Summary
Intentional, simulated technical disruptions to deceive the user into believing a critical error has occurred.
Pattern Description
Crash & Burn introduces deliberate, fabricated system malfunctions to mislead the user into thinking the system has crashed. These cues mimic genuine technical failure and exploit user expectations of instability. The user may restart the system or the application, believing progress has been lost, only to later discover that the interruption was purposeful and part of the designed deception. Sub patterns
Usage
To implement this pattern, designers can use error screens, freezing frames, sudden shutdown animations, or distorted audio to interrupt the flow of action. The deception should be crafted with subtle cues indicating its artificial nature, ensuring that perceptive users can detect the trick without accidental hard frustration. Once the player restarts the game, they should realize that the crash was a calculated ruse, resulting in minimal disruption to their progress or gameplay experience. The expected emotions are frustration, confusion, and relief once the deception is revealed.
Examples
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (2002)
Uses a sanity meter that triggers fake audiovisual “glitches” as it drops—tilted screens, distorted audio, phantom bugs, even a fake Windows crash and blue screen implying lost progress.
Earthbound (1994)
Punishes players using pirated copies with a forced crash during the final boss. After the reset, all saved data is erased, intentionally frustrating those who played illegally.
Interaction design implications
Can evoke a wide spectrum of emotions and reactions in users: frustration, confusion, as well as relief. It disrupts flow, undermines system reliability, and breaks the expectation of stable feedback loops. Hence, the designer should consider mechanisms to contain those reactions within their intentions and prevent excessive frustration of the user.
Relation with other patterns
To be Determined
Further reading
Malaquias, Ana Rita Mendes. 2024. A Proposal of Deception Patterns in Game Design.
Malaquias, Rita, and Pedro Cardoso. 2025. “Deception in Video Games: Nine Game Design Patterns.” In Advances in Design and Digital Communication V.