What Makes a Game Feel Mysterious?

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Published on September 27, 2024 4:00:34 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilnq1ZNmhoM

Game:

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002)

Duration: 0:00

556,640 views

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What makes a game feel mysterious? And how do we make a player feel like an active participant in solving the mystery? Let's dig in to some amazing games.

📼 Bonus Companion Video - https://www.patreon.com/posts/112875754

=== Before you watch ===

This video contains no major spoilers for the games discussed. When more detailed information is provided, a timestamp is shown on screen so you can skip ahead.

=== Sources ===

[1] The mystery box | TED
https://www.ted.com/talks/j_j_abrams_mystery_box

[2] Tunic: This Was Here the Whole Time | GDC Vault
https://gdcvault.com/play/1029384/-TUNIC-This-Was-Here

[3] Creature feature: The surreal pixel art and animation of Animal Well | Game Developer
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/art/creature-feature-the-surreal-pixel-art-and-animation-of-animal-well

[4] Rain World Is Like STALKER but a Platformer and You’re a Rodent | Vice
https://www.vice.com/en/article/rain-world-is-like-stalker-but-a-platformer-and-youre-a-rodent/

[5] Road to the IGF: Starseed Pilgrim | Game Developer
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/road-to-the-igf-em-starseed-pilgrim-em-

[6] Designing for a Sense of Mystery and Wonder | Runevision
https://blog.runevision.com/2021/02/designing-for-sense-of-mystery-and.html

[7] Two Years After Elden Ring, Miyazaki Trusts the Players to Figure It All Out | IGN
https://www.ign.com/articles/elden-ring-shadow-of-erdtree-director-hidetaka-miyazaki-look-back-interview-profile

[8] Master of Play | The New Yorker
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/12/20/master-of-play

[9] Sparking Curiosity-Driven Exploration Through Narrative in Outer Wilds | GDC Vault
   • Sparking Curiosity-Driven Exploration...  

[10] Designing for Curiosity in Outer Wilds | Full Indie
   • Alex Beachum Designing for Curiosity ...  

[11] Rediscovering the Mystery of Video Games | Noclip
   • Rediscovering the Mystery of Video Games  

[12] The secrets of Animal Well, coming to PS5 | PlayStation Blog
https://blog.playstation.com/2022/02/10/the-secrets-of-animal-well-coming-to-ps5/

[13] Designing the Secrets of Animal Well (ft. Billy Basso) | Design Delve
   • Designing the Secrets of Animal Well ...  

[14] The Design Evolution of Tunic | Noclip Crew
   • The Design Evolution of Tunic | Devel...  

[15] The Witness Documentary | Noclip
   • The Witness Documentary  

[16] Practically impossible: The quest to decipher Fez‘s cryptic final puzzle
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/04/why-it-took-almost-a-week-for-the-world-to-completely-finish-fez/

=== Chapters ===

00:00 - Intro
01:58 - What Makes Something Mysterious?
02:24 - The Locked Door
05:05 - The Rules
08:33 - The Landscape
10:46 - The Enigma
13:25 - Questions and Answers
15:20 - Metroidbrainias
19:30 - Super Secret Secrets
21:39 - The Answer
23:55 - Invisible Questions
27:06 - Conclusion
28:07 - Credits

=== Games Shown ===

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | 2017
Rain World | 2017
Elden Ring | 2022
Outer Wilds | 2019
Tunic | 2022
Animal Well | 2024
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | 2016
Boxes: Lost fragments | 2024
Hyper Light Drifter | 2016
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy | 2017
Crow Country | 2024
Dark Souls | 2011
Super Metroid | 1994
Hollow Knight | 2017
Spelunky | 2012
Isles of Sea and Sky | 2024
Lorelei And The Laser Eyes | 2024
Horizon Forbidden West | 2022
Demon's Souls | 2020
Starseed Pilgrim | 2013
Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 2018
Assassin’s Creed Mirage | 2023
The Legend of Zelda | 1986
Riven | 2024
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | 2024
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | 2011
The Talos Principle | 2014
The Talos Principle II | 2023
The Forgotten City | 2021
Her Story | 2015
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 2015
Return of the Obra Dinn | 2018
Chants of Sennaar | 2023
Metroid Dread | 2021
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night | 1997
Epigraph | 2024
Fez | 2012
System Shock | 2023
La-Mulana | 2012
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD | 2013
The Witness | 2016
Super Mario Bros. | 1985

=== Credits ===

Music provided by Epidemic Sound - https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/vtdu5y (Referral Link)

LOST © ABC Studios

=== Subtitles ===

Contribute translated subtitles -https://gamemakerstoolkit.com/translation/.

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