No.039 / 280Action & reflex · Stealth & identity

Rising Alert Stealth Routes

Guards don't spot you instantly; suspicion builds, and you reroute inside that buffer.

Prototype complexity
Who plays: Solo decisions
Design focus: Information · Timing · Spatial

No.039Dishonored

01The core loop

Action → feedback → next choice

01Read patrols and sightlines
02Commit to a route
03Suspicion meter climbs
04Break contact or reroute

↻Feedback changes the situation — the next round starts from there.

Walk through one round

A simplified design example. Situations and numbers illustrate the mechanic, not exact rules from a reference game.

T1
Turn 1 · The situation
A guard at the hall's end needs 2 seconds to reach 'curious'; the target door is 4 seconds away.
T2
Turn 2 · The player chooses
You dash 2 seconds to a pillar, wait for him to turn, then cover the last 2.
T3
Turn 3 · The feedback
His marker fills to 70%, then drains; he mutters 'just my eyes' and resumes patrol.
T4
Turn 4 · The next decision
The next hall has two crossing guards; a pillar alone won't do, you'll need a tool.

How it plays

Each guard fills a suspicion meter based on distance and lighting while you're visible, and it drains slowly once you're out of view. Tiers go from curious to searching to combat; higher tiers decay slower and pull nearby guards in. Icons and barks tell you how much slack remains.

What the player weighs

Shortcuts save time but cross more sightlines
Drawing curiosity lures guards off, but can spiral into an alarm

02Start small

Quest · 0/3Prototype complexityConnected systemsWho plays · Solo decisions

Scope is an editorial estimate for the minimum prototype, not the reference game or a production schedule.

03One mechanic, different implementations

Dishonored

A marker over enemies fills gradually before full alert, and Blink lets you leave their sight before it completes.

HITMAN World of Assassination

Suspicious acts make NPCs show a suspicion indicator and investigate, escalating to search or hostility; tolerance varies by area.

The difference worth noticing

Dishonored's alert is mostly about being seen; HITMAN's hinges more on what you're doing and wearing.

Case notes are Yoroll editorial summaries; rules may change between versions.

04What could you combine?

Fusion · Original design proposal · not an existing feature

Rising Alert Stealth RoutesStealth & identity+

Spend a fixed point budget on abilities before the mission, so taking a blink means dropping a suspicion-reset tool and routing starts in the loadout screen.

Prototype this combo in Yoroll