Wayfinding

Understanding Wayfinding in Level Design

• Wayfinding Definition:

• Methods designers use to indicate destinations
• Shows players “where they might want to go”

• Differs from Affordances:

• Wayfinding: Indicates destinations
• Affordances: Shows what players can do
  • “Wayfinding doesn’t tell how to get there”
  • “Affordances don’t tell where you’re ending up”

• Implementation Types:

• Diegetic
  • Exists within game context
  • Examples:
    • Road signs
    • Billboards
• Non-diegetic
  • UI elements
  • Examples:
    • Floating arrows
    • Glowing minimap spots

• Signage Approaches:

• Explicit
  • Clear language-based signs
  • Requires localization consideration
• Implicit
  • Environmental indicators
    • Biome changes
    • Fog/light changes
    • Up/down indicators

• Examples:

• Mirror’s Edge: Uses color for direction
• Racing Games: Painted arrows and lit signs
• Sandbox Games: Directional arrows for tasks
• Halo Series: “fantastic job mixing implicit and explicit wayfinding”

Wayfinding serves as a crucial tool for guiding players through game environments using both in-game and UI elements. The choice between explicit and implicit methods depends on the game’s needs and design philosophy.