Mechanic of the week 0.1

Mechanic of the Week

If you haven't read the Opening of my blog, the Mechanic of the Week is a series which explores different game mechanics and how they are used in various title and genres in an effort to understand its utility. Each week for three weeks I'll play and write about my experiences with that mechanic and at the end of the three weeks, I'll make a small experimental game implementing what I've learned. By doing this I can expand my knowledge of the subject as well as build a resource for other designers to use in their own research.

Week 1
Passive Control - I'll explore games in which the player affects the game world/units but does not have complete control over them. As an example, my first entry will be John Conway's Game of Life, where the player sets the initial environment, but then resigns control once the game starts.

I'm counting any game that was designed with periods of time where players are unable to have an affect on the world and play continues. Some suggestions I've heard already have been Robot Rally, Gratuitous Space Battles and MindRover and I'd love to hear any others you might have.