next »

[Mitchard]

I'm going to admit that I've never been a huge fan of puzzle games, more due to lack of exposure than anything else.

I like the concept though, although almost every puzzle game I've played seems to be a glorified 'guess the designers thoughts' game. Where the one way to proceed is activated by combining very specific items with some part of the scenery with zero leeway.

The one, almost, exception I've played being the Myst series. Where in each puzzle, you are given a complex machine and have to figure out how to operate it. While no different in functionality, the context of the game matches the mechanics.

What I'm wondering is, is it even feasible to make an adventure game that is intuitive and rewards lateral thinking, and do any examples exist? Perhaps a game with multiple solutions to puzzles? Why after 20 years of adventure games is 'electrifying a cat then using it on a didgeridoo' the only way I can proceed?

[Aquin]

I know this wouldn't be much of a puzzle game, but I was thinking of an adventure where every item could be used for any situation (resulting in bizarre and outlandish conventions.)  It was sorta to poke fun at Gabriel Knight logic.  I'll probably make it some day.

As for what you're suggesting.... Scribblenauts wanted to be like that.  It has a LOT of shortcomings, but I think it's headed in the right direction.  I'm sure other examples exist, I just gotta think about it.

[Bree]

I hear Machinarium has some very logical puzzles.

[alspal]

I think the most enjoyable puzzle game I've played was Braid, the puzzles seemed to be quite satisfying to figure out - it felt logical to me at least, and well designed.
Then again I haven't had a lot of exposure to puzzle games.

[zacaj]

5 Days A Sacrifice's puzzles were almost all easy to guess on the first try(except for the last few), and made about as much sense as they could in a game about the occult.