How Can You Make Backtracking Fun?

Use code DESIGNDOC50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at ! It takes forever to make a location in most video games. It sure would be nice if we could reuse it. Maybe even a few more times… Careful! You might be falling into a backtracking trap. Excessive backtracking is so easy for a game to add in, but it can be so painful for players. Turning backtracking from a chore to something that players want to play takes some work, but it’s totally possible. Let’s talk about the game design approaches that can make backtracking fun. Featuring: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door A whole lot of classic Sierra point-and-click adventures Radiant Historia Devil May Cry 4 Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Donkey Kong 64 Metroid (like, most of them) Hollow Knight Wario Land 4 Pizza Tower Tunic Outer Wilds 🎧 Patrons get ad-free episodes early, plus access to our behind-the-scenes podcast. 📢 Support Design Doc on Patreon: 👕 Check out our merch store! Design Doc on Twitter: