---
key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-resting-to-heal
type: mechanic
id: game-mechanics--gm-resting-to-heal
lang: en
title: Resting to heal
summary: >-
A safe resting place restores health before the journey continues. Rest can
compete with upgrading or another useful action.
updatedAt: '2026-10-21'
status: active
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-resting-to-heal/
jsonUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-resting-to-heal.json
markdownUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-resting-to-heal.md
aliases:
- Healing by resting
tags:
- Game design techniques
- Health
- Damage
sourceIds:
- source-97453d155ef67b0a
- source-fd396ac16cef0774
- source-3d72ec923496c66e
- source-7ea9842a50299aae
- source-2fa1079c98343e06
- source-7f09c8a736762f4f
sources:
- id: source-97453d155ef67b0a
title: 'Game Mechanics: Resting to heal'
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/resting-to-heal'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-fd396ac16cef0774
title: Gothic (2001)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/resting-to-heal/game/gothic'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-3d72ec923496c66e
title: 'Dark Souls: Remastered (2018)'
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/resting-to-heal/game/dark-souls-remastered
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-7ea9842a50299aae
title: Elden Ring (2022)
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/resting-to-heal/game/elden-ring'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-2fa1079c98343e06
title: 'The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)'
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/resting-to-heal/game/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt
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-resting-to-heal
title: Game design techniques
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-resting-to-heal'
categoryIds:
- gm-category-health
- gm-category-damage
supersededBy: []
attributes:
preview:
updatedAt: '2026-10-21'
title: Healing by resting
description: >-
A safe resting place restores health before the journey continues. Rest
can compete with upgrading or another useful action.
image:
src: images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-rest.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/ss11.jpg'
credit: Mega Crit
rights: © Mega Crit. All rights reserved.
caption: Rest or upgrade at a campfire
alt: >-
Slay the Spire: a campfire offers Rest and Smith; resting restores
health, while smithing upgrades a card.
markers:
- x: 41
'y': 43
label: Rest restores health
- x: 58
'y': 47
label: 'Alternative: upgrade a card'
tips:
- Show the expected recovery before confirming rest.
- Make the alternative to resting clear and comparable.
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
---
# Resting to heal
id: game-mechanics--gm-resting-to-heal
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-resting-to-heal
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-resting-to-heal/
A safe resting place restores health before the journey continues. Rest can compete with upgrading or another useful action.
## At a glance
[Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) · © Mega Crit. All rights reserved.
1. Rest restores health
2. Alternative: upgrade a card
- Show the expected recovery before confirming rest.
- Make the alternative to resting clear and comparable.
- [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/)
## How it works
Resting or sleeping restores health under the game's rules.
## Variants
### How the technique works
- Resting or sleeping restores health under the game's rules.
## 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: Resting to heal](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/resting-to-heal) (id: source-97453d155ef67b0a)
- [Gothic (2001)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/resting-to-heal/game/gothic) (id: source-fd396ac16cef0774)
- [Dark Souls: Remastered (2018)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/resting-to-heal/game/dark-souls-remastered) (id: source-3d72ec923496c66e)
- [Elden Ring (2022)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/resting-to-heal/game/elden-ring) (id: source-7ea9842a50299aae)
- [The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/resting-to-heal/game/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt) (id: source-2fa1079c98343e06)
- [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) (id: source-7f09c8a736762f4f)
CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors