{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/shared-family-59","type":"mechanic","id":"shared-family-59","lang":"en","title":"Constraints, pace and information","summary":"Limits on actions, time and information change available choices and the cost of a decision.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/shared-family-59/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/shared-family-59.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/shared-family-59.md","aliases":["Constraints, pacing and information"],"tags":["Children’s games","Goals, constraints and progression","Educational games"],"sourceIds":["source-7f09c8a736762f4f"],"sources":[{"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":"Limit turns"},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants\n\n<a id=\"family-59-branch-1\"></a>\n\n- Limit turns <a id=\"family-59-variant-1\"></a>\n- Limit resources <a id=\"family-59-variant-2\"></a>\n- Limit tools <a id=\"family-59-variant-3\"></a>\n- Limit time <a id=\"family-59-variant-4\"></a>\n- Use turn-based play <a id=\"family-59-variant-5\"></a>\n- Use real-time events <a id=\"family-59-variant-6\"></a>\n- Allow pauses <a id=\"family-59-variant-7\"></a>\n- Hide information <a id=\"family-59-variant-8\"></a>\n- Reveal information through actions <a id=\"family-59-variant-9\"></a>\n- Change conditions during tasks <a id=\"family-59-variant-10\"></a>\n- Add random events <a id=\"family-59-variant-11\"></a>\n- Add linked goals <a id=\"family-59-variant-12\"></a>\n- Prohibit actions <a id=\"family-59-variant-13\"></a>\n- Delay consequences <a id=\"family-59-variant-14\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"Build with six parts while allowing several solutions."},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"An action map for children’s digital, board, active and mixed games. An instructional goal is optional: children can invent stories, explore toys, compete or enjoy play itself. Select age suitability, reading demands, controls and pace separately; different implementations can suit different ages. Learning tasks and instructional support have their own reference."},{"id":"context-education","title":"Context: Educational games","body":"A mechanic map for games with explicit learning goals, from first encounters with a topic to professional practice. It covers children, teenagers and adults; choose subject, difficulty, context and controls for the learner. Player actions, subject content, instructional support and assessment are distinct layers. Scores and game completion alone do not establish mastery or skill transfer."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"children","id":"family-59","title":"Children’s games","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/children/#family-59","categoryIds":["progress"]},{"catalogId":"education","id":"family-59","title":"Educational games","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/education/#family-59","categoryIds":["progress"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Constraints, pacing and information","description":"Limits on actions, time and information change available choices and the cost of a decision.","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 and energy have different horizons","alt":"Slay the Spire: player health appears beneath the hero and turn energy sits beside the hand.","markers":[{"x":26,"y":71,"label":"Health must be preserved between encounters"},{"x":11,"y":83,"label":"Energy limits actions in the current turn"}]},"tips":["Show the active constraint when the player chooses an action."],"examples":[{"title":"Slay the Spire","url":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Play-focused selection adapted from the original children-education taxonomy, with original editorial additions dated 2026-10-20. Developer sources support specific examples, not the entire classification.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/children"}}