2D and 3D gameplay

When we start brainstorming a video game, there is a question we always ask ourselves: how can we define the best gameplay for this game? Before we go through some basics, we should have a clear understanding of what we consider gameplay to be.

Gameplay is the essence of our game; it defines the challenge for our players, how our world will communicate with them, and how they will communicate with it. We should not consider visuals, sounds, our plot, or history to be part of our gameplay, but different ways we can express it.

An easy way to understand this is to relate gameplay to the playability of our game. Although this doesn't mean that it can only be defined as game mechanics, we can say that it involves everything about them, for example:

• The genre
• The features our character or our enemies have
• How we can interact with our player
• How can we move them?
• What they we can? (jump, run, swim, fly, craft, and destroy)
• Features that our environment has

We find many mechanics repeated in many games, usually because they are part of what we call genres. Video games that belong to the same genre tend to be similar in some of their basic mechanics, which means in their basic gameplay.

There are many genres in the video game industry, so we will point out the one that we are going to be working with in Hands-On Game Development without Coding and talk about it in detail, which is the platform genre.

Whenever somebody mentions platform games, also known as platformers, we can't stop ourselves from thinking of one particular game, Mario Bros. But is it OK to think of platformers only as 2D side scrollers? Of course not, there are many ways in which a platformer game can grow, and depending on whether we are planning 2D or 3D, it might grow in very different directions.

2D platform

This genre gets its name from its early beginnings, where levels were levitating platforms. Through levels, players had to avoid obstacles and enemies, jump from one platform to another, usually at different heights, and, depending on the theme of the game, among many orientations; we can point out the most used:

• Action-oriented, where we fight different kinds of enemies in constant dynamic battles throughout each level. Facing different kinds of enemies, and probably bosses, will be one of the key features of this kind of orientation, as will having different skills and weapons that we will be adding to our character. The game will have to increase in difficulty as long as our player grows in experience, skills, and equipment.
• Puzzle-oriented, in which we will have to think of the key to beat each level so that we can progress. Usually, in these games, we don't face many enemies, but we are placed in certain situations in which we will have to use our brains to proceed. Riddles, secret doors, and tool combinations are commonly used in this type of game.
• Adventure-oriented, where we will be taken into a great story. This can be considered a balance between puzzle and action, but usually, in this case, the creators of the game have a beautiful story to tell us. In addition to this, usually, adventure-oriented platform games have an interesting OST and great artwork styles.

2D platformers don't have to be side scrollers such as Mario Bros; we can think of Donkey Kong as a puzzle platformer, Bubble Bobble as an action platformer, or even isometric platformers such as Sega Genesis' Sonic 3D Blast.

What unites the platform genre is jumping mechanics, and usually simple character controls. This is the reason why it has become such a hit in the last few years for indie game developers. A great story, awesome art style, challenging puzzles, and simple mechanics always make a great game. Good examples are Braid, Cuphead, Limbo, Ori, and Blind Forest, among many other 2D platformers:

3D platform

This gameplay can also be found in 3D, which of course came later in video game history. In this case, platforms are shown in different forms, sometimes part of the terrain, other times as part of the level environment. Super Mario 64 is another side of the same coin, as a 3D platform game.

The same subgenres of platformers—action, puzzle, and adventure—are the basis of many games, and though it may be hard to understand, try to think about this. Crash Bandicoot could perfectly be a 2D side-scrolling runner with the exact same logic the game has nowadays; this is why we are talking about a 3D platformer runner. The same logic applies to Zelda: Majora's Mask, for example. This game can easily be considered an adventure 3D platformer, because it has many platform levels, jumping from one to another, with enemies to fight in each of these levels, puzzles, and more of the features every platform game has. But what about 3D puzzle platformers? Easy—have you heard about Portal? There isn't a better example of this; we have platforms, we have puzzles, and we can move in every axis:

You might be thinking, OK, I get it, now how can I create an interesting level with these mechanics? Come, follow me to the next phase.