Gameplay Basics: Fortitude

One of the main gameplay elements of Down is being in the dark and having limited information about the world around you. Being alone in the dark in a strange cave is scary. The more time you spend in the dark, the more your fortitude is challenged. You will encounter at least one type of light that will temporarily illuminate your surroundings. The mysterious light source will diminish over time as it reacts negatively to human touch.

The player character’s “Fortitude” will remain stable so long as they are not in the dark. I’ve been thinking about a gameplay mechanic that will allow you to put the light away (in your pocket, say). Doing so will pause the draining of the light’s energy, but will put the character in the dark which affects their Fortitude. With the proper level design, the player will want to balance needing to see with keeping their Fortitude levels up.

And, of course, if you run out of Fortitude, you lose the will to continue on your journey Down.