One game that I love is Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. In this game, the player controls a “fall guy,” a bean-shaped character who competes against other players in a series of game show-esque physical challenges until only one winner remains. Here are the key mechanics:
- Players play different games in rounds. Those who lose a certain round will be eliminated, and only one player can win overall. This grants high stakes.
- The physics of the game are very wobbly and characters are hard to control. This creates a sense of whimsy and removes some of the pressure from the challenge.
- Rounds can have different goals, such as winning a race or remaining on a platform while avoiding obstacles for a set amount of time.
These mechanics create a very high pressure game, while contrasting this pressure with the silliness of the character movement and the whimsical nature of the games being played. This feeling lends itself to the “sensation” type of fun, in addition to the more obvious “competition” type of fun.
