Siphon Spirit Design - Player Types

 I wanted to share a little bit about game design in our blog. I've thought long and hard about how to make a game based on a linear story as replayable as possible. It's not just a game you can enjoy endlessly, but it's also designed to be rewarding for different types of people with different levels of interest.

For those that just want to play through it once and be done:
Siphon Spirit's story is reasonably sized. I'm aiming for a 3-4 hour game initially. A player that just wants to play the game and get on with playing other games can feel satisfied that they've saved the world and had a full experience. For me, having a bunch of games I never finish sitting on my shelf actually makes me feel guilty. I often wish my games didn't last so long.

For the Completionist:
The game goes well beyond the initial story. By going back and perfecting your scores on every stage, you can free spirits that will open up access to new challenges. These new levels are not just harder, they will also include additional story sequences. Many games I've played give hefty challenges and offer no substantial reward for them. In Siphon Spirit, expect to see some of the most exciting things happen only after seeking perfection.

For the Competitive:
If you really have something to prove, try to see just how high a score you can get. An update in the final release will raise your level score by finishing a fraction of a second faster. The game displays your cumulative score across all 150+ levels in the File Select screen. We hope to provide a place for the community to display their high scores with pride.

For the Creative Player:
We have explored the game's mechanics to a great extent, but there will always be new things to try. The Level Editor included with the game will allow you to spend as much time as you want, endlessly designing new challenges using all the game's Orbs. Design the most wicked level you ever imagined, or see how big you can make the Spirit Orb get.

For the Bored:
Custom-made levels will be shareable online, and we'll make sure there's a way for you to pass yours around. If you haven't had your fill of Siphon Spirit, download community-made levels and master every last one. There will be endless levels to play!

We hope it's a game everyone will come out of feeling like they've had the level of experience they were hoping to get out of it. What kind of player are you?