Games thrive when they cater to players of all abilities, but it is a difficult problem to solve. The following games each demonstrate ways they have worked to create more inclusive experiences for players with different skill levels, both for individuals and for groups.
Flexible game design allows for diverse play styles and encourages connections across skill gaps, boosting engagement.
Note that the goal is not perfection, but rather to continue to look for ways we can help players feel like meaningful contributors and reduce the frustration that can come from skill imbalances.
Overwatch
Overwatch supports meaningful contributions and role diversity through a large cast of heroes with unique abilities that cater to different play styles and skill levels. Support heroes like Mercy, for instance, can contribute significantly to the team’s success through healing and buffs, even if they don’t rack up a high number of kills.
Overwatch also addresses the pressure of being forced into the support role by offering heroes with less traditional playstyles. Moira’s kit blends healing with offensive capabilities, appealing to players who might struggle with passive healer roles like Mercy. This expands the support roster’s appeal, lessening resentment when players are matchmade into the role while still catering to those who enjoy the classic support experience.
Multi-User Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs)
MOBAs like Dota 2 and League of Legends offer several features to support players of various skill levels:
- Bot matches — AI-controlled opponents provide a safe environment for players to learn complex mechanics, experiment with new champions, or practice without the pressure of live competition.
- Champion variety — Extensive champion pools cater to diverse playstyles and skill preferences. Community-created resources further guide players towards champions that suit their desired experience.
- Ranked and unranked modes — Ranked play rewards competitive mastery, while unranked modes should ideally offer a more relaxed space for casual play and experimentation.
- Role diversity — The emergence of established roles within the MOBA meta provides a structure for players of differing strengths. Features like League‘s Team Builder can help reduce conflict and promote teamwork.
Developer considerations:
Be aware that even in unranked modes, player expectations around “optimal” play can become stricter over time. This can create an unwelcoming environment for less-skilled or experimental players, and may necessitate design adjustments.
Celeste
Celeste offers an innovative approach to difficulty through its “Assist Mode.” This feature gives players granular control over elements like game speed or stamina, making the precise platforming accessible without compromising the core challenges the designers envisioned.
This stands in contrast to traditional difficulty settings or dynamic scaling, where the “intended” experience is altered. In Celeste, players know what the intended difficulty is but can freely adjust it to overcome obstacles. This removes the feeling of a game being “not for them” while preserving the sense of accomplishment.
Celeste further caters to diverse players with optional “B-Sides” and collectible Strawberries. These provide brutally difficult challenges for experienced players seeking to push their limits, without gating the main story’s completion.
Celeste‘s approach has merit for other genres known for difficulty, such as Souls-like games (named for the eponymous Dark Souls series and includes later hits such as Elden Ring and Hollow Knight). Empowering players with customizable assistance lets them enjoy the experience on their own terms, expanding a game’s potential audience without sacrificing its core identity.
Splatoon
Splatoon‘s design caters to players of all skill levels through several features:
- Diverse play modes — Ranked modes provide a dedicated space for competitive players to test their skills, while Turf War’s focus on covering ground makes it enjoyable for those who prioritize fun over high-stakes victories.
- Weapon choice matters — The wide variety of weapons with unique playstyles empowers players to find what feels best for them. Success isn’t solely dependent on twitch reflexes or pinpoint accuracy.
- Practice makes perfect — Splatoon provides low-pressure spaces (like the town area) where players can experiment with weapon mechanics and movement before heading into matches.
Left 4 Dead
The Left 4 Dead series was pioneering in its ability to support play groups and pick-up-groups of varying skill levels effectively:
- Invisible tutorials — During gameplay, it subtly highlights objectives or provides hints to those who are new, returning after a break, or struggling. This avoids disruptive tutorial segments, keeping players immersed in the action.
- Catering to all players — “Trash mobs” let less-skilled players feel useful, while tougher enemies and rescue opportunities enable skilled players to shine with heroic moments.
- The AI Director — This system dynamically adjusts difficulty based on the team’s performance. By keeping everyone engaged, the game won’t become too easy or overwhelmingly hard.
Together, these elements create a cooperative experience where players of all skill levels can quickly learn the ropes and feel like valuable contributors.
Deep Rock Galactic
Deep Rock Galactic offers a flexible and dynamic difficulty system that caters to a wide range of players:
- Hazard levels — The core difficulty setting (1-5) impacts everything from enemy toughness to mission complexity. This provides a clear baseline for groups to find their ideal challenge level.
- Optional modifiers — Warnings and Mutators let players fine-tune the experience, trading increased difficulty for greater rewards. This caters to those seeking an extra challenge and a sense of risk vs. reward decision-making.
- Adaptive scaling — The game subtly adjusts enemy waves based on team performance. This keeps missions engaging without becoming too easy or punishingly difficult.
Additional Design Insights
- Subtle adaptation — Resident Evil 4 excels at invisible adjustments to enemy behavior. This creates a dynamic challenge that responds to player skill organically, without jarring difficulty spikes.
- Optional assistance — The “guide bot” in Portal 2 empowers players to choose the level of support they need. This preserves problem-solving satisfaction for those who want it, while ensuring no one gets stuck and abandons the game.
- Community-driven success — Megadungeons in Guild Wars 2 and a focus on cooperative events make player diversity an asset. This creates a welcoming environment where players of all skill levels can make meaningful contributions.
- Early innovation — Xevious pioneered rank-based difficulty systems in shoot-em-ups. While its implementation has potential drawbacks (punishing success), it’s worth studying for its historical significance and influence on skill-adaptive mechanics.
Now what?
Flexible game design allows for diverse play styles and encourages connections across skill gaps, boosting engagement.
We often tend to think of player compatibility solely in terms of skill but many different attributes contribute to the making of a great team.
