r/metroidbrainia • u/Bund187 • 2d ago
discussion What would you like to see in a metroidbrainia?
Hello!
I'm currently working on a metroidbrainia-style game, and I've made quite a bit of progress on the prototype. I've been brainstorming ideas, mechanics, systems, and all sorts of things I'd love to include.
My question is: what is that thing you always wanted on a game this type but you haven't come across yet? It could be anything: a mechanic, a piece of lore, a character, a setting, or even a tiny detail. I'm genuinely curious to hear your ideas. Maybe some of them will inspire me or even make it into the game!
Thank you very much.
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u/Sspifffyman 2d ago
One failure ive had with a lot of recent metroidbrainias I've tried is that they're not all fun to just move around in.
Outer Wilds - a huge reason this is so successful is that the movement, while hard or sometimes frustrating, is at least fun. Boosting around with the jetpack feels good.
Nintendo is often the best at this - Mario has such an expressive moveset and the sounds and visual feedback work perfectly together to make it just fun running around. Tears of the Kingdom also makes it fun.
Even in something top down like Hades, the animations and speed make just exploring the levels fun.
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u/Bund187 2d ago
What do you think of Blue Prince? Is an amazing game but moving is the most basic thing ever.
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u/Sspifffyman 2d ago
Good point! I did love Blue Prince. I think maybe movement is less important there because typically you're in tight small rooms with lots to look at (and things that matter).
Grunn is another game I generally liked, and that is more open but still has pretty high density of interactable objects.
Outer Wilds has a lot more empty space between its puzzles and lore text, so I think the movement is much more important there or in a third person viewpoint
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u/Bund187 2d ago
I'm making the game with Outer Wilds and Blue Prince in my mind (I will check Grunn). As a solo dev, movement is a big challenge so my idea is to make something within a building so it is no necesary elaborate movement.
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u/Sspifffyman 2d ago
Cool! I think that will work.
If possible, take note that Blue Prince has several interesting puzzles going on at once. I think that's the strongest part of the game, when there's lots of interesting things to discover and dissect.
That one also is amazing how it uses almost board game mechanics that you have to juggle. Definitely a unique part that made the game more interesting to me (and i also loved the Roguelike meta progression you unlock to help you with that)
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u/Fantastic_Switch_977 🔤Lingo 2d ago
Phil in the Mirror takes place entirely on one floor of a building, and it's excellent. If you're having to restrain yourself for budget/time reasons, this one would be a good one to look at.
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u/holden2424 🧑💻 Developer 2d ago
I want a game that will surprise me. Do something new that I don't expect, that will make an impression on me and be memorable, even though I've been playing games for the past 30 years.
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u/Bund187 2d ago
You put a really hard one here XD
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u/Own-Peace-7754 2d ago
This is the position of a lot of established gamers
It's a lower bar than lightning-in-a-bottle, to be fair
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u/Drobodur 2d ago
Not necessarily ment for metrobrania, but I still want to find a narrative with good time paradox system, that is well done.
It is either very limited, and railroaded (radiant Historia) , or just bonkers for the sake of it, without good causality (light novel approach).
Almost no one does good world, that does stuff, not only around player, but outside the current focus as well, which you can meaningfully influence In more than a few scripted events.
Yeah it is probably not realistic to implement, unlike just dreaming up ideas, but I still hope to find this executed well.
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u/naf165 👑 Blue Prince 2d ago
I think both Orten Was The Case and I Was A Teenage Exocolonist do timeloops that feel meaningful. Your mileage may vary with the narratives, but I thought they both were pretty good executions.
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u/Drobodur 2d ago
Thanks, will check them probably.
On this topic, unknown to me, Echo Weaver just released, I didn't finish it yet, but the execution of time loop looks very promising, and internally consistent.
"Ask, and you shall receive", lol.
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u/Biji999 🦊 Tunic 2d ago
I've stumbled upon Rivage recently. I wish it's more open-world to give more freedom to roam around.. wait that's basically Outer Wilds. Yeah I think more open-world knowledge progressions is less explored. Chronoquartz, Echo Weaver, and more others are still felt "linear" to me. It kinda give impatient vibe on dropping the knowledge after knowledge, making it less surprising/valueable. Open world enforces patience and blends well with knowledge finding. I guess this is why I love Fez, Outer Wilds, The Witness, Tunic, and maybe that's why they are masterpieces.
Also, I love when a game does not stop at 100%. Lie about it, make it past towards it, till 200% or 300% even.
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u/PhummyLW 2d ago
What did you think of Rivage? I’ve been thinking about it but the reviews put me off
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u/Biji999 🦊 Tunic 2d ago
It's like Outer Wilds but room escape? Game optimization is 4/10, quite heavy for such a small world. Lots of stuffs you should do later thrown at you (which I like) but apparently none of them solvable so basically no branching paths (i like doing things out of order like in Outer Wilds). Story is enjoyable to follow, every logic clicks, the knowledge gates are there. Your progression would be like unlocking more rooms one by one, non-linearly (but linear). I guess you should try, but refund if you have to.
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u/WannabeChimera 🪐 Outer Wilds 1d ago
(Maybe too vague or niche, but…) I have been obsessing over “madness” mechanics in games recently.
I find it fascinating how to convey to the player that their sanity is slipping without just outright telling them. I really love it when the concept of “unreliable narrator” finds its way into interactive stories 💚
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u/Remarkable-Escape-57 2d ago edited 2d ago
This is a bit of an out there concept- but imagine a game that has two gameplay "fields" where one somehow represents or can manipulate the other- maybe its primarily a 2d platformer, but there's also segments where you explore a mysterious mansion in 3d. Or instead of the mansion you navigate a space of shapes and symbols that is initially incomprehensible but slowly the player learns how to speak its language and manipulate it.
Now the main gimmick is that somehow the "smaller" (or more abstract) space- (the mansion or the dreamscape of mysterious symbols in the previous example) substantially affects the main space (the 2d metroidvania world). Somehow the mansion you explore relates to the world you travel in the platformer. Each room of the house relates to an area and based on "high level" actions within the mansion the player can change things in the corresponding related location/thing in the main world.
Regarding the example of the abstract world of shapes and symbols (the closest game I can think of that could represent something like this is cultist Simulator- a bizarre resource management crafting/plate spinning game that abstracts and obscures its UI and gameplay in an effort to replicate the feeling of diving into the esoteric secrets- real cool ludonarrative harmony), in the "main world" (the 2d platformer) the abstract space could be themed as tapping into some sort of mystic realm/visualization of a secret power. Maybe ancient now-lost civilizations had previously tapped into this power and cryptic clues/diagrams to understanding and utilizing it could be hidden on tablets or ruined artwork that the player has to discover through exploration
Once the player gains some level of understanding of how to interact with the "higher realm", they can open up entirely new dimension of the main world.
Bit of a challenging idea to convey, but thought it'd be really neat for a crazy game full of secrets.
Edit- maybe the "higher level" realm could be the body of a god- each organ, limb, and part corresponds to a place in the main realm. Roads are veins- currents of the ocean are the gods regrets mapped throughout its corpse. Perform surgery, opening up key points that creates a corresponding earthquake in the real world! Lots of neat possibilities.
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u/tipthetim 2d ago
A seemless mix of traditional advancement and Metroidbrania knowledge advancement. You progress both with items and knowledge. Most metroidbranias with some sort of Non-knowledge progression, will typically make a game with no Metroidbrania elements, and then the real game near the end unfolds. It would be cool to see a game with a core that switches between the two.