Graphics by Jolan Sacdalan
A fact stands in the mind of many players: a health bar is a gauge for a game’s difficulty. However, the case of this simple feature of showing HP bars can drastically change the experience from player to player, but it might not be the case of what you may be thinking right now.
To any non-gamer, an HP (Health Points) bar, is a meter (usually red or green) that gauges your health, which in turn helps you survive better. These points can vary per game, with 100 being the most common number for a full player's health and the game’s difficulty will adjust accordingly to make it reasonable to play according to how many health points you have remaining. If you ask a player from any given game, they will tell you that the health bar is one of the most iconic and important aspects of their game, and rightfully so since the structure of a health bar in games, whether it is intentional or not, directly affects a player’s efficacy in the game. However, the health bar itself can drastically change the way players approach the game, especially if it’s visible or not.
For instance, a simple game like Terraria shows the health points of the player and their enemies, incentivizing the former to be resourceful with their gameplay. This meant that if the player maintains their health points for longer periods of time, they would be often rewarded more, thus creating an enjoyable gameplay loop for them.
In addition, if the player can survive on their own after knowing much of the game’s mechanics revolving around the health bar, they can explore more methods and limitations the game offers, allowing for ingenuity to thrive. Now, compare that to a game where health bars are not present on the player’s side, with only one life to boot like Phasmophobia. Without a health bar to look into, the player is left with their wits, quick thinking, and decisiveness in order to survive. Also, knowing they only have one life, drastically makes them more cautious in exploring and limiting their movements with utmost care. This is why most horror games adapt to this style of health bar, as having one life makes the player more anxious and sells the idea that they are helpless in that situation, with the only way to survive is to be as careful as possible. Though with that all said, a visible and invisible health bar is not all there is to it.
This simple and humble health bar also dictates the vibe and success of a game depending on how it is structured. For instance, the Monster Hunter series only shows the health bar of the player and not the enemies they are hunting. This in effect, makes the hunts more gratifying when they are slain, which yields more satisfaction to the gameplay loop. This is why even the smallest of details such as the health bar should not be overlooked as they are one of the few little details that determine the success of a game. Tactical games such as XCom need them for suspense, and in turn, Casual games do not need extra information for the player to stress about.
Now ask yourself. Do you want them to see the “Game Over” screen more often? Will your game be strategic? Fast-paced? Challenging?
Choose wisely, since a person’s patience cannot respawn all the time.
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