{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/point-and-click--family-25","type":"mechanic","id":"point-and-click--family-25","lang":"en","title":"Sequences and staged actions","summary":"The player orders actions while accounting for dependencies and intermediate states.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/point-and-click--family-25/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/point-and-click--family-25.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/point-and-click--family-25.md","aliases":["Action sequences"],"tags":["Point-and-click adventures","Devices and spatial puzzles"],"sourceIds":["source-6666e9557756f7e1"],"sources":[{"id":"source-6666e9557756f7e1","title":"Opus Magnum","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/558990/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"The player orders actions while accounting for dependencies and intermediate states."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants\n\n<a id=\"family-25-branch-1\"></a>\n\n- Hidden order: infer prerequisites between actions. <a id=\"family-25-variant-1\"></a>\n- Preparation and launch: place elements, configure conditions and trigger an event. <a id=\"family-25-variant-2\"></a>\n- Synchronization: trigger several devices or actors together. <a id=\"family-25-variant-3\"></a>\n- Maintained state: hold a lever, door, NPC occupation or active system. <a id=\"family-25-variant-4\"></a>\n- Remote outcomes: act here to change another location. <a id=\"family-25-variant-5\"></a>\n- Interruption: stop a process at the right time or break causality. <a id=\"family-25-variant-6\"></a>\n- Chain reactions: calculate automatic outcomes of prepared actions. <a id=\"family-25-variant-7\"></a>\n- Programming: specify command queues, routes, algorithms or repeated sequences. <a id=\"family-25-variant-8\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"A working classification with 44 families and 355 variants. Families overlap: one puzzle can combine items, dialogue, deduction and a character schedule. Core actions, progression architecture and assistance are separate layers. Sources identify examples from neighboring adventure genres."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"point-and-click","id":"family-25","title":"Point-and-click adventures","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/point-and-click/#family-25","categoryIds":["section-3"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Action sequences","description":"The player orders actions while accounting for dependencies and intermediate states.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/adventure-opus-magnum-01.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Opus Magnum","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/558990/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/558990/ss_e395f88a023ad623f64a622d343eee17e1e6ea9d.1920x1080.jpg?t=1774910584","credit":"Zachtronics","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"Timeline commands control the mechanisms","alt":"Timeline commands control the mechanisms","markers":[{"x":31,"y":84,"label":"Command order on the timeline"},{"x":56,"y":46,"label":"Mechanism executes the programmed actions"}]},"tips":["Allow step-by-step inspection of intermediate sequence states."],"examples":[{"title":"Opus Magnum","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/558990/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original taxonomy adapted from user-selected design discussions; linked sources support specific examples, not the whole classification.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/point-and-click"}}