Video games are chock-full of locked doors and chests, and getting through them—and to the sweet, sweet loot behind them—usually involves some lockpicking. It is, by now, one of the most ubiquitous mechanics in games, particularly across sprawling RPGs: Skyrim has it. Mass Effect has it. Pathlogic also has it. But even something as common as lockpicking can vary greatly across these games, some of which requires you to twist a lockpick around until you hit a specific sweet spot, and others that are so far removed from the reality of lockpicking that they are simply presented as, say, a picture matching puzzle game instead.
Putting together a fascinating virtual exhibition on the various lockpicking mechanics is Museum of Mechanics: Lockpicking, which houses a dizzying variety of lockpicking mechanics across several games and genres, from the original Fallout to Bethesda’s interpretation of the series. Each exhibit also comes with a short description and analysis of each lockpicking mechanism, which makes for a deeply informative visit for those who’re keen to learn more about what goes on, behind the scenes, in game design. At the same time, the Museum also serves as a nostalgia trip for players who have played these games before.
You’ll soon discover that realism and authenticity aren’t always the impetus to developing a lockpicking minigame, even if there are some similarities across the exhibitions. A steady hand is usually crucial, and one of my favourites was Oblivion’s lock-picking mechanic, which is about tapping the pins of a tumbler gently with a lockpick until they stay up and unlock with a satisfying click. Then there’s Mass Effect’s lockpicking mechanics, which can be an odd one, perhaps due to the game’s futuristic setting (I suppose traditional pin tumblers are not in vogue anymore when you’re in space). In fact, the first Mass Effect lockpicking game resembles the classic arcade game of Frogger—getting a small triangle to the centre of the puzzle while avoiding the moving blocks around it. Mass Effect 2, however, requires players to pair up nodes with the same hidden icon.
At the same time, the museum also features more unusual lockpicking from older and more obscure games such as Hillsfar, an RPG released back in 1989, and whose lockpicking mini-game is probably the most frustrating and challenging among all the entries. You’ll need to choose three keys from a set of around 20, and then fit the right one into the locks within a limited amount of time. This particular puzzle took me far too long to unravel, given that I was always running out of time.
As far as games go, the Museum isn’t strictly considered one; you pretty much just step into a virtual gallery of locks and fuss around with the exhibitions on display. Even the game itself is said to be developed predominantly for game developers who are keen on seeing the evolution of lockpicking mini games across several decades. That said, it’s still a pretty nifty look for any fan of games—and I reckon everyone should give that Hillsfar lockpicking experience a go, anyway.