Final Mechanics Progression Pattern from Player Skills

Background

I derived this pattern based on my previous post showing the work for the Mechanics Progression Pattern Exercise. All of this is grounded in the ideas introduced in the post An Atomic Theory of Game Mechanics. All of these exercises are part of the second edition of my game design textbook, Pattern Language for Game Design, which will be published at the end of 2025!

These patterns may be useful, possibly even insightful. Still, I am posting them here not to put myself forward as the author of ‘The Definitive Game Design Patterns’ but to show the kind of learning and insight YOU can produce by following the exercises. My work is about helping other game designers to articulate and share their design knowledge!

The Power of Progress! The Progress of Power?

Understanding the Link Between Power and Skill Progression

Design Problem:

Developers may wish to add player progression for a variety of reasons. How should the increase in player power, and the increase in complexity and player skill be balanced?

Pattern Description:

Skill progression and power progression are linked, but they are not the same. Skill progression is the addition of new or more complex skills to the ability set of a player/enemy. Power progression is the increase in the effectiveness of a skill. Either of these types of progression can be implemented independently.

While new or improved skills usually grant additional power they may also add complexity and require additional skill to use. Thus high rates of skill progression with low power progression can have the result of making a game more difficult in terms of the required player skill.

Power progression without skill progression has the result of increasing or decreasing the difficulty of a game depending on whether it is applied to the player or enemies, if applied to both the difficulty of the game will remain static.

To support player skill growth in the face of character skill progression it is important to adjust the balance of power progression in the favor of the player to lower the difficulty of the game allowing the player an opportunity to gain mastery over the increased complexity of the skill growth.

Example Games:

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

While the overall difficulty curve of Echoes of Wisdom may be too low for many users, this game provides a good example of both skill and power progression. Balanced skill and power progression is present in the more powerful new echoes which have new behaviors and uses as well as greater power. Pure power progression is present in gaining new heart containers and in the direct power upgrades of the three sword form abilities.

Other examples of this implementation: Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Baldur’s Gate III

The Secret World

Most progression in this game is mixed power and skills progression, player skills all fall into these categories. Pure power progression happens through gaining higher-level talismans (gear) that act as multipliers on the power of the skills that use them. As this game is intended to be played over a long timeframe and death isn’t a concern the gradual power progression from better gear gives the player time to master the large number of skills available.

Noita

This very difficult game features extensive progression through items and crafting, most items give access to different interactions with the world, but some provide direct power progression through health and damage. Unlike in Echoes of Wisdom Noita probably does not have enough direct progression for most players in comparison to the skill progression. This may make sense in a roguelike game where the player is expected to start over many times.

Related Patterns:

Old me was afraid of old you, but new me is stronger! …and now I’m afraid of new you — When creating progression through skill and power systems it is important to maintain game balance as described in this pattern.

Baby Plant in a Forest of Trees — This pattern provides guidance on how to structure and present skills in a way the player can digest.

Customized My Playstyle — Similar to “Baby Plant in a Forest of Trees” this pattern guides the structure that a player may use to structure access to new abilities.

View The Power of Progress! The Progress of Power? in the Pattern Library

Closing Thoughts

I hope this pattern shows how the process of deriving patterns can reveal the ways that complex systems interact and help to guide new and experienced developers in their work.