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Rules of the Game

 Rules of the Game
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 Rules of the Game
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game
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RulesOfTheGame
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A Video Game Trope where certain rules are put in place for a certain stage of the game. These rules will generally restrict the player's actions somehow or otherwise put the player at a disadvantage. Sometimes though, these rules will actually work to the player's advantage. If that happens, it's usually because random chance determines what kind of rules are put in place. Expect to see this trope if a battle occurs as part of a competition of some sort.
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })There will generally be one of two ways the rules are enforced:
One: It's simply impossible to break them. The game won't allow any attempt to do so. The Dark Cloud example below takes this form.
Two: The game will impose a penalty for violating the rules. The Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne example takes this form.
Not to be confused with Jean Renoir's 1939 film of the same name, considered to be on par with Citizen Kane.
 Rules of the Game
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DBTropes
 Rules of the Game / int_178c5235
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_178c5235
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In Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale sometimes special circumstances are applied to each level of a dungeon while you're exploring them. They can be helpful (e.g. doubling your attack or defence power or revealing the map, increasing your speed), neutral (e.g. supplying the aforementioned benefits to both you and the monsters) or negative (e.g. only applying benefits to monsters, disabling the map). The very last dungeon only applies negative effects and does so on every level.
 Rules of the Game / int_178c5235
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 Rules of the Game / int_178c5235
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 Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_178c5235
 Rules of the Game / int_1ff419c5
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_1ff419c5
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Kingdom Hearts II had the Underworld Colliseum tournaments, which would impose rules for each type of tournament, limiting what kind of moves you were allowed to use.
 Rules of the Game / int_1ff419c5
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1.0
 Rules of the Game / int_1ff419c5
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 Kingdom Hearts II (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_1ff419c5
 Rules of the Game / int_283badac
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_283badac
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Dark Cloud 2 brings this back with the sealed floors: Red forbids you from using Max, Blue forbids you from using Monica, and White forbids you from using any healing items. Thankfully, if you destroy all of the monsters on a sealed floor, the seal goes away. (Although, for some floors, this is easier said than done.)
 Rules of the Game / int_283badac
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 Dark Cloud (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_283badac
 Rules of the Game / int_2dcfb6cb
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_2dcfb6cb
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In Nethack's Sokoban Bonus Dungeon boulders can't be pushed in any diagonal direction, you can't squeeze diagonally between two boulders which sit diagonally across from each other, and levitation won't prevent you from falling down through holes in the floor.
 Rules of the Game / int_2dcfb6cb
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Rules of the Game / int_2dcfb6cb
 Rules of the Game / int_31e1eca3
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_31e1eca3
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The Battle Arcade from Pokémon Platinum and HeartGold and SoulSilver is a textbook example.
 Rules of the Game / int_31e1eca3
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 Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_31e1eca3
 Rules of the Game / int_3565350a
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_3565350a
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The "Laws" in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, complete with Judges who penalize you for breaking them. This can result in either lost bonuses like EXP or AP (yellow card) or being immediately transported to jail (red card). If the protagonist ever gets the red card, it's an automatic game over.
 Rules of the Game / int_3565350a
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 Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_3565350a
 Rules of the Game / int_49a87cb3
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_49a87cb3
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In Final Fantasy VII, the Battle Square in Gold Saucer makes you spin a slot machine before the beginning of each new fight. The result of the slot machine will determine if any restrictions are in place for the battle. Some results are actually beneficial, such as restoring your health. The harsher the penalty, the more the round is worth if you win. Conversely, helpful results offer very little value for the round. The player can circumvent many of the penalties with the right equipment/materia setups in advance (like a Ribbon), assuming you didn't get your protection broken by a previous penalty.
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 Final Fantasy VII (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_49a87cb3
 Rules of the Game / int_5921531b
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Rules of the Game
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In Persona 4, Adachi has a floor in his dungeon where he forbids you to encounter any Shadows while making your way to the exit. If you do, he promptly kicks you out of the dungeon.
 Rules of the Game / int_5921531b
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Rules of the Game / int_5921531b
 Rules of the Game / int_5e3832b5
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Rules of the Game
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In Cave Story, if you try to use any weapon within the moon pyramid, you'll get instantly hit with a Bolt of Divine Retribution.
 Rules of the Game / int_5e3832b5
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1.0
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Rules of the Game / int_5e3832b5
 Rules of the Game / int_63e2868
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Rules of the Game
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Crash Bash has this for many of the crystal challenges. In this game, computer opponents usually play on even footing with the player(s), but in the crystal challenges the special rules usually don't apply to the computers.
Gem challenges are this to a lesser extent. They either give the player less lives, put a time limit, or set the score goal higher for the player than for the computer.
