I just finished a game where my character couldn’t fight back—just hide and run. At first it frustrated me, but by the end, the constant dread made every creak terrifying. How do devs walk that line between making you feel helpless and keeping gameplay satisfying? Are limited saves, minimal resources, or enemy design more impactful? Would love to hear examples that nailed this balance.
For me, ‘Signalis’ nailed this. You can fight, but the limited inventory makes you constantly choose between ammo and healing. That panic when you’re out of both and hear footsteps? Chef’s kiss. It never feels cheap because the rules stay consistent.
From a design standpoint, player vulnerability requires predictable threat patterns. If enemies feel random, players ragequit. Look at ‘Darkwood’—the sound tells you exactly where danger is, so deaths feel like your fault, not bad design.
Loved how ‘Amnesia: The Bunker’ did this. You get a gun, but bullets are so rare that shooting feels like a last resort. The real horror comes from managing generator fuel while something hunts you. So tense!