Devlog: Core Loop (Patreon)

Hello supporters,

In this post, I want to share how I plan to create the core loop for Terry Tales.

"Stardew Valley" and "Zelda: Breath of the Wild" are two games with core loops that my family and I love. Having the freedom to do what you want in the desired order without barriers makes the gaming experience delightful since you don't need to find something specific to progress.

I'll give an example of what I want to avoid in my game. For instance, in Hollow Knight, I got stuck because I needed the "Vengeful Spirit" ability (to shoot projectiles) to defeat an enemy blocking the entrance to "GreenPath." I spent at least an hour wandering around, which was very frustrating.

What I want is for the player to be able to progress without certain requirements. Breath of the Wild presents an excellent approach by allowing advancement in the main storyline without needing specific items.

In my game, the player will be able to explore any part of the map, with the only barrier being the difficulty of the enemies. The further you are from the center, the tougher the enemies. You can become stronger by completing certain challenge rooms that grant either attack or defense boosts.

To enter a challenge room, the player will need keys that can be acquired at the center of the map. However, you will need items that can be obtained by defeating enemies in various parts of the map.

There will also be other ways to progress with certain items or quests that are more hidden. These won't be necessary but will be optional to continue advancing.

So, the core loop would be something like this:

Explore the map > obtain items > acquire keys > complete challenge rooms > improve abilities > repeat

And so on until the player decides they are ready to finish the game.

At the moment, I don't have much to show visually as I am still working on the basic mechanics, but I hope to have more to show in a month. Thank you for your patience and support. I hope this post was interesting.