Exploration is one of the most common game mechanics in all genres: virtually every game including a player character contains objectives requiring the player to move the character from point A to point B. Of course, it's the role of the designer to gently nudge the player in the right direction, and this often includes placing blockades in the game world to restrict the player's freedom of movement. Like any element of the game world, it's important that these blockades are consistent with the aesthetics and mechanics of the game world.
However, all too often designers take the easy way out and include uninteresting obstacles to impede the player's progress. Consider the example of a locked door that the game does not let the player enter. Assuming the game in question is an action-adventure title, the player typically accumulates a large number of tools, weapons, and devices that would conceivably allow him to break down, force open, pick the lock of, or dismantle a locked door. Preventing the player from doing something he has the means and desire to do reveals the hand of the designer holding the puppet-strings, and thus immersion in the game world is damaged. The sense of immersion is further harmed if the player character is capable of surmounting obstacles much more difficult than opening a locked door, or if the player character's motivation for trying to pass the door is greater than the character's conceivable desire to preserve the material integrity of the door.
In short, when the player encounters an impassable obstacle, it's important that the thought running through his head is "this is an obstacle I cannot pass," rather than "this is an obstacle the game is not letting me pass."
As such, it's important that in-game obstacles are consistent with both the rules of the game world and the player's in-game abilities. The locked door trope, then, must be cast aside (and no, making the door an enchanted magical door or reinforcing it with space-age indestructible materials are not better alternatives.) Listed below are much more artful examples of telling the player "no, you can't go here yet" without breaking immersion.
Unkillable monster
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