- 01Read the wind-up
- 02Wait for the window
- 03Parry
- 04Use the opening
Timed parries
Defending inside a short pre-impact window converts danger into a counter opportunity. Early guarding and a successful parry need distinct feedback.
The player's decision
Take a small loss with a safer guard or risk a missed parry for a larger opening?
Original scenario
Original setup: a dummy raises its weapon before swinging. Early input guards, near-impact input staggers it, and feedback distinguishes early, accurate and late.
Start with this prototype
Build a parry practice with one enemy and three repeatable rhythms. Land three parries, show early/late feedback, and offer a wider window plus visual cues. Retry immediately; omit a combo tree.
Change one variable
Vary the valid window and record novice timing errors before adding random delays.
What to observe in a playtest
Can players read attacks without audio and tell whether to act earlier or later next time?
Take the full design card
Includes rules, scope, tuning questions and sources for further planning. It does not create a project automatically.
Original analysis · version 1
Common pitfall
If impact frames disagree with the animation, visually correct input fails. Verify timing through real input and rendered motion.
Observations and sources
Cases refer to public documentation. Developers and community wikis are credited separately; document review is not a claim of hands-on testing.
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The official guide links last-moment deflection to posture pressure and counter-slashes.
- Dead Cells
The Parry Shield sacrifices held blocking while strengthening reflected projectiles, illustrating specialization costs.
Brief for the studio
Opens the AI studio with the brief below in the input. You can edit it. Nothing starts automatically.
Build a parry practice with one enemy and three repeatable rhythms. Land three parries, show early/late feedback, and offer a wider window plus visual cues. Retry immediately; omit a combo tree.
Covers are original AI-generated style illustrations. Game names reference publicly visible design choices and remain the property of their owners. This atlas does not supply screenshots or assets from those games. Prompts and combinations are original drafts for new games.