Comments on 304: The Number of the Ben: Puzzle Design Thoughts

Ponch: A lot of the 'thought' put into Shifter's B...

2009-05-31T06:02:47.806-07:00

Ponch: A lot of the 'thought' put into Shifter's Box puzzles was actually just lying on the floor staring at the ceiling demanding that my brain think of a new puzzle. I got to know the ceilings of my house suprisingly well making that game. If staring at ceilings equals puzzle science, then I am a puzzle scientist! Otherwise I'm just a weirdo ;)

Stu: Yep, I agree that if you continually throw samey puzzles at the player it becomes tedious, just like action games become tedious if you face the same enemy over and over again. Making lots of little puzzles turn into one big puzzle is a very nice way to keep the player active for a while, but it does have the downside of slowing the pace of the game down a bit, so it's the sort of thing I personally would use sparingly.

OneDollar: Very nice ideas there, that I have seen before in games and really think they are good ideas. The only problem for me is teaching myself to incorporate these sorts of methods into my games. Don't apologize, I am glad you took the time to write it!

Indie: Thanks. I agree that puzzles that see the player work with the environment are the most satisfying, even if they're not the simplest to do!

Sebastian: I personally think of Shifter's Box as a puzzle game as well, but that was the intent the whole time. Working puzzles into story in a seamless manner is something I hope to try at some point when I can write good stories. And, of course, multiple story branches is something I must try as well, when I am less lazy and more motivated!

I particularly enjoy adventure games if they are n...

2009-05-29T16:15:26.726-07:00

I particularly enjoy adventure games if they are not so much about puzzle solving, but if puzzles keep me from advancing within a well told story.

I liked Shifter's Box a lot, and in this case being able to see a new colourful background (and possibly listen to a new tune, if I may be so bold to claim this) made up for all the effort of "solving one level" - but it was strictly a puzzle game in my opinion.

Puzzles that really blend with the story can also help the story gain momentum in some moments or distract the player from his main objective and punish him for it, or they can even change the story depending on their solution - which is awfully hard to script and to think of, of course.

Good thoughts on puzzle design from Stu and OneDollar, too - you basically said the same thing: It is very nice if a puzzle is established, the rules are laid out somehow, and then another twist is added, this add a great deal of immersion, I imagine.

That was a very nice read. Personally the enviro...

2009-05-28T14:20:58.136-07:00

That was a very nice read.

Personally the environmental puzzles are the most satisfying. I think it shows depth and realism. And the more logical and realistic a puzzle is, while still being challenging, the more satisfaction you get from solving it.

I wish every person who decided to make an adventure game reads this, cause surely it will make games 1000 x better.

I steal a lot of my game design theory from Valve,...

2009-05-28T13:52:09.680-07:00

I steal a lot of my game design theory from Valve, and one of the thing's they're very big on is training the player - i.e. they introduce the player to a simple concept in a safe environment, then they use the same concept while the player's under fire, then later they might add a twist to it. You can introducing basic concepts in a simple puzzle before you use them in a more complicated one. This way you can make difficult puzzles that will still be solvable and make logical sense in the game world.

Example: in Toonstruck there was a puzzle where you had to break out of a jail cell. There was a dusty welcome mat in front of the cell, and the key was under it, but there was a guard in the way. Talking to him reveals he has allergies to lots of things but especially dust. Take the mat and bang it against the bars to make him sneeze himself into the wall and knock himself unconscious. Later, if you get caught again, he's back guarding your cell, but this time he's wearing a gas mask. Get caught again and he's hoovering up the dust. Each time the basic solution is the same, make him sneeze on the dust, but the method is different.

It's also a good way of building up a world. In Myst the game teaches players that they must use the tower to get to different ages. The actual way of getting to each age differs, but using the common starting point of 'go to the tower to see where the linking book is, and get a clue of how to open it' means the player has something to focus on.

I also like to break puzzles up into objectives. The player needs to get to a room, but there's a locked door between them. Their overall target is to get through the door. They see a guard with the keys - their objective is to get the keys. They try to take the keys but the guard sees them. They're now trying to stop the guard seeing them. By rewarding each little step in the right direction - telling the player "Yes, that's part of the solution but you need to solve this problem as well" you can lead players through the puzzle without them realising. Another way to approach it is to think about what the player will try to do, and how you can tell them why that won't work while subtly pointing in the right direction. Saying "That doesn't work" and not making it clear why a solution isn't working just leads to frustrated players.

(Sorry for the essay!)

Interesting read, Ben. Cheers. To add to that, I ...

2009-05-28T12:19:54.195-07:00

Interesting read, Ben. Cheers.

To add to that, I think games can get boring if the puzzles are just a series of obstacles, one after the other.

Take your locked door for instance. So the guard looks away every 30 secs, giving you window of opportunity to grab the keys. Great. You could solve that puzzle, open the door and move onto the next puzzle in line OR you could throw another spanner in the works.

What if the guard still catches you, even when he's looking away? How do you get him to look away for longer... perhaps move the object he is looking at, so that he has to turn his head further, giving you that split second extra to grab the keys.

Then what if you realise his keys are on a chain... you need something to cut them with (which could be a case of finding a pair of wire cutters lying around, but wouldn't it be nicer if getting hold of some wire cutters was more of a puzzle aswell).

These are all single puzzles in their own right, but they all basically blend together into one main puzzle, which is the locked door, which in itself could be part of a larger task.

The amount of thought that you have put into just ...

2009-05-28T11:21:49.814-07:00

The amount of thought that you have put into just thinking about puzzles has given me a great insight into why the puzzles in Shifter's Box are so devious.

You have put more effort into decoding the field of science that is "puzzle-ology" than I ever put into any of my actual puzzles. (Which explains why my puzzles are so tragically lame).

Well done, Mr. 304!