Im currently making a game with a dungeon crawler / shooter style mechanics, and recently we are trying to make that you have to control, or "mark" most of the level in order to continue, however im having some trouble in understanding the experience and the extension of the mechanic, and the only game that comes to my mind with that kind of mechanic is splatoon, and how zerg expand their "Buildable terrain".

Do you have any other games that can recommend to research about this mechanic, or any tips?

The main idea is that to fight with the boss of the level, you have to completely "infect" it rather by leaving totems like on fantaasy earth zero or by exploring it, much like how meatboy "Paints" the terrain it walks on, or how the zergs sort of decay the terrain they are on while they expand, however the only game that i've found where that has been the main mechanic is splatoon

Im really stuck on how to make it an enjoyable experience or the extension of the idea, thats why im looking for other games to research exactly how to implement this idea :/

I don't know of any other games that highlight that particular mechanic and I haven't played Splatoon.

I would look at it as trying to build a sort of action puzzle where the player has to simultaneously defend and decide where to place a limited number of totems. The magic (or whatever) emanating from the totem perhaps subject to elemental rules or environmental obstacles. Different types of enemies may be a threat to different types of totems in the traditional rock, paper, scissors manner.

Sorry for going off in a different direction but, if it was light you were working with, I'd say that the whole dungeon level is shrouded in darkness and to call out the boss you must maintain a minimum amount of light across the entire level. Then it'd be a matter of determining where to place a limited supply of a variety of light sources of varying intensities (and perhaps spectra if there's some kind of mixing mechanic desired) such that shadows are eliminated. The challenge may be in the need to defend the light sources as well as figuring out how to deal with the level design, for example, how do you deal with a shadow cast by a pillar in the center of a room while maximizing your supply of light sources. Perhaps there'd be devices that could reflect or otherwise affect the rays cast by the light source.

So you do or don't want to place down totems (or something like it)? If so, you could easily mark certain locations they need to be placed in order for it to properly "infect" the entire level.

Yeah, one of the mechanics was to be able to shoot one your bullets in specific areas so they turn into beacons that infect the level and generate more ammo for your character, but when we tested it it turned out to really cut the rythm to go back to one everytime you went out of bullets

I don't know of any other games that highlight that particular mechanic and I haven't played Splatoon.

I would look at it as trying to build a sort of action puzzle where the player has to simultaneously defend and decide where to place a limited number of totems. The magic (or whatever) emanating from the totem perhaps subject to elemental rules or environmental obstacles. Different types of enemies may be a threat to different types of totems in the traditional rock, paper, scissors manner.

That is a good idea? you mean like a dynamic tower defense or something like that?

Sorry for going off in a different direction but, if it was light you were working with, I'd say that the whole dungeon level is shrouded in darkness and to call out the boss you must maintain a minimum amount of light across the entire level. Then it'd be a matter of determining where to place a limited supply of a variety of light sources of varying intensities (and perhaps spectra if there's some kind of mixing mechanic desired) such that shadows are eliminated. The challenge may be in the need to defend the light sources as well as figuring out how to deal with the level design, for example, how do you deal with a shadow cast by a pillar in the center of a room while maximizing your supply of light sources. Perhaps there'd be devices that could reflect or otherwise affect the rays cast by the light source.

Dont worry, thats not the direction we are going with our game, as it is actually based on bacteria, but thats a really good idea!