Now let’s see how these survival challenges apply to our game:

• 1 and 2 are fairly irrelevant to Lacuna Passage since the game takes place after landing on Mars and in reality these hazards really only increase the astronaut’s chances of getting cancer during their lives by about 1-2%.

• 3 and 4 are very real contributors to the story and gameplay. Exhaustion and isolation have very real psychological effects in the game, including disorientation and perhaps even hallucinations.

• 5 is also not relevant because the story explores the concept of a solitary “shipwrecked” astronaut. There were other crew members on Mars at one time, but a huge part of the game is discovering why they lost contact with Earth and what exactly happened to them.

• 6 is certainly not an insignificant hurdle for space exploration but it is relatively unimportant in Lacuna Passage. You won’t be worrying about getting sick or breaking a leg as these are typically things that are the result of random chance. Being randomly afflicted with a potentially game-ending health issue is not the type of experience I am looking to create. All of the survival aspects of the game involve planning and concepts of conservation. You won’t be breaking a wagon axel here.

• 7 and 8 are probably the most important mechanics in the game. The amount of time you have to explore is directly related to how well you manage your technological and biological needs.