Reduce the Number of Inputs Required for Mastery
Try to minimize the number of inputs that players must perform in order to progress within the game. The greater the number of inputs they are required to remember and utilize, the more challenging the experience becomes—not only for novice players but also for those with specific impairments. Although input devices such as keyboards and gamepads provide a sufficient number of buttons, it is not necessary to make use of all of them.
If the gameplay mechanics in your game are well-developed and robust, requiring complex inputs may be appropriate, and players are likely to be more forgiving of such complexity. In some cases, memorizing many individual keys may be preferable to relying on a few keys that must be combined in numerous ways. Extensive use of key combinations may have a detrimental impact on gameplay, particularly in games with already complex control systems.
However, if your game is relatively simple, an overly complicated control scheme may only serve to frustrate players, resulting in reduced motivation to continue playing.
Quick-Time Events
Quick-time events (QTEs) require players to perform specific actions within a limited time frame in order to progress during a cutscene. These actions may include:
Pressing one or more keys once.
Rapidly mashing one or more keys.
Holding down one or more keys.
QTEs may offer the following advantages for players:
They can contribute to a more cinematic experience.
Players may exert less effort in executing the intended action.
When multiple actions are bound to a single key, players only need to remember that one key.
Nevertheless, one of the primary motivations for playing video games is to engage in experiences shaped by intentional player actions. If you wish to include cinematic sequences in your game, it is advisable to keep them to a minimum and instead encourage player-driven interaction outside of cutscenes.
Avoid Button-Mashing
Button-mashing typically occurs in games during quick-time events, where players must rapidly press one or more buttons to perform a desired action.
Although rapidly pressing a button may seem like a fair test of a player’s skill, it often results in physical discomfort or fatigue. It can quickly become a source of frustration, particularly if the player fails to time their inputs correctly and is forced to repeat the sequence. Additionally, some players may not be physically able to execute rapid button presses due to impairments. Therefore, if your game requires players to perform a specific action, it is best to avoid button-mashing mechanics. Instead, consider requiring players to hold a button or utilize a different input method. Alternatively, you may implement a mini-puzzle as a replacement, ensuring that players with difficulties in rapid tapping or prolonged holding still have a fair opportunity to progress.
Offer Alternatives to Button-Holding
If players are expected to perform numerous actions throughout gameplay, holding down buttons may initially seem like an effective method. Examples of such actions include:
Selecting units in strategy games.
Aiming down sights, firing weapons, and sprinting in action games.
Activating speed boosts in racing games.
While certain actions, such as selecting units or firing weapons, are often most efficiently executed by holding down a button, other actions—such as sprinting—may be better suited to a toggle mechanism.
Allowing players to toggle an action rather than hold a button can benefit those with specific impairments, those seeking to reduce strain on their hands, or simply those who prefer toggles for comfort. Therefore, it is advisable to provide players with the option to choose between button-holding and toggling for particular actions.