--- key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-low-health-feedback type: mechanic id: game-mechanics--gm-low-health-feedback lang: en title: Low health feedback summary: >- At dangerously low health the game intensifies its warning. The player notices the risk without constantly reading a small health bar and can react. updatedAt: '2026-10-21' status: active url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-low-health-feedback/ jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-low-health-feedback.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-low-health-feedback.md aliases: [] tags: - Game design techniques - Health - Visual feedback sourceIds: - source-55e9edd88f7d76b8 - source-2958d0ec5df9525f - source-abb27125a263163e - source-613bb575d6c00c49 - source-12dcc47c9ced2cfc sources: - id: source-55e9edd88f7d76b8 title: 'Game Mechanics: Low health feedback' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/low-health-feedback' verifiedAt: null - id: source-2958d0ec5df9525f title: 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)' url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/low-health-feedback/game/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3 verifiedAt: null - id: source-abb27125a263163e title: Far Cry 3 (2012) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/low-health-feedback/game/far-cry-3' verifiedAt: null - id: source-613bb575d6c00c49 title: 'Uncharted 4: A Thief''s End (2016)' url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/low-health-feedback/game/uncharted-4-a-thiefs-end verifiedAt: null - id: source-12dcc47c9ced2cfc title: Hades url: 'https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades/' verifiedAt: null relations: - type: explains direction: incoming label: Understand the principle key: lesson/game-feel title: 'Game feel: making actions readable' url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/game-feel/' jsonUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/lesson/game-feel.json' markdownUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/lesson/game-feel.md' placements: - catalogId: game-mechanics id: gm-low-health-feedback title: Game design techniques url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-low-health-feedback categoryIds: - gm-category-health - gm-category-visual-feedback supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-21' title: Low health feedback description: >- At dangerously low health the game intensifies its warning. The player notices the risk without constantly reading a small health bar and can react. image: src: images/mechanics/hades-melee.webp width: 1440 height: 810 game: Hades sourceUrl: 'https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades/' originalUrl: >- https://images.ctfassets.net/5owu3y35gz1g/5LpElH2nmE7iS4v593VJvo/55f74bd209f45dc179c5279926cb2ea5/hades_09-dec-2019_05.jpg?w=1920&q=80 credit: Supergiant Games rights: © Supergiant Games. All rights reserved. caption: A red warning around the screen alt: >- Hades: the health display reads 23 out of 100 and a red vignette appears around the screen edges. markers: - x: 25 'y': 94 label: The low health value is shown numerically - x: 10 'y': 18 label: The screen edge reinforces the warning tips: - Reinforce the warning through several accessible cues. - Keep upcoming threats visible through the warning. examples: - title: Hades url: 'https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades/' 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 --- # Low health feedback id: game-mechanics--gm-low-health-feedback type: mechanic key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-low-health-feedback lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-low-health-feedback/ At dangerously low health the game intensifies its warning. The player notices the risk without constantly reading a small health bar and can react. ## At a glance ![Hades: the health display reads 23 out of 100 and a red vignette appears around the screen edges.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/hades-melee.webp) [Hades](https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades/) · © Supergiant Games. All rights reserved. 1. The low health value is shown numerically 2. The screen edge reinforces the warning - Reinforce the warning through several accessible cues. - Keep upcoming threats visible through the warning. - [Hades](https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades/) ## How it works Distinct cues warn that health is nearly exhausted. ## Variants ### How the technique works - Distinct cues warn that health is nearly exhausted. ## 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 - Understand the principle: [Game feel: making actions readable](https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/game-feel/) (key: lesson/game-feel) ## 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: Low health feedback](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/low-health-feedback) (id: source-55e9edd88f7d76b8) - [Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/low-health-feedback/game/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3) (id: source-2958d0ec5df9525f) - [Far Cry 3 (2012)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/low-health-feedback/game/far-cry-3) (id: source-abb27125a263163e) - [Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/low-health-feedback/game/uncharted-4-a-thiefs-end) (id: source-613bb575d6c00c49) - [Hades](https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades/) (id: source-12dcc47c9ced2cfc) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors