Based on your environment and immersion, you will need to decide how you want to translate what you know as reality and transform it into a simulated one in order to make it playable. How do you want your game world to mimic reality or be more fictional or fact. Will it be based on the future, the past, or present? How will this affect the characters’ experience through gameplay?
Open-World
Gameplay objectives are not necessarily ordered linearly but can be based on a branching path where there are primary objectives to be accomplished while completing elective objectives. Examples: Grand Theft Auto and Crackdown,…
Non-Linear
Multiple paths or alternate-based approach allows the character to choose the way they advance through the game. One path may be harder to climb but quicker versus a path that may be easier to navigate but harder to overcome. You can take the high road or the low road. You can use violence or a peaceful approach. Examples: Fallout and Deus Ex,…
Linear
Controlled path set by the designer to parallel a storyline. This style allows the design to create a strong, story-driven interactive narrative. Example: Half-Life 2, Doom, Wolfenstein, Call of Duty, Dead Space, and Brothers in Arms,…
Sandbox
Many have used this term to define a specific game environment but, when you consider the origin, it refers to the playful environment for children to play and create things within a confined space.
If we wanted to be technical:
- Any game engine with an editor
True Sandbox gameplay mechanics:
- MindCraft
- Roblox
In-game world building:
- SimCity
- RTS although with a linear storyline
- Garry’s Mod
Once you have established your environment and the level of realism to fiction ratio, the control system should allow fluid interactions by teaching the character how to play the game. To achieve integrated gameplay learning, you need to immerse the character into the world and provide visual and or audio queues through a combination of speaker and controller/keyboard and mouse interactions.