Posted December 20, 2022
I just realized one interesting difference in the way ice physics is handled in action versus puzzle games.
In both types of games, when there's ice physics present, when you start moving and release the direction, you don't stop immediately, but instead stop some distance later. But what differs is in how input is handled during the time it takes to stop.
In an action game, while sliding on ice, you can press the opposite direction to slow down, or you can try jumping or crouching, or perform any number of actions.
In a puzzle game, on the other hand, once you start moving on ice, you can't stop. In some games you'll stop after a certain distance (if you don't hit anything along the way), while in others, you'll keep going until you hit something. (Note that, in some cases, you may be able to place an object on the ice in such a way that it stops your movement, allowing you to enter a passage you'd otherwise pass by; figuring out how to do this is part of the puzzle.)
As for other genres:
* RPGs, at least the games I consider to be RPGs, behave like puzzle games if there's any ice puzzles in them.
* I'm not aware of any strategy game, whether turn-based or real-time, that has any sort of ice physics.
* In adventure games, all interactions are scripted, so there's no ice physics in the mechanics. On the other hand, the game might dictate that certain things might happen if you try to cross ice, possibly requiring you to have a certain item or something to pass safely.
* Sports games aren't going to have something like ice unless the game is something like hockey.
* Racing games I would expect to behave like action games; if there's ice, I would expect it to be harder to stop or slow down on the ice.
In both types of games, when there's ice physics present, when you start moving and release the direction, you don't stop immediately, but instead stop some distance later. But what differs is in how input is handled during the time it takes to stop.
In an action game, while sliding on ice, you can press the opposite direction to slow down, or you can try jumping or crouching, or perform any number of actions.
In a puzzle game, on the other hand, once you start moving on ice, you can't stop. In some games you'll stop after a certain distance (if you don't hit anything along the way), while in others, you'll keep going until you hit something. (Note that, in some cases, you may be able to place an object on the ice in such a way that it stops your movement, allowing you to enter a passage you'd otherwise pass by; figuring out how to do this is part of the puzzle.)
As for other genres:
* RPGs, at least the games I consider to be RPGs, behave like puzzle games if there's any ice puzzles in them.
* I'm not aware of any strategy game, whether turn-based or real-time, that has any sort of ice physics.
* In adventure games, all interactions are scripted, so there's no ice physics in the mechanics. On the other hand, the game might dictate that certain things might happen if you try to cross ice, possibly requiring you to have a certain item or something to pass safely.
* Sports games aren't going to have something like ice unless the game is something like hockey.
* Racing games I would expect to behave like action games; if there's ice, I would expect it to be harder to stop or slow down on the ice.