---
key: mechanic/point-and-click--family-08
type: mechanic
id: point-and-click--family-08
lang: en
title: Inventory storage and limits
summary: >-
  Storage limits require the player to choose which items to carry, leave or
  retrieve.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/point-and-click--family-08/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/point-and-click--family-08.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/point-and-click--family-08.md
aliases:
  - Storage and inventory limits
tags:
  - Point-and-click adventures
  - Core actions and items
sourceIds:
  - source-6669156765be17e4
sources:
  - id: source-6669156765be17e4
    title: Resident Evil 4 (2023)
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/tetris-inventory'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: point-and-click
    id: family-08
    title: Point-and-click adventures
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/point-and-click/#family-08'
    categoryIds:
      - section-1
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: Storage and inventory limits
    description: >-
      Storage limits require the player to choose which items to carry, leave or
      retrieve.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/combat-tetris-inventory.webp
      width: 1024
      height: 576
      crop:
        x: 245
        'y': 68
        width: 515
        height: 370
      game: Resident Evil 4 (2023)
      sourceUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/tetris-inventory'
      originalUrl: 'https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/resident_evil_4_remake_inventory.jpg'
      credit: Capcom; image 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: Free space in the Resident Evil 4 case
      alt: Free space in the Resident Evil 4 case
      markers:
        - x: 49
          'y': 45
          label: An item’s shape affects packing
        - x: 70
          'y': 62
          label: Free cells constrain the next placement
    tips:
      - Explain storage limits before the player loses a needed item.
    examples:
      - title: Resident Evil 4 (2023)
        url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/tetris-inventory'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original taxonomy adapted from user-selected design discussions; linked
  sources support specific examples, not the whole classification.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/point-and-click
---
# Inventory storage and limits

id: point-and-click--family-08
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/point-and-click--family-08
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/point-and-click--family-08/

Storage limits require the player to choose which items to carry, leave or retrieve.

## At a glance

![Free space in the Resident Evil 4 case](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/combat-tetris-inventory.webp)

[Resident Evil 4 (2023)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/tetris-inventory) · 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.

1. An item’s shape affects packing
2. Free cells constrain the next placement

- Explain storage limits before the player loses a needed item.

- [Resident Evil 4 (2023)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/tetris-inventory)

## How it works

Storage limits require the player to choose which items to carry, leave or retrieve.

## Variants

### Variants

<a id="family-08-branch-1"></a>

- Capacity: limit slots, weight, volume or unit count. <a id="family-08-variant-1"></a>
- Packing: fit items into a grid, suitcase or constrained space. <a id="family-08-variant-2"></a>
- Compatibility: separate items that react or spoil together. <a id="family-08-variant-3"></a>
- Fragility: transport without damage and maintain cooling, protection or state. <a id="family-08-variant-4"></a>
- Consumption: allocate a single-use item, charge, dose or material. <a id="family-08-variant-5"></a>
- Transport restrictions: overcome searches, borders, environments or passage size. <a id="family-08-variant-6"></a>
- Distributed inventory: transfer between characters, caches, stores, vehicles and locations. <a id="family-08-variant-7"></a>
- Replacement: find substitutes, recreate lost objects or recover used resources. <a id="family-08-variant-8"></a>

## Context and limits

A working classification with 44 families and 355 variants. Families overlap: one puzzle can combine items, dialogue, deduction and a character schedule. Core actions, progression architecture and assistance are separate layers. Sources identify examples from neighboring adventure genres.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original taxonomy adapted from user-selected design discussions; linked sources support specific examples, not the whole classification.

- [Resident Evil 4 (2023)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/tetris-inventory) (id: source-6669156765be17e4)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors