Extra Credits

Exit Points (2015x15)

: 22, 2015

Part of treating players with respect is respecting the time they have to play your game. Exit points make sure your game offers players plenty of opportunities to put down the controller when they feel they have reached a good spot to stop. Gentle messages reminding them how much time they've played or offering accomplishments like new levels or zones can provide exit points. On the flip side, however, developers sometimes create unintended exit points with frustrating design choices. Long, punishing load screens in games where death is frequent may eventually cause a player who would otherwise want to continue decide to give up on trying more. Minimizing the number of unintended exit points while striking the right balance of intended exit points not only makes a game more humane, it also improves its design by preventing players from forming the negative impression of being "trapped" by a game.