8 Games With Magic Systems So Detailed Brandon Sanderson Would Be Proud
Brandon Sanderson's laws of magic systems—that rules must be clear and learnable, and that limitations make magic interesting—are exemplified by several video games where players must master mechanics to succeed.
– **Dishonored** grants protagonist Corvo powers from the Outsider, a supernatural entity; the game tracks every action via a chaos meter that visibly affects NPC behaviour, rat infestations, weather, and the ending, rewarding precise understanding of the system.
– **Prey** gates alien abilities behind a scanning mechanic; overreliance on these powers triggers corruption, spawning a deadly Nightmare and forcing strategic restraint rather than unrestricted power use.
- Video games uniquely suit Sanderson's magic laws because players must master mechanics to progress effectively.
- Learnable systems with meaningful limitations create emergent, strategic gameplay.
- Consistent cause-and-effect rules reward clever problem-solving and experimentation.