--- key: mechanic/boss-fight-atlas--boss-telegraph type: mechanic id: boss-fight-atlas--boss-telegraph lang: en title: Telegraph summary: 'A cue previews the type, location or timing of an upcoming threat.' updatedAt: '2026-10-22' status: active url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/boss-fight-atlas--boss-telegraph/ jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/boss-fight-atlas--boss-telegraph.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/boss-fight-atlas--boss-telegraph.md aliases: [] tags: - Boss fights - Structure and readability sourceIds: - source-a4d064c77784b30f - source-0a5d048a8ed6fd07 - source-938d01176a1635ea - source-b8b3642c9d7ab75c - source-f11ef1d99a1763be - source-baf38070a8989361 - source-945019fe5d82d809 - source-a5ed4b8db6620df1 sources: - id: source-a4d064c77784b30f title: 'Boss Fight Atlas: Telegraph (RU)' url: 'https://polyakovin.github.io/boss-fight-atlas/ru/mechanics/telegraph/' verifiedAt: null - id: source-0a5d048a8ed6fd07 title: 'Boss Fight Atlas: Telegraph (EN)' url: 'https://polyakovin.github.io/boss-fight-atlas/en/mechanics/telegraph/' verifiedAt: null - id: source-938d01176a1635ea title: Shriek · Ori and the Will of the Wisps url: 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuB8cImPIg&t=1165s' verifiedAt: null - id: source-b8b3642c9d7ab75c title: Mantis Lords · Hollow Knight url: 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG3h6uVtWyY&t=19s' verifiedAt: null - id: source-f11ef1d99a1763be title: Dancer of the Boreal Valley · Dark Souls III url: 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCWh1bhHNKo&t=38s' verifiedAt: null - id: source-baf38070a8989361 title: Enemy Attacks and Telegraphing · Mike Stout url: 'https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/enemy-attacks-and-telegraphing' verifiedAt: null - id: source-945019fe5d82d809 title: 'Boss Up: Boss Battle Design · GDC Vault' url: 'https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1024921/Boss-Up-Boss-Battle-Design' verifiedAt: null - id: source-a5ed4b8db6620df1 title: Cuphead url: 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6anMOwVo7tc&t=12s' verifiedAt: null relations: - type: explains direction: incoming label: Understand the principle key: lesson/scope-and-prototype title: Scope and a testable prototype url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/scope-and-prototype/' jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/lesson/scope-and-prototype.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/lesson/scope-and-prototype.md placements: - catalogId: boss-fight-atlas id: boss-telegraph title: Boss fights url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/boss-fight-atlas/#boss-telegraph' categoryIds: - catalog-part-9 supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-22' title: Telegraph description: 'A cue previews the type, location or timing of an upcoming threat.' image: src: images/mechanics/boss-frame-6anmowvo7tc-12.webp width: 854 height: 480 game: Cuphead sourceUrl: 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6anMOwVo7tc&t=12s' originalUrl: 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6anMOwVo7tc' sourceFrameSeconds: 12 credit: Studio MDHR; gameplay capture by Boss Fight Database rights: >- Game graphics © Studio MDHR. Gameplay recording by Boss Fight Database. Visible source markings preserved. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. caption: A thin targeting line warns of the robot’s beam alt: A thin targeting line warns of the robot’s beam markers: - x: 68 'y': 9 label: The head emitter provides a visible threat origin - x: 32 'y': 64 label: A thin line marks the direction before the powerful beam tips: - 'Show threat direction, shape and timing before damage begins.' examples: - title: Cuphead url: 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6anMOwVo7tc&t=12s' endsAt: null provenance: >- Editorial reference index based on the 124 public Boss Fight Atlas mechanic pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; source categories, game/boss associations and reference URLs retained from the atlas. 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/boss-fight-atlas --- # Telegraph id: boss-fight-atlas--boss-telegraph type: mechanic key: mechanic/boss-fight-atlas--boss-telegraph lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/boss-fight-atlas--boss-telegraph/ A cue previews the type, location or timing of an upcoming threat. ## At a glance ![A thin targeting line warns of the robot’s beam](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/boss-frame-6anmowvo7tc-12.webp) [Cuphead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6anMOwVo7tc&t=12s) · Game graphics © Studio MDHR. Gameplay recording by Boss Fight Database. Visible source markings preserved. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. [Source recording](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6anMOwVo7tc), 12 s 1. The head emitter provides a visible threat origin 2. A thin line marks the direction before the powerful beam - Show threat direction, shape and timing before damage begins. - [Cuphead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6anMOwVo7tc&t=12s) ## How it works A cue previews the type, location or timing of an upcoming threat. ## Variants ### How the technique works - A cue previews the type, location or timing of an upcoming threat. ## Context and limits A concise reference to all 124 Boss Fight Atlas mechanics across its 14 source sections. Each entry includes a definition, full RU/EN lesson links, game references and further reading retained from the source. Animations and detailed rules remain in the atlas. ## Connected materials - Understand the principle: [Scope and a testable prototype](https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/scope-and-prototype/) (key: lesson/scope-and-prototype) ## Sources and provenance Editorial reference index based on the 124 public Boss Fight Atlas mechanic pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; source categories, game/boss associations and reference URLs retained from the atlas. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification. - [Boss Fight Atlas: Telegraph (RU)](https://polyakovin.github.io/boss-fight-atlas/ru/mechanics/telegraph/) (id: source-a4d064c77784b30f) - [Boss Fight Atlas: Telegraph (EN)](https://polyakovin.github.io/boss-fight-atlas/en/mechanics/telegraph/) (id: source-0a5d048a8ed6fd07) - [Shriek · Ori and the Will of the Wisps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuB8cImPIg&t=1165s) (id: source-938d01176a1635ea) - [Mantis Lords · Hollow Knight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG3h6uVtWyY&t=19s) (id: source-b8b3642c9d7ab75c) - [Dancer of the Boreal Valley · Dark Souls III](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCWh1bhHNKo&t=38s) (id: source-f11ef1d99a1763be) - [Enemy Attacks and Telegraphing · Mike Stout](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/enemy-attacks-and-telegraphing) (id: source-baf38070a8989361) - [Boss Up: Boss Battle Design · GDC Vault](https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1024921/Boss-Up-Boss-Battle-Design) (id: source-945019fe5d82d809) - [Cuphead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6anMOwVo7tc&t=12s) (id: source-a5ed4b8db6620df1) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors