---
key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-health-display
type: mechanic
id: game-mechanics--gm-health-display
lang: en
title: Health display
summary: >-
A health display shows how much damage a character can still take. Current and
maximum values help the player judge the next risk.
updatedAt: '2026-10-21'
status: active
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-health-display/
jsonUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-health-display.json
markdownUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-health-display.md
aliases: []
tags:
- Game design techniques
- Health
- Visual indicators
sourceIds:
- source-6034626a777665f9
- source-fb92defc4b2ce429
- source-aaa6c1c108824130
- source-44b070b795a0e1a4
- source-f0fc1555c3234ce6
- source-1b6cd360b134bc81
- source-3f053f5241b5aeb8
- source-a95ad6fcb8165bd9
- source-7f09c8a736762f4f
sources:
- id: source-6034626a777665f9
title: 'Game Mechanics: Health display'
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-fb92defc4b2ce429
title: Mortal Kombat (1992)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/mortal-kombat'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-aaa6c1c108824130
title: Doom (1993)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/doom'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-44b070b795a0e1a4
title: Resident Evil 2 (1998)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/resident-evil-2'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-f0fc1555c3234ce6
title: Trespasser (1998)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/trespasser'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-1b6cd360b134bc81
title: 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)'
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-3f053f5241b5aeb8
title: 'Condemned: Criminal Origins (2006)'
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/condemned-criminal-origins
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-a95ad6fcb8165bd9
title: 'Fallout: New Vegas (2010)'
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/fallout-new-vegas'
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-health-display
title: Game design techniques
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-health-display'
categoryIds:
- gm-category-health
- gm-category-visual-indicators
supersededBy: []
attributes:
preview:
updatedAt: '2026-10-21'
title: Health display
description: >-
A health display shows how much damage a character can still take. Current
and maximum values help the player judge the next risk.
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 in combat
alt: >-
Slay the Spire: the hero and three enemies with numerical health bars
underneath.
markers:
- x: 26
'y': 71
label: Current and maximum player health
- x: 70
'y': 69
label: An enemy’s remaining health
tips:
- Update the bar immediately after health changes.
- Use shape or numbers as well as color.
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
---
# Health display
id: game-mechanics--gm-health-display
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-health-display
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-health-display/
A health display shows how much damage a character can still take. Current and maximum values help the player judge the next risk.
## At a glance
[Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) · © Mega Crit. All rights reserved.
1. Current and maximum player health
2. An enemy’s remaining health
- Update the bar immediately after health changes.
- Use shape or numbers as well as color.
- [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/)
## How it works
An interface presents remaining health as a readable indicator.
## Variants
### How the technique works
- An interface presents remaining health as a readable indicator.
## 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: Health display](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display) (id: source-6034626a777665f9)
- [Mortal Kombat (1992)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/mortal-kombat) (id: source-fb92defc4b2ce429)
- [Doom (1993)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/doom) (id: source-aaa6c1c108824130)
- [Resident Evil 2 (1998)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/resident-evil-2) (id: source-44b070b795a0e1a4)
- [Trespasser (1998)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/trespasser) (id: source-f0fc1555c3234ce6)
- [The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time) (id: source-1b6cd360b134bc81)
- [Condemned: Criminal Origins (2006)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/condemned-criminal-origins) (id: source-3f053f5241b5aeb8)
- [Fallout: New Vegas (2010)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/health-display/game/fallout-new-vegas) (id: source-a95ad6fcb8165bd9)
- [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) (id: source-7f09c8a736762f4f)
CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors