Learn Why Tears of the Kingdom Is an Example of Good Game Design
Posted on March 29 2024 by Leslie Jacobson
We have had nearly a year with Tears of the Kingdom and it’s undoubtably a good game. It has won numerous awards and players continue to push the creative possibilities of the game.
Content creator Snoman Gaming has analyzed one aspect of what makes Tears of the Kingdom a great example of good game design – its layers. The Depths, the Surface, and the Sky Islands are all interconnected, yet each must be traversed in its own unique way. It’s often up to the player to create how they will explore each location, such as riding on horseback or building a vehicle. Exploration is rewarding and such rewards encourage players to explore the other layers of the game. Snoman Gaming points out how the light roots reveal the locations of Shrines on the surface, and how Old Maps in the Sky Islands point to interesting locations in the Depths.
Snoman Gaming does a great job of breaking down the design of Tears of the Kingdom in a way that perhaps seems obvious, but reminds the viewer that all the fun features were specifically designed for a purpose. It’s a game that boasts exploration and Snowman Gaming does a great job analyzing why it works so well in Tears of the Kingdom. He also discusses how Tears of the Kingdom built on its predecessor and improved on it, such as the refinement of Magnesis into Ultrahand.
If you liked Snoman Gaming‘s analysis, you can follow them on X, TikTok, and Twitch.
What do you think? Did Snoman Gaming explain what makes Tears of the Kingdom so good? What else should be discussed when talking about the game design of Tears of the Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!
Source: Snoman Gaming
Leslie is a mom, a cosplayer, an educator, and a fervent fan of The Legend of Zelda series. She lives in an area of the United States that reminds her of the Akkala region in the fall and Hebra the other 11 months of the year. She owns The Legend of Zelda t-shirts older than most of her students.
