--- key: mechanic/perception--family-tools type: mechanic id: perception--family-tools lang: en title: Revealing properties of a scene summary: >- The game tool reveals a new feature of the scene; the player selects an observation point, compares the results and draws his own conclusion. updatedAt: '2026-10-22' status: active url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/perception--family-tools/' jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/perception--family-tools.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/perception--family-tools.md aliases: [] tags: - Investigative vision and perception - Mechanics catalog sourceIds: - source-72f2f5aae82230dd sources: - id: source-72f2f5aae82230dd title: 'Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/see-through-vision' verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: perception id: family-tools title: Investigative vision and perception url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/perception/#family-tools' categoryIds: - section-1 supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-22' title: Revealing properties of a scene description: >- The game tool reveals a new feature of the scene; the player selects an observation point, compares the results and draws his own conclusion. image: src: images/mechanics/combat-see-through-vision.webp width: 500 height: 278 game: 'Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)' sourceUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/see-through-vision' originalUrl: >- https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/webm/deus_ex_mankind_divided_see_thru_walls.webm sourceFrameSeconds: 1.64 credit: Eidos-Montréal; frame from clip via GameMechanics.org rights: >- Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Source host: GameMechanics.org. All rights reserved; excluded from the portal’s MIT and CC BY 4.0 licenses. caption: Smart Vision reveals people behind a wall alt: >- Two orange silhouettes appear behind a wall beside a door in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. markers: - x: 64 'y': 44 label: Silhouette behind an opaque wall - x: 76 'y': 47 label: The door preserves room context tips: - Show which additional property a tool reveals and where it has limits. examples: - title: 'Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/see-through-vision' endsAt: null provenance: >- Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review. license: CC-BY-4.0 codeLicense: MIT attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors catalogKey: catalog/perception --- # Revealing properties of a scene id: perception--family-tools type: mechanic key: mechanic/perception--family-tools lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/perception--family-tools/ The game tool reveals a new feature of the scene; the player selects an observation point, compares the results and draws his own conclusion. ## At a glance ![Two orange silhouettes appear behind a wall beside a door in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/combat-see-through-vision.webp) [Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/see-through-vision) · Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Source host: GameMechanics.org. All rights reserved; excluded from the portal’s MIT and CC BY 4.0 licenses. [Source recording](https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/webm/deus_ex_mankind_divided_see_thru_walls.webm), 1.64 s 1. Silhouette behind an opaque wall 2. The door preserves room context - Show which additional property a tool reveals and where it has limits. - [Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/see-through-vision) ## How it works The game tool reveals a new feature of the scene; the player selects an observation point, compares the results and draws his own conclusion. ## Variants ### Variants and applications - Sliding light. Rule: Randy directs the beam almost parallel to the surface. The player adjusts the angle to see dents, scratches or erased inscriptions. For example, marks on the floor help to understand which cabinet was recently moved... - Star prism. Rule: Randy changes the color of the light and different materials begin to appear differently. The player goes through the spectrum: colors that look the same may turn out to be different, and an invisible mark will appear only in a certain light. - Magnifier beam. Rule: One of the rays magnifies the selected area of ​​the scene. You need to adjust the zoom and focus to see the fibers, prints or the structure of the small lock. Too much magnification makes it difficult to understand which part of the object the part belongs to. - Removing glare. Rule: Randy turns a special light filter. The player finds a position in which he can look under the water, through glass or under a transparent film. This way you can examine the object at the bottom, while maintaining the task of getting it. - Separable spark. Rule: Randy sends a small spark around a corner, under furniture, or inside a crack and looks from its position. The player chooses an observation point: through one hole the mechanism is visible, through the other you can understand that it is jammed. - Layered vision. Rule: Randy adjusts the viewing depth of the item. The player sequentially examines the shell, internal partitions and core. For example, this is how you can trace a broken wire inside a wall. - Thermal footprint Rule: Randy recognizes which surfaces still retain heat. The player changes sensitivity and compares objects: a warm cup, a heated seat and a cooling engine help restore the sequence of recent actions. - Light echo. Rule: Randy sends out an impulse and perceives its return as the contours of space. The player chooses direction and power to find a void behind a wall, estimate the depth of a well, or spot movement in the fog. - Glowing dust. Rule: Randy releases sparkling particles that show the movement of air or water. The player watches the flow: particles go into an imperceptible gap, go around an invisible barrier, or gather near a source of attraction. - Light cast. Rule: Randy remembers the view of the scene and overlays it on the current image. The player combines the angle and notices changes: the object has been rotated, the water level has risen, a new crack has appeared on the wall. This allows you to set up your own experiments: what will change if you press the lever and come back? ## Context and limits Ten original ideas for research vision. The hero reveals a new feature in the scene, and the player chooses where to look, how to compare observations, and what the discovery means. Light and touch effects are conditional game tools, and not a description of real devices. Ideas can be transferred to other worlds while maintaining the need for independent derivation. ## Connected materials ## Sources and provenance Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review. - [Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/see-through-vision) (id: source-72f2f5aae82230dd) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors