Meta:Game Structure
Game Structure refers to the way content is presented and unlocked in Mystery Dungeon games.
Branched Structure
The game opens multiple branches of stories, quests, and dungeons with their own unlock requirements, such as finding specific items, or completing part of another branch.
Fetch Structure
The player is tasked with reaching a certain floor in a dungeon, find an item or character, and then bring it back to the beginning of the dungeon by backtracking.
Linear Structure
One story event consistently leads to the next, and content is unlocked as the story progresses.
Free Progression
The player is allowed to keep playing side content before progressing the story to unlock more.
Forced Progression
When story events progress, the player needs to complete the current part of the story before being allowed to do anything else in the main game mode.
Revisit Structure
The player is expected to visit locations in a main dungeon multiple times. Along the way to the end of the main dungeon, villages, characters, quests, and entrances to other dungeons may be found, unlocked, and progressed, by revisiting the same locations multiple times.
Appearances
Dragon Quest Mystery Dungeon
Main Story
| Torneko 1 | Torneko 2 | Torneko 3 | Young Yangus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS1 | GBA | PS2 | GBA | ||
| Fetch | |||||
Post-Credits
| Torneko 1 | Torneko 2 | Torneko 3 | Young Yangus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS1 | GBA | PS2 | GBA | ||
| Fetch | |||||
Shiren the Wanderer
Main Story
| Shiren 1 | Save Surala | Moonlight Village | Shiren 2 | Magic Castle | Asuka | Shiren 3 | Shiren 4 | Shiren 5 | Tower of Slumber | Shiren 6 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFC | DS | SP | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | GB | PC | PCI | SP | GBC | DS | DC | PC | Wii | PSP | DS | PSP | DS | Vita | 2020 | SP | |||
| Revisit | Revisit | Revisit | Linear | Linear | Linear | Linear | Fetch | Linear | Linear | Linear | Linear | Revisit | Revisit | Revisit | Revisit | Revisit | Revisit | Branched | |||||||
Post-Credits
| Shiren 1 | Save Surala | Moonlight Village | Shiren 2 | Magic Castle | Asuka | Shiren 3 | Shiren 4 | Shiren 5 | Tower of Slumber | Shiren 6 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFC | DS | SP | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | GB | PC | PCI | SP | GBC | DS | DC | PC | Wii | PSP | DS | PSP | DS | Vita | 2020 | SP | |||
| Revisit | Revisit | Revisit | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Branched | Branched | Branched | Branched | Revisit | Revisit | Revisit | Revisit | N/A | ||||||||||
Final Fantasy Mystery Dungeon
Main Story
| Chocobo 1 | Chocobo 2 | Chocobo 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS1 | WS | Wii | DS | EB | |
Post-Credits
| Chocobo 1 | Chocobo 2 | Chocobo 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS1 | WS | Wii | DS | EB | |
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Main Story
| Rescue Team | Explorers | Adventure Squad | Gates to Infinity | Super MD | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Blue | DX | Time | Darkness | Sky | Blazing | Stormy | Light | ||
| Branched | Branched | Free Linear | Free Linear | Free Linear | Free Linear | Free Linear | Forced Linear | |||
Post-Credits
| Rescue Team | Explorers | Adventure Squad | Gates to Infinity | Super MD | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Blue | DX | Time | Darkness | Sky | Blazing | Stormy | Light | ||
| Branched | Branched | Branched | Free Linear | Free Linear | Free Linear | Free Linear | Forced Linear | |||
Etrian Odyssey Mystery Dungeon
Main Story
| Etrian 1 | Etrian 2 |
|---|---|
| Linear |
Post-Credits
| Etrian 1 | Etrian 2 |
|---|---|
See Also
| Cross Series Mechanics in the Mystery Dungeon Franchise | |
|---|---|
| Cross Series Mechanics | Adventure Log • Floor Types • Floor Tiles • Food in Mystery Dungeon • Game Structure • Item Mechanics in Mystery Dungeon • Inventory Space • Monster Mechanics in Mystery Dungeon • Multiplayer • Origin of Mystery Dungeon Mechanics |