Skip to main content

ATLAS / IDEAS

Game design atlas

Find a mechanism, understand its tradeoffs and smallest useful scope, then build your game with a design card and sample project.

192 Mechanisms32 Mechanism domain48 Art styles12 Genre guides

Art styles My research shelf Rain Canopy Workshop · Try the complete prototype Pixel toolkit

Core loop

01Identify rewindable objects
02Arrange forward actions
03Choose a past point
04Use persistent world state

Time and echoesLinked states

Selective rewind

Record a path through the switch before rewinding the box, or move it directly to the exit?

Reference gamesBraid · The Entropy Centre

Open this entry

Core loop

01Choose a repeatable task
02Record the actions
03Work with the replay
04Adjust timing and handoffs

Time and echoesLinked states

Recorded-self cooperation

Record a short reliable action or combine several tasks in one longer loop?

Reference gamesThe Last Clockwinder · Super Time Force Ultra

Open this entry

Core loop

01Pause and inspect
02Allocate action budget
03Commit and execute
04Review the final position

Time and echoesOne rule

Plan, then execute

Spend the budget attacking or reserve a move to finish in safety?

Reference gamesTransistor · Frozen Synapse

Open this entry

Core loop

01Stop and inspect
02Plan a segment
03Act to advance the world
04Stop and reassess

Time and echoesOne rule

Action-driven world time

Pause to read trajectories or move into position while enemies advance too?

Reference gamesSUPERHOT · SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE

Open this entry

Core loop

01Assess threat density
02Activate slow motion
03Act within the reserve
04Exit and inspect remaining time

Time and echoesOne rule

Limited slow motion

Spend slow motion on an easy target or save it for overlapping threats?

Reference gamesMax Payne · Boomerang X

Open this entry

Core loop

01Read timed connections
02Prepare the route
03Trigger in order
04Pass before expiry

Time and echoesOne rule

Timed switch chains

Prepare a shortcut before starting the timer or trigger now and arrange things on the run?

Reference gamesPortal 2 · Twelve Minutes

Open this entry

Covers are original AI-generated style illustrations. Game names reference publicly visible design choices and remain the property of their owners. This atlas does not supply screenshots or assets from those games. Prompts and combinations are original drafts for new games.