Shadow Tactics

Shadow Tactics builds quick load in as its official way to handle failure. Many stealth players save before anything sneaky and reload when they fail. Shadow Tactics makes that the sanctioned response to being spotted, instead of designing a way to recover.

Game Maker's Toolkit argues that designing against quick loading protects the tension of being spotted, since reloading breaks flow and removes the dynamic escape. Its line: "It kills the tension of being spotted if you're one button away from fixing it."

Straw-hat enemies in Shadow Tactics ignore rock distractions. Throwing a rock to lure a guard is a favourite tactic, and the straw-hat enemies are immune to it. That forces players to use other tools, so no single tactic wins every time.

Game Maker's Toolkit pairs this with Hitman's enforcers, who see through disguises, as examples of enemies countering a player's best tool. Its line: "if you stick to one powerful technique, you shouldn't be surprised if your opponents start using it against you."