Design Pattern: Hidden Treasure

Overview

When a game has obscured goals or items that the player must find in order to use, but need not find in order to progress, the pattern in use is called Hidden Treasure. The treasure must at once provide an advantage and novelty; a weapon that differs only in that it is more powerful is just as unsatisfying as one that is only a re-skin of vanilla content.

Note again that Hidden Treasure is not required to progress; it can certainly make progression easier, but in order to qualify it cannot be strictly mandatory.

Hidden Treasure is a common feature of many games, but is prominent in any game within the RPG continuum as the pattern lends itself to quest systems.

Purpose

The Hidden Treasure pattern is put to use in three mutually independent ways.

• Encouraging exploration – The promise of an advantage and novelty gives the player reason to explore the game world, and thus Hidden Treasure can be used to get the player moving; only effective if the presence of the Hidden Treasure is made apparent early on.
• Creating replay value – Ubiquitous Hidden Treasure is most likely going to require multiple play-throughs in order discover all of it. If the Hidden Treasure is well-formed, then the advantage and novelty of the treasure will give life to the replay instead of playing solely to Skinner Box mechanics.
• Enthralling the player – The treasure becomes the object of the 'Just one more…' compulsion. Not necessarily a bad use, but Hidden Treasure should also provide something more than just a cheap way to keep the player playing.

Examples

Good

• Costume Quest – Peppered throughout the game are the materials and plans for new costumes; each costume provides a different set of attacks, spells, and over-world abilities to a party member. The costumes are not required to progress, but some costumes make the endgame easier. Searching for costumes will also reward you with more side quests, currency, and help uncover plot points.
• TESV: Skyrim – Most magical items fall into this category, and the Elder Scolls games in general blur the lines between 'required' and 'optional' treasure depending on how you play the game and what you personally see as the goal of playing it. Strongly geared towards replayability and enthralling the player.
• AOE II: Age of Kings – The Relics on the map are Hidden Treasure; their novel and powerful bonuses provide an incentive for players to explore the map as well as add flavor to warfare.