A game that I enjoy is Duck Game, a fast-paced local multiplayer PvP game developed by Landon Podbielski. In Duck Game, the only interaction arc really comes in the form of the player’s long-term self-improvement rather than from any story prompting. As far as the interaction loops, the basic gameplay follows from that of most played with a controller. The mental map begins with understanding of a controller. The left joystick is used to move, and the A button is used to jump. Otherwise, the player must now progress through the interaction loop to learn the game’s controls and systems. The player decides to take the action of pressing a button; for this example, we’ll use the B button. Once they press the button, they receive the feedback that it causes their character (who is a duck) to quack. Thus, they update their mental model with more information on the game’s systems. This loop will continue as they learn the controls.
Furthermore, there are a range of compound interactions and skill chains. One straightforward example of this is the ability to shoot while moving in the opposite direction. The lower-level skills involved in this interaction are the skill of moving, the skill of doing so without changing the direction that your character faces, and the skill of firing your weapon. By combining different tools, the player finds ways to progress their game plan, and gains a better understanding of mechanics as a result.
