One game that I have enjoyed recently is a musical mobile game called Like a Dino!
There are several mechanics that make up this game. For example, the game uses a dinosaur character which can be moved right and left across the bottom of the screen. There are colored segments that appear to move down from the top of the screen. The player is able to move the dinosaur character so that the segments “fall” on top of the dinosaur character’s head, and the dinosaur character “catches” the segment which makes the dinosaur’s neck appear to grow taller. The game also features original music and simple artwork in a hand-drawn style. The music is set so that it is in sync with the falling segments. The music loops, starting at 1x speed, and increasing +.2x more each time a loop finishes. Furthermore, there is a scoring system where players earn points based on the number of falling segments that they catch. Another mechanic involved is that the players have three lives before a round stops. If players miss a segment, they can continue where they left off until they lose all of their lives, ending the round.
All of these mechanics create a dynamic that creates fun, aesthetic experiences. For example, the aesthetic of challenge is created by dynamics such as the tension and pressure that arise from the increasing speed of and the variation of falling segments and from the scoring system. These dynamics create barriers for the player to overcome, keeping them engaged and wanting to play again. Sensation is another core aesthetic that is created by dynamics. For example, the syncing of the music to the falling segments and the personalization of in-game character artwork act on the player to create sense-pleasure. These dynamics allow the player to admire the artwork and music, such that it is a core reason for why they are engaged with the game. So, we see that these sets of mechanics create dynamics that encourage types of fun such as challenge and sensation.
