The Rise of the Systemic Game

Storyline (framing)

The video is not focused on a single game’s plot. Instead, it uses examples (especially Breath of the Wild) to explain how systemic games generate story-like moments through interactions, not scripted scenes.

Gameplay / Key ideas (systemic game behavior)

How systemic gameplay works (core mechanism)

• Awareness + rules connect systems:
  • Entities have inputs (what they can “detect” / respond to).
  • Entities have outputs (what they can “broadcast” into the world).
  • When inputs and outputs align—and entities can physically interact—a rule triggers.

This produces interactions like:

• Fire spread (e.g., fire touching wood → it ignites)
• Damage propagation (e.g., explosions damaging objects/floors)
• Weather effects (e.g., rain extinguishing campfires and changing surface behavior)
• Creature behaviors tied to conditions (e.g., an electric-darner appearing in rain)

Breath of the Wild as the flagship example (weather system)

When it rains:

• Rocks become slick, making climbing harder
• Footsteps become hushed, aiding stealth
• Electric attacks get stronger
• Fire and bomb arrows become less special and behave like regular arrows
• Specific plants/creatures appear (e.g., electric darner)
• Characters run for cover; campfires sizzle out
• Large puddles appear and later evaporate when the sun returns

Emergence (why it feels “alive”)

• Emergent gameplay: outcomes aren’t directly authored by designers; instead, they emerge from multiple interacting systems.

Examples of emergent moments described:

• Far Cry: enemy systems and wildlife interact (e.g., a tiger mauls a guard) rather than being pre-scripted
• Watch Dogs 2: lead cops into gang territory, let factions fight, then escape via distraction
• A “three-way tussle” involving factions plus an elephant, framed as naturally produced by system interactions

Strategies & player takeaways

Exploit indirect relationships (not just direct combat)

Because entities react to more than the player, you can often succeed via indirect chains, such as:

• Using animals to attack enemies
• Creating distractions that trigger other factions’ conflicts
• Turning environmental reactions (weather, hazards, materials) into tactical tools

Use systems knowledge to improvise

Systemic design rewards experimentation: puzzles and encounters often have multiple valid solutions driven by the environment and rules—rather than a single “intended” answer.

Design principles / “how to build” systemic games (as discussed)

1) Create lots of “awareness”

Make entities aware of:

• other characters and creatures
• environment hazards and damage types
• global systems like day/night
• larger mechanics (e.g., wind/fire/ice-like chemistry interactions in Zelda)

2) Keep rules consistent and universal

• If one object can catch fire, all similar objects should follow that logic.
• Breaking consistency reduces player trust and exploration.

3) Prefer abstraction over overly specific detection

Suggested approach (from Dishonored co-directors):

• entities should output general stimuli (e.g., “explosive damage,” “fire damage”)
• other entities should “listen” for those stimuli

Benefits:

• easier to add/modify content
• players can discover connections designers didn’t anticipate

4) Allow controlled instability

The world shouldn’t be perfectly balanced until the player arrives.

Unpredictability can come from:

• automated systems (e.g., rolling weather)
• AI goals/needs that push entities into contact and conflict

What goes wrong (common failure modes)

• Players find a reliable “meta” approach and ignore emergent play
  • Example mentioned: many MGS V missions solved with a silenced tranquillizer gun
• Not enough incentives/tools for interaction beyond killing
  • systemic fun drops if actions mostly remove entities rather than enabling manipulation
• Overly linear missions that limit freedom and experimentation
  • example cited: concerns about main-mission scripting/fail states
• “Samey” systemic setups
  • example: camp structures described as repetitive across some Ubisoft titles

Note: systemic games can be designed to serve different “messages,” so sameness is possible even with strong mechanics.

Steps / bullet tips (implied planning workflow)

• Observe the world’s inputs (weather, materials, factions, creatures)
• Identify rules connecting systems (e.g., rain → extinguish; fire → spread)
• Trigger outcomes indirectly (distractions, environmental reactions, exploiting faction conflicts)
• Expect plans to fail—use disruption to adapt rather than brute-force

Sources / gamers featured (mentioned at the end)

• Aleissia Laidacker (former lead programmer at Ubisoft)
• Harvey Smith (Dishonored co-director)
• Raphael Colantonio (Dishonored co-director)
• Eurogamer’s Here’s A Thing (referenced for further reading)

Game example creators/brands and works mentioned:

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Metal Gear Solid V
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance
• Mark of the Ninja
• Far Cry (incl. Far Cry 2/4)
• Watch Dogs 2
• Hitman
• Dishonored
• Deus Ex
• Assassin’s Creed Origins
• Grand Theft Auto
• Mafia 3
• RimWorld
• Dwarf Fortress
• Thief
• System Shock
• Ultima Underworld
• Prey
• Dishonored 2
• The Legend of Zelda (latest)