The Mario games introduce mechanics in a way that directly reflects the upward trending graph (Saw shaped difficulty curve) of difficulty.

There are four steps (https://youtu.be/Vwj3On5o58U #zt) to introducing a new game mechanic to players in a Mario game. They are:

1. Introduce the concept in a safe environment ((Actionable Gamification #citation)) where they can experiment without risk of failure (The onboarding phase builds confidence in mechanics).
2. Introduce the same concept, but this time with risk of failure.
3. Blend (Zettelkasten method of note taking) the new concept with an already familiar concept.
4. Slowly ramp up difficulty (Saw shaped difficulty curve) to become increasingly interesting and challenging.

Between each of the above steps is a resting point where the player can get their bearings and start again if there is a failure. This is the dramatic drop in difficulty that very quickly increases again, as represented in footnote [4]'s graph.

Space Invaders - Design Icons Habitica Health vs Experience game mechanic HabitRPG Health vs Experience game mechanic

#toolong