Gaming

The Healer's Burden: Why Nobody Likes Playing Healers [Game Designer Explains]

📚 Main topics

Why healers are often overlookedHealers are essential in some games, yet players may avoid using them or see them as unnecessary. Whether healing matters depends on the game’s design, its other defensive options, and the alternatives available. 0:34
Other ways to stay aliveShields, dodges, parries, and other defenses can prevent damage instead of repairing it. When these tools are strong enough, healing may become a secondary option—or unnecessary, as illustrated by Zenless Zone Zero. 7:07
Healing without a dedicated healerItems, free healing locations, and other convenient sources can make a healer redundant. Healers become more valuable when alternative healing is scarce, restricted, or comes with a meaningful cost. 12:06
The cost of bringing a healerHealing can consume turns, skill points, money, or time, and choosing a healer also means giving up another character’s potential contribution. Some healers offset this by offering additional utility or damage buffs. 17:39
When healing works against the playerCharacters built around low health or self-damage may lose their advantages if healed, making healing undesirable except in emergencies. 22:10
Why healing can feel less funHealing is reactive and can offer less satisfying feedback than dealing damage. Healers may also feel weak or vulnerable, and their safety can depend heavily on teammates. 23:26
A model for engaging healer designTeam Fortress 2’s Medic stays active through overhealing and powerful Ubercharges, while having tools to defend himself and influence the outcome of a match. 29:19
Recognition and communityQueue benefits and achievements can encourage players to try healing, while appreciation from teammates can make the role feel rewarding. Toxic teammates and blame can have the opposite effect. 32:00

✨ Key takeaways

Healing must have a meaningful roleA healer is most useful when the game creates a genuine need for healing and limits how easily players can get it elsewhere. 15:17
Utility can justify the opportunity costHealers who provide elemental application, buffs, or other useful effects are easier to justify than characters whose value comes only from restoring health. 21:00
Healers need agencyTo feel engaging, healers should be able to make an impact, defend themselves, and influence their own survival rather than relying entirely on teammates. 28:44
Positive feedback mattersBoth game rewards and kind, appreciative interactions can encourage players to return to supportive roles. 32:32

🧠 Lessons learned

Design around the game’s existing strengthsIf a game already makes other defensive mechanics more fun or effective, it may be better to work with that design than force healers into the experience. 38:28
Make survival engaging in any formHealing is only one possible way to keep players alive; what matters is that the game makes the process fun and engaging. 39:01

🏁 Conclusion/next steps

A healer’s success depends on more than healingDedicated healers need a real purpose, engaging gameplay, personal initiative, and positive feedback. Otherwise, they may feel unnecessary or like a chore. 37:21
Share your experienceThe video closes by inviting viewers to discuss whether they enjoy playing healers, what makes those characters fun or frustrating, and their most memorable experiences. 39:01

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Transcript excerpt

0:00 Healers. Clerics. White Mages. Medics. They come in many forms and go by many names. But their job remains the same. [NOT YOU DONALD] The Healer archetype is one of THE core defining player roles in all of video games, and are not only a common sight in many genres, but are also one of the most important too. In some games, their impact is so significant that the outcomes of entire matches, battles, and even games are decided solely on their absence or presence.

0:34 But despite their importance, dedicated healing specialists aren’t very popular to play or use, and developers sometimes have a difficult time convincing players to use them. Try to recall the most prominent memory you have of actually playing as or using a healer character. Chances are, it’s not as impressive compared to your experience using other character types. In both single and multi-player game contexts, you tend to see players either actively avoid using them, or use them as minimally as possible. [RIP Cloud. He never scored.]

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