SECTION 02
GAME MECHANICS OVERVIEW
Two players.
Different information.
One shared problem.
XenoEtiquette is an asymmetric co-op puzzle game where communication is the puzzle.
One player experiences the alien encounter directly. The other holds the cultural and technical knowledge needed to interpret it. Neither player has the full solution.
CLASSIFIED
OPERATION OVERVIEW
Asymmetric first-contact co-op. Two roles. Different information. One shared problem.
2
Players
Asymmetric Map
~20 MIN
Current Session
THE ASYMMETRIC SPLIT — NEITHER PLAYER SEES WHAT THE OTHER SEES
FIELD AGENT HAS:
✓Direct view of the alien
✓The cockpit interface
✓Real-time body language
✗The protocol manual
✗Cultural reference guides
✗What any symbol means
MISSION CONTROL HAS:
✓Complete alien protocol manual
✓Cultural reference charts
✓All gesture definitions
✗View of the alien
✗Real-time body language
✗Any idea what agent sees
HOW A ROUND WORKS
01
Alien acts
The alien performs a gesture. Only the Field Agent can see it.
02
Agent describes
The Agent must describe what they see — without using any protocol terms.
03
Control searches
Mission Control searches the manual for a matching description.
04
Control guides
Control must tell the Agent how to respond — without revealing the manual.
05
Outcome
Was it a greeting or a threat display? You have 60 seconds.
SUBJECT REFERENCE — SPECIES DOCUMENTATION
CORE MECHANICS — BUREAU DESIGN NOTES
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DESIGN PILLAR
MECHANIC 01
Asymmetric Information
Each player holds a different piece of the puzzle. Neither can solve it alone. The gap between what you know and what your partner knows is where the game lives.
⟳
CORE LOOP
MECHANIC 02
Cooperative Tension
You are on the same team. You want the same outcome. But your communication is constrained, imperfect, and funny. Failure is a shared experience.
◎
INNOVATION
MECHANIC 03
Communication as Gameplay
The puzzle is not 'which button do I press.' The puzzle is 'how do I describe something I've never seen before, in a language my partner can use.' That's the game.