Learning about Signifiers within games

Creating my own sign

In our third contextual studies lecture we were taught about what a signifier was within a game and what exactly it represented and does. I quickly learnt that a 'signifier' in a game is basically some sort of sign, something that makes itself present to the player and catches their attention, notifying them that they have either completed a action or still need to do so. So for example, imagine a big green button which is giving out a steady glowing light. The appearance of the button in a game environment would signify that it needs to be pressed as it is capturing the players attention with its bright glow and noticeable presence.  Then, let's imagine that the button has been pressed, all light drains from it and it remains a dismal and bleak green colour, this appearance would signify that the action is complete and the button is no longer in use.

After learning out signifiers and what they stand for, we were set a task to draw or create a sign that will exist in our game and then present our design to the rest of the class. This task got my thinking about the different objects and creatures that would be appearing in my game, how exactly were they going to make themselves apparent and show the player that they could be interacted with. After thinking about all my different in game objects, I decided to focus on the different Orbs of Light that would be scattered throughout the levels as they have variety and will be the most common object for the player to come across and interact with. Below is the image I created representing the different signs within my game.

The different orbs of light 

Throughout my games levels their will be different types of orbs scattered around in the darkness which light must collect in order to restore daylight to the level once completed.

Small orbs:  Small orbs act as point system so in order to get a 100% pass of the level when you finish it, you must make sure to collect all of these small orbs.

Cluster orbs:  cluster orbs act as a check point so, if light was to faint from being 'hit' to many times, you will be directed back to the nearest cluster orb you collected. And, when you do interact with a cluster orb, it releases a large flash of light that completely re lights the level for around 10 seconds, before fading back into black. This will allow the player to briefly have a rest period and plan out where they have to go next.

Large orbs:  The character light, is only giving off a small warm glow throughout the game that gives you a limited view of the level but this can be affected by picking up a large orb. Large orbs act as a big boost of power, which light can use to increase the amount of glow they produce, increasing the lit area that the player is able to see but this will only last around 10 seconds and then it will eventually fade, leaving you with what you started off with.

I believe that the Orbs would be able to stand out to the player and show clearly that they are important to investigate as they are one of the few parts of the level that will be clearly visible in the darkness the entire time, due to their pale white glow. They will essentially help guide the player throughout the game as, if you follow the orbs, you are going to find the end of the level far more easily.