EventGames Ground 2026
UpcomingDrop Your Weapon: Designing an Engaging Nonviolent Action-Adventure Game
Overview
Action-adventure has been a top genre for decades, yet its biggest titles are built around combat. So how can we replace it and still keep players engaged? This session explores that question through our work on Tidewind, a non-violent action-adventure about wonder, discovery and connection.
Using a transformation framework, we look at what happens in the story, how the game evolves mechanically, and what shifts in the player’s mind, at what combat does in each of these, and at how other mechanics can do the same.
Whether you design action-adventure games or any other kind of game, come and rethink what can drive your players forward.
What we can get into
- Why action-adventure leans on combat, and what the genre gets from it
- How the hero’s transformation plays out in the story, the mechanics and the player’s head
- A transformation framework you can hold your own game against
- Which other mechanics can carry that weight, with examples from Tidewind
Speaker
Anton LichtCo-Founder & Game CreatorSudden ForestAnton Licht is a game designer and developer with 15 years in the industry, and CEO and Co-Founder of Sudden Forest. He has worked at Wooga, King, and 5th Planet Games, with credits including June’s Journey or recent contributions to Vampire Therapist. With his team he is building Tidewind, a non-violent 3D action-adventure.
How to join
Friday is one of the Business Days at Games Ground, so you need a Business Days ticket (any tier). The talk is on the Cage Stage.
Recording
This talk has taken place. If a recording goes online, I’ll link it here.