Balance challenge and available options

This is a broad pattern that relates to the abilities of the specific player target group. It is more related to

considerations than a specific design pattern per se. Challenge should best be balanced against the abilities of the players so that the game maintains the interest of the players. This is more of an issue in single player games than in multiplayer games.

Nevertheless, multiplayer games where players compete indirectly (for example by solving puzzles), a balanced challenge remains of importance. Balance could be affected by mechanisms such as

• offering help (e.g. in exchange for points or a temporal penalty)
• the difficulty level of the available puzzles (characteristics and number of the puzzles to solve).

target group

2.1

2.6