 Rules of the Game / int_63e2868
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Rules of the Game / int_63e2868
 Rules of the Game / int_73b74949
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_73b74949
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Borderlands has a setup similar to Final Fantasy VII's Battle Square in the Thunderdome arena. After every wave, the game imposes an effect on the players to make the fighting more challenging, such as enemies having faster shield regeneration, certain guns doing more damage, head shots being the only way to kill enemies, etc. A wave may include up to three effects at a time.
 Rules of the Game / int_73b74949
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 Borderlands (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_73b74949
 Rules of the Game / int_86814cd0
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_86814cd0
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In Final Fantasy IV, the Lodestone Cavern paralyzes anyone wearing metal equipment until Gilbert/Edward breaks the spell between the first and second Dark Elf fights.
 Rules of the Game / int_86814cd0
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 Rules of the Game / int_86814cd0
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 Final Fantasy IV (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_86814cd0
 Rules of the Game / int_86814e56
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Rules of the Game
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In Final Fantasy VI, physical attack commands are disabled in the Cultists' Tower. (AI-controlled party members, such as Umaro, or anyone with berserk status, can still attack normally.)
 Rules of the Game / int_86814e56
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Rules of the Game / int_86814e56
 Rules of the Game / int_a993be1f
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Rules of the Game
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In Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, you can fight in the ring in the Mandalorian camp on Dxun. The rules are chosen by the opponent you challenge, and may range from fistfights without weapons or the Force to no restrictions at all. (Laying mines before the duel begins isn't considered a violation, though...)
 Rules of the Game / int_a993be1f
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 Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_a993be1f
 Rules of the Game / int_c2463c53
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Rules of the Game
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In Final Fantasy V, the western half of the Fork Tower dungeon prevents the use of physical attacks (or, more precisely, monsters counter physical attacks by resetting the battle), while the eastern half prevents the use of magic.
 Rules of the Game / int_c2463c53
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 Final Fantasy V (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_c2463c53
 Rules of the Game / int_c51b8d7a
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_c51b8d7a
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In Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, the Ahriman battle (assuming you aren't going the Shijima route) has two parts: In the first part, Ahriman challenges you to a game and imposes a different set of rules for each round of the fight. Any character who violates these rules is instantly killed. The second part is a straight up fight.
In Persona 4, Adachi has a floor in his dungeon where he forbids you to encounter any Shadows while making your way to the exit. If you do, he promptly kicks you out of the dungeon.
 Rules of the Game / int_c51b8d7a
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 Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_da02c1ef
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This is half the gimmick of the Glitz Pit from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Before each match Grubba will give you an objective. If you win the match without doing what Grubba tells you, he won't raise your ranking and you'll have to do the fight again.
 Rules of the Game / int_da02c1ef
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 Rules of the Game / int_da02c1ef
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 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_da02c1ef
 Rules of the Game / int_eb6719f6
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_eb6719f6
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In Final Fantasy VIII, most commands are initially disabled in the Very Definitely Final Dungeon; they can be unlocked again by defeating optional bosses.
 Rules of the Game / int_eb6719f6
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 Rules of the Game / int_eb6719f6
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 Final Fantasy VIII (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_eb6719f6
 Rules of the Game / int_f0235bc8
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_f0235bc8
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This is the whole point of Tower of Heaven. Violate a rule, get smited instantly, restart the level.
 Rules of the Game / int_f0235bc8
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 Rules of the Game / int_f0235bc8
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 Tower of Heaven (Video Game)
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Rules of the Game / int_f0235bc8
 Rules of the Game / int_f1fbeee0
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Rules of the Game
 Rules of the Game / int_f1fbeee0
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Destroy the Godmodder uses this to signal that something really interesting is happening. The delicacies and little fiddly bits of the rules change almost daily anyways, but the big ones are subject to change if something cool enough happens.
 Rules of the Game / int_f1fbeee0
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 Rules of the Game / int_f1fbeee0
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 Destroy the Godmodder (Roleplay)
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Rules of the Game / int_f1fbeee0

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Rules Of The Game (Fanfic)
seeAlso
Rules of the Game
 RulesoftheGame
sameAs
Rules of the Game
 Destroy the Godmodder (Roleplay) / int_35e6941a
type
Rules of the Game
 Age of Wonders 4 (Video Game) / int_35e6941a
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Rules of the Game
 Antonball Deluxe (Video Game) / int_35e6941a
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Rules of the Game
 Crash Bash (Video Game) / int_35e6941a
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Rules of the Game
 Final Fantasy V (Video Game) / int_35e6941a
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Rules of the Game
 NBA Ballers (Video Game) / int_35e6941a
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Rules of the Game
 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Video Game) / int_35e6941a
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Rules of the Game