Roguelike Radio Episode 81: Puzzles
7 snips
Oct 12, 2013 Aaron Steed, an indie developer known for his rogue-like puzzle games, and Mark Johnson, creator of Ultimate Ratio Regum, delve into the intricate world of puzzle design. They discuss the balance between clarity and surprise in puzzle creation, exploring the depth of procedural mechanics in games. Aaron shares insights on blending randomness in puzzles for replayability, while Mark outlines innovative approaches to systemic puzzle design. Together, they examine the challenges of ensuring puzzle solvability and keeping them engaging, highlighting the importance of integrating puzzles into the gameplay.
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Episode notes
Procedural Puzzles Can Work In Roguelikes
- Procedural puzzles can fit into roguelikes despite feeling un-roguelike at first.
- Mark Johnson found players still enjoyed them when the system surprises both maker and player.
Riddle Puzzles With Dynamic Clues
- Mark Johnson described his riddle-style puzzle system that adapts clue counts.
- He iterates clues until puzzles have a single solvable answer and remain first-try solvable.
Use Clear, Unambiguous Puzzle Language
- Avoid ambiguous wording in puzzle clues because players read terms differently.
- Make puzzle language explicit to prevent misinterpretation and reduce frustration.
