{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/horror-tension--t215","type":"mechanic","id":"horror-tension--t215","lang":"en","title":"Sanctuaries, respite and tension cycles","summary":"Respite reduces immediate risk and restores planning time; leaving safety reintroduces uncertainty.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/horror-tension--t215/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/horror-tension--t215.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/horror-tension--t215.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Horror and tension","Mechanics and variants"],"sourceIds":["source-b2a89cba190d4ef9","source-7f09c8a736762f4f"],"sources":[{"id":"source-b2a89cba190d4ef9","title":"Frictional Games: Amnesia","url":"https://www.amnesiagame.com/","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":"Respite reduces immediate risk and restores planning time; leaving safety reintroduces uncertainty."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Mechanic variants\n\n<a id=\"t215-variants\"></a>\n\n- Clear boundaries separate shelter from danger. <a id=\"t215-v1\"></a>\n- Limited supplies prevent free complete recovery. <a id=\"t215-v2\"></a>\n- Short safe loops provide time to interpret events. <a id=\"t215-v3\"></a>\n- Breached sanctuaries signal a changed rule beforehand. <a id=\"t215-v4\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"A lit control room allows map reading, but fuel for the next excursion remains limited.\n\nPrototype check: Test recognition of respite and the ability to stop a session comfortably inside a sanctuary."},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Horror builds decisions around limited certainty, defensive means and safe recovery time. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"horror-tension","id":"t215","title":"Horror and tension","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/horror-tension/#t215","categoryIds":["mechanics"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Sanctuaries, respite and tension cycles","description":"Respite reduces immediate risk and restores planning time; leaving safety reintroduces uncertainty.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-rest.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/ss11.jpg","credit":"Mega Crit","rights":"© Mega Crit. All rights reserved.","caption":"A campfire offers respite before the next dangers","alt":"A campfire offers respite before the next dangers","markers":[{"x":41,"y":43,"label":"Rest restores health"},{"x":58,"y":47,"label":"Alternative: upgrade a card"}]},"tips":["Separate safe respite from renewed tension with a clear boundary."],"examples":[{"title":"Slay the Spire","url":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests. Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not every proposed variant.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/horror-tension"}}