How To Help Your Players Stop Saving All The Time

Speakers: Randy Smith

Track: Game Design

Format: Lecture

Experience Level: Intermediate

Description: No game can be transcendently immersive when players compulsively think about saving and reloading: Is the upcoming risk too great? Did I make a mistake without realizing it? Should I accept the loss I just suffered? By contrast, in games without save/load players are bound to the experience and committed to the consequences of their actions... assuming the desire for save/load doesn't frustrate them into giving up entirely.

This presentation explores the phenomenon of save/load compulsion by considering a broad range of examples, by leveraging the speaker's experience on the THIEF series which suffered from the compulsion, and by referring to current projects that more deliberately manage the save/load experience.

Save/load is examined in terms of player psychology: their desires for immersion and completeness, how they place value on game resources vs. their real-life resources such as time and emotional investment, and how they perform the loss/risk analysis which determines whether they will save/load. Design techniques are provided which use this understanding to minimize save/load compulsions.

Idea Takeaway: Attendees gain insight into what designs cause players to experience save/load compulsions. Attendees learn specific design techniques that reduce these urges and balance the game such that save/load isn't necessary.

Intended Audience: This presentation is intended for game systems designers seeking to limit or remove save/load from their game in a way that improves rather than compromises the player’s experience.