Weight/encumbrance
Carried items have weight, and exceeding a capacity threshold slows movement, blocks fast travel, or prevents further pickups, forcing players to prioritize what they carry. Skyrim's carry-weight system (with slower movement when overencumbered) and Fallout 4's similar mechanic both turn looting from a free action into a constant triage decision — is this item worth the weight budget it costs? Designers use encumbrance to create resource-management tension around looting and inventory (not everything found can be carried), to make strength/carry-boosting stats and perks meaningful, and to prevent players from indefinitely hoarding every item found. Key decisions: penalty severity for overencumbrance (movement slowdown versus a hard block on further pickup), whether weight can be increased through stats, perks, or storage mules (companions who carry excess for you), and whether fast travel or actions are restricted while overloaded. Pitfall: encumbrance systems widely regarded as pure friction — forcing frequent trips back to sell or store items with no interesting decision attached — are a common target for mods and complaints; the system works best when it forces genuine 'what do I actually need' choices rather than just interrupting play with logistics.
- Dev effort: Small
- Timing: Real-time or turn-based
- Common in: rpg, open-world