Progress has been a bit slower this week as I have been, and am still on holiday, but I’ve still managed to move forward on an important feature: the “states-of-being” mechanic. This system is essentially the equivalent of an enemy attacking the player, but instead of reducing health, it heightens and alters the player’s emotions in a negative way. For example, a state-of-being like “overwhelmed” might intensify the primary emotion of “anger,” adding a layer of challenge to the gameplay, see the table below.

This mechanic is one of the fundamental aspects of the game, representing how different states of being influence emotions. While real-life emotional behaviours are incredibly complex, the aim here is to simplify this connection into something engaging yet manageable for gameplay. For now, the focus is on getting the system working, with balancing and fine-tuning planned for later during user testing.

The next step is where things get exciting—bringing the states-of-being to life with visual flair. I’ll be adding animations and particle effects to make their impact on the player more dynamic and immersive. This is the fun part, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it enhances the overall experience.

Even with slower progress this past few weeks, it’s great to see this key mechanic taking shape. There’s still plenty to do, but with each update, the coping card game edges closer to becoming the interactive, meaningful experience we have envisioned.