Alternative Health Systems

What alternatives to traditional health systems are there? For my project at Radlyn Games, I’m designing resources the player must find in order to survive, and this has made me think about the health system in the game. Right now there are two main resources the player must find: oxygen and fuel. As you might expect, oxygen allows the player to keep breathing and it’s effectively the closest to a health bar we have. Fuel powers the player’s jet-pack, allowing them to continue moving in space. The player will find these resources as they explore.

The player’s oxygen depletes over time and fuel for the jetpack is expended when they move. This could lead to a scenario where the player runs out of fuel, has no reserves, and is unable to move, causing them to eventually run out of oxygen. This adds a timer to the gameplay, running out of oxygen or fuel causes the player to die and they will be reset to an earlier point. The player must always be on the lookout for oxygen and fuel or have reserves saved up. The hope is that this timer-as-health will add urgency to the story and levels, while also keeping the player engaged.

Thanks for reading!

Ryan