FUNDAMENTALS OF GAME DESIGN, SECOND EDITION
Parallel Layouts
A parallel layout—a modern variant of the linear layout—resembles a railroad switchyard with lots of parallel tracks and the means for the player to switch from one track to another at intervals. The player passes through the level from one end to another but may take a variety of paths to get there. See Figure 12.2 for a much-simplified illustration.
Even though the parallel layout does not require players to pass through every available path, most players search them all anyway if the game lets them do so. One path may offer a greater risk and therefore a greater reward, while another path may give the player greater insights into the storyline. You can easily construct a
parallel layout to reflect a foldback story structure. (See Chapter 7 for a discussion of story structures.)
You can also use parallel paths to provide shortcuts that let a player bypass particularly difficult challenges that lie on the more obvious path. If you do so, you may want to hide the entrance to the shortcut so only a particularly dedicated explorer will find it. When you create a hidden entrance, you must provide some clue, however subtle, that it is there. Otherwise, finding it becomes a trial-and-error challenge, a sign of bad design. The original Wolfenstein 3D contained hidden rooms accessible only through wall panels that looked exactly like the rest of the wall, which forced players to check every single wall panel in the entire level to see which might conceal a hidden room.
