the player can do next.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/drg-mining.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_82bae16c1411fad6a4a09c8c9f62cdf86bd6e8c9.1920x1080.jpg?t=1792497307","credit":"Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing","rights":"© Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing. All rights reserved.","caption":"Pickaxes reshape the rock","alt":"Deep Rock Galactic: two players strike the rock with pickaxes, sending golden chunks away from the wall.","markers":[{"x":49,"y":54,"label":"Rock being broken with pickaxes"},{"x":68,"y":34,"label":"The player’s tool"}]},"tips":["Update collisions together with the visible geometry.","Check that players can escape pits they create."],"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"}}