--- key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-enemy-health-bars type: mechanic id: game-mechanics--gm-enemy-health-bars lang: en title: Enemy health bars summary: >- An enemy’s bar shows remaining health. The player compares targets and estimates whether the next attack can defeat one. updatedAt: '2026-10-21' status: active url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-enemy-health-bars/ jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-enemy-health-bars.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-enemy-health-bars.md aliases: [] tags: - Game design techniques - Health - Visual feedback - Camera & perception - Immersion killers sourceIds: - source-eb104dc5a08e8d9d - source-c0f12066b5116820 - source-8a16030a699023b9 - source-e6251cc64b50f9ed - source-7f09c8a736762f4f sources: - id: source-eb104dc5a08e8d9d title: 'Game Mechanics: Enemy health bars' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/enemy-health-bars' verifiedAt: null - id: source-c0f12066b5116820 title: Mortal Kombat (1992) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/enemy-health-bars/game/mortal-kombat' verifiedAt: null - id: source-8a16030a699023b9 title: Dark Souls III (2016) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/enemy-health-bars/game/dark-souls-iii' verifiedAt: null - id: source-e6251cc64b50f9ed title: Far Cry 6 (2023) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/enemy-health-bars/game/far-cry-6' verifiedAt: null - id: source-7f09c8a736762f4f title: Slay the Spire url: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/' verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: game-mechanics id: gm-enemy-health-bars title: Game design techniques url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-enemy-health-bars categoryIds: - gm-category-camera-perception - gm-category-health - gm-category-immersion-killers - gm-category-visual-feedback supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-21' title: Enemy health bars description: >- An enemy’s bar shows remaining health. The player compares targets and estimates whether the next attack can defeat one. image: src: images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-battle.webp width: 1440 height: 810 crop: x: 713 'y': 188 width: 675 height: 487 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: Separate bars for three enemies alt: >- Slay the Spire: each of three enemies has its own current and maximum health bar. markers: - x: 68.5 'y': 69.5 label: The current health of an individual target - x: 82 'y': 68 label: Another target has its own health pool tips: - Keep the bar clearly attached to its target. - Keep nearby enemy bars readable and distinct. examples: - title: Slay the Spire url: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/' 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 --- # Enemy health bars id: game-mechanics--gm-enemy-health-bars type: mechanic key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-enemy-health-bars lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-enemy-health-bars/ An enemy’s bar shows remaining health. The player compares targets and estimates whether the next attack can defeat one. ## At a glance ![Slay the Spire: each of three enemies has its own current and maximum health bar.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-battle.webp) [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) · © Mega Crit. All rights reserved. 1. The current health of an individual target 2. Another target has its own health pool - Keep the bar clearly attached to its target. - Keep nearby enemy bars readable and distinct. - [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) ## How it works An indicator reports an enemy's remaining health. ## Variants ### How the technique works - An indicator reports an enemy's remaining health. ## Context and limits 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. ## Connected materials ## Sources and 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. - [Game Mechanics: Enemy health bars](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/enemy-health-bars) (id: source-eb104dc5a08e8d9d) - [Mortal Kombat (1992)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/enemy-health-bars/game/mortal-kombat) (id: source-c0f12066b5116820) - [Dark Souls III (2016)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/enemy-health-bars/game/dark-souls-iii) (id: source-8a16030a699023b9) - [Far Cry 6 (2023)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/enemy-health-bars/game/far-cry-6) (id: source-e6251cc64b50f9ed) - [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) (id: source-7f09c8a736762f4f) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors