Invisible walls
Video game concept
Players' ability to fully explore and/or utilize their surroundings is thwarted by unexplainable invisible barriers.
140
games
18platforms
Alternate name: Artificial barriers
WIN 2001-11-15
PS3 2010-06-29
WIN 2010-10-13
WIN 2016-02-09
WIN 2016-03-08
X360 2009-06-02
WIN 2002-02-25
PS3 2008-10
WIN 2011-09-09
N64 1997
WIN 2010-10-19
WIN 2003-10-28
Sometimes these are to circumvent flaws in the game engine that would otherwise cause you to get stuck some crevices, more often as artificial boundary for the area where you're "allowed" to play. For the latter it's usually sign of poor level design or unnecessarily restricting gameplay.
Also cases where some minor rubble that you'd except the character to be able to walk over without effort, especially if in other cases you can do just that.
These are also often present at the borders of watery bodies of various sizes but should be ignored in their case if there's no perceivable reason to actually allow swimming.
Sometimes present at edges of high ledges that would certainly (by common sense) kill the player character if she fell off, these can be considered as representation of the character's common sense (outside of the player's judgement) to not jump off and should not be considered, though they can be included if mentioned. Any similar cases included.
Exactly the opposite of what illusionary walls tag describes, you can't pass through where you expected to.
Does not apply if the barrier is found by glitches, cheating, or a series of difficult or improbable actions to place the character where the developers never conceived it possible.
Also cases where some minor rubble that you'd except the character to be able to walk over without effort, especially if in other cases you can do just that.
These are also often present at the borders of watery bodies of various sizes but should be ignored in their case if there's no perceivable reason to actually allow swimming.
Sometimes present at edges of high ledges that would certainly (by common sense) kill the player character if she fell off, these can be considered as representation of the character's common sense (outside of the player's judgement) to not jump off and should not be considered, though they can be included if mentioned. Any similar cases included.
Exactly the opposite of what illusionary walls tag describes, you can't pass through where you expected to.
Does not apply if the barrier is found by glitches, cheating, or a series of difficult or improbable actions to place the character where the developers never conceived it possible.
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Games by year
The first Invisible walls video game was released in 1989.
Tripwire Interactive, THQ and 2K Games published most of these games.