Map based games (Open-world, Sandbox)

Map based games feature a navigable map and are a classic of interactive fiction, table-top inspired games, and ones inspired by top-down and isometric games. The map below is a small and incomplete part of the original adventure game.

While most maps exist in a normal Euclidean space where going in one direction can be reversed by simply going back in the reverse direction this is not required to be true. It is fairly common to loop locations particularly at the edge of a map if you are navigating by compass direction to keep the PC in bounds. Complex and confusing mazes can be made by having one-way passages that work in a non-Euclidean way. In general though this should be avoided as it requires the player to draw a map or have a very good memory.

Within a Ren'Py Visual Novel map-like navigation can be done my offering the player a choice of where to go (such as bar, beach, gym, nightclub, shop) rather than compass points (N, E, S, W). Clickable maps can also be used where the player selects a location by using a pointer on a map or illustration.

This kind of game offers the player great freedom of choice to wander about. They may need some kind of in-game reminder about what they need to do next such as a quest tracker.

The story structure is not present in the basic structure of the game. It must instead by handled by the code making various events and encounters possible when pre-conditions have been met. This makes the style harder to envision for those coming to development from an author background.

Map based games often work in conjunction with a time-based element that tracks the progression of time of day and day of week, such as having to go to work during week-day 9-to-5.