Using achievements as a gating mechanism for content?

khumak

Engaged Member
Oct 2, 2017
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I've been looking at the documentation for Ren'Py a bit and stumbled upon the section on achievements. Most of the games I've seen that use achievements just use it as way to unlock images in an image gallery. It strikes me that it could be an interesting way to gate content so that your options for subsequent playthroughs are expanded as you unlock different achievements though. So for instance if you haven't unlocked a particular achievement, the best outcome for whatever scene you're currently playing through might not be possible and you would have different outcomes to choose from until you did unlock that achievement.

Something like this would also potentially give people a reason to see some of the scenes they wouldn't normally see if they follow their preferred path (although the downside to that might be that some people would feel forced to see content they are actively avoiding).

I've played plenty of non adult games that use achievements in this way but I can't really think of any adult games that do. Are there some I could try out that do something like this? Do players get annoyed by that sort of thing? If so, it shouldn't be that hard to just add an autocomplete option that unlocks all of them for players who don't want to do it themselves. Personally, I think it would add replay value since your options for each playthrough would change depending on your achievements but some players might just find it to be a grind. I'm assuming that achievements can be made to be persistent so that once I unlock achievement xyz on my first playthrough I can use it to unlock extra content on my next playthrough.
 

khumak

Engaged Member
Oct 2, 2017
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Actually I did just think of a game that does something like this but it involves time travel so it's actually using a system like this to gate content in the same playthrough: Time Loop Hunter.

I found that game a bit confusing but I did like it.
 

Honey Tales

Active Member
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Game Developer
Dec 6, 2018
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I think achievements are quite important to increase replayability. My game will include them and depending on how the players react, I'll add more. My intention is to use them as a way to tease players with other walkthroughs they might have ignored during the first game session.