PHILOSOPHY OF SOULS GAMES

Objective

This is a book on game design and has three goals.

  1. To understand the nature of media consumption.
  2. To understand the nature of video games and what makes them engaging.
  3. To understand the nature of the Souls games and improve them.

Definitions

  1. A Souls game is one of the games created by FromSoftware consisting of Demon Souls, Dark Souls I, Darks Souls II, Dark Souls III, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring.
  2. A Souls-like is a game that emulates the characteristics of a Souls game.
Table of Contents

1: Every media has a pull

That which makes us want to consume media is called the pull.

2: There are three forms of pull

They are the Pull to Begin, Pull to Continue, and Pull to Return.

3: Every media has varying degrees of pull

Some forms of media create stronger pulls.

4: Media that introduces goal setting have stronger pulls

The secret behind engaging games.

5: Goal setting amplifies the pulls

Goal setting creates the strongest pulls.

6: There are seven forms of goal setting

To collect, overcome, progress, complete, learn, discover, and experience.

7: We consume media to manage our emotional states

Media is an emotion-altering invention.

8: Altered emotion is the most common goal of media consumption

9: The target emotion is relative to the consumer

10: Sense of achievement is the main result of media consumption

11: Video games are the most comprehensive and interactive media form

12: Video games can contain all the other forms of media

13: Video games are actively consumed

14: Video games are interactive

15: Video game consumption is inherently repeatable

16: Video game consumption is inherently flexible

17: Video games can produce the strongest forms of pull

18: Video games can contain the strongest forms of goal setting

19: Video games can be highly engaging

20: Video games can be addictive

21: Video games can produce the strongest form of altered emotion

22: Video games can produce the strongest form of sense of achievement

23: Video game is the highest form of media

24: There are twelve major genres of video games

25: Souls games are created by FromSoftware

26: Souls-like games emulate the Souls games

27: Souls games have defined properties

28: Souls games have high unity of purpose

29: Souls games have high integrity

The Souls games respect themselves, you, and your time.

30: Souls games have a challenge-driven game flow

31: Souls games provide fairness through familiarity

32: Souls games have reasonable difficulty

33: Souls games have outstanding combat

34: Souls games have high attention to detail

35: Souls games use mythological design

36: Souls games use discovery over instruction

37: Souls games provide a personal adventure

38: Souls games provide an adventure of the unknown

39: Souls games have memorable music

40: FromSoftware improves the Souls games

41: Souls games can be improved further

42: Souls games can have higher unity of purpose

43: Souls games can have healthier engagement loop

44: Souls games can have better challenge-driven game flow

45: Souls games can have equaling principle

46: Souls games can improve enemy designs

47: Souls games can improve mythological design

48: Souls games can implement beautiful by default

49: Souls games can have synergy

50: Souls games can be never-ending