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As I’ve been working on A.R.C.H., I’ve found myself thinking quite a bit about timeline anomalies. Since they form the basis of almost every mission, a surprisingly large amount of the investigation experience depends on how interesting the anomaly is in the first place.
While designing missions, there are three things I generally find myself looking for in a timeline anomaly.
1. They Create Questions
Players need a reason to investigate.
Often this comes in the form of a visible anomaly.
A medieval village possesses advanced metallurgy centuries ahead of schedule.
A historical figure appears to have survived their recorded death.
A famous battle ends differently from established history.
The anomaly immediately raises questions and gives players something concrete to investigate.
However, visible anomalies are not the only possibility.
Some missions begin with little more than suspicion. Historical records may contain inconsistencies. Intelligence reports may suggest external interference. An earlier investigation may have raised concerns without producing firm evidence.
In these cases, the anomaly itself becomes the mystery.
The question is not simply “Why did this happen?” but “Did anything happen at all?”
Whether visible or hidden, a strong anomaly should encourage curiosity. Players should want to understand what is going on and feel motivated to seek answers.
2. They Have Multiple Plausible Causes
I generally find anomalies more interesting when they support several competing explanations.
For example:
A famous inventor disappears before completing a breakthrough.
Possible explanations might include:
- Temporal sabotage
- Natural death
- Political intervention
- Timeline contamination
- External incursion
If only one explanation is possible, players have little reason to form theories of their own.
If several explanations remain plausible, players are encouraged to form theories and test them.
3. They Create Consequences
An anomaly should matter beyond its initial discovery.
The anomalies I find most interesting tend to generate ripple effects.
A missing inventor may delay technological development.
A surviving historical figure may alter political alliances.
A premature scientific breakthrough may destabilise entire regions.
Consequences create stakes.
Without consequences, anomalies become curiosities rather than missions.
One of the easiest mistakes in mystery design is focusing entirely on the answer.
The answer is important, but players spend most of the game interacting with the question.
A strong anomaly creates curiosity long before the solution is revealed.
Players should want to know what happened.
When that curiosity drives the investigation forward, the anomaly is doing its job.
Looking back, I suspect this is why I spend so much time thinking about anomalies when designing missions. The answer to an investigation matters but players spend most of their time interacting with the question. If the anomaly generates curiosity, theories and consequences, the investigation usually has a solid foundation to build upon.
In many ways, the anomaly is not simply the starting point of an A.R.C.H. mission. It is the thing that drives the entire investigation forward.
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