Time, information and world rules
Time and space rules change action causality; the interface must show which state survives a transformation. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map.
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Mechanics and variants
1Stopping, slowing and accelerating timeOverview and example ↗Changing time speed creates analysis and execution opportunities, but requires explicit exceptions across world systems.4
Mechanic variants
- Stopping freezes the world but permits commands.
- Slow motion expands a player's response window.
- Fast-forward skips predictable repeated cycles.
- Local fields alter the rate of selected objects.
Design example. A projectile slows inside a sphere so a reflector can move before it exits. Prototype check: Test timers, audio and physics across rate boundaries, including pausing within another slow-motion effect.
2Parallel timelines and causalityOverview and example ↗Multiple temporal states connect through causal rules, letting actions in one timeline change another's possibilities.4
Mechanic variants
- Past actions alter a persistent future object.
- Branches create independent choice consequences.
- Invariants preserve selected facts across timelines.
- Paradoxes have a predefined resolution rule.
Design example. A tree planted in the past supports a future bridge unless the ground is flooded. Prototype check: Test changing a cause after its result has been used and preserve consistent paradox rules.
3Recorded actions, replays and interacting with copiesOverview and example ↗Recording turns an action sequence into a repeating participant with whom the current player can coordinate new actions.4
Mechanic variants
- Ghosts replay input on a shared timeline.
- Copies encounter the changed environment.
- New recordings replace a limited replay slot.
- Synchronization aligns actions from different attempts.
Design example. A first recording holds a lever while the current character carries cargo through an open gate. Prototype check: Test replay divergence after geometry changes and explicitly choose input replay or stored-trajectory playback.
4Changing scale, gravity and reference framesOverview and example ↗Changing scale or reference frames reshapes usable surfaces, distances and force directions.4
Mechanic variants
- Shrinking opens a narrow passage.
- Growth turns a small object into a platform.
- Gravity rotation changes wall and floor roles.
- Moving supports define relative velocity.
Design example. A player shrinks a cube for transport and enlarges it under a lever as support. Prototype check: Test collision and velocity across scale transitions and align interface units with the selected rule.
5Portals, topology and non-Euclidean spacesOverview and example ↗Portals connect nonadjacent regions while unusual topology changes expectations about routes, visibility and returning.4
Mechanic variants
- Paired portals maintain explicit entry-exit links.
- Exit orientation transforms movement direction.
- Looping rooms return travelers from another side.
- One-way connections make transitions irreversible.
Design example. A balcony door leads downstairs while a window shows that room from an otherwise incompatible angle. Prototype check: Test camera, projectile and carried-object paths through a connection, including repeated transitions.
6Changing rules and interface metagamesOverview and example ↗Players change an active rule or treat interface elements as world objects, expanding ordinary permitted transformations.4
Mechanic variants
- Rule words change properties of an object group.
- Reordering conditions changes the victory method.
- Interface windows become movable geometry.
- Rule changes have a visible scope of effect.
Design example. Replacing a rule's wall with door opens passages but simultaneously removes a needed support. Prototype check: Test self-applying rules and recovery after creating a state with no available actions.
Sources and examples
Sources support particular techniques or methodology, not every family variant. Design examples and mechanic combinations are illustrative.
- PuzzleScript: Rules
The creator’s documentation of pattern replacement and board state.
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