The Puzzlemaker’sSurvival Kit

Scott Kim -- scottkim.com March 6, 2003 -- Game Developers Conference

Puzzles are part of many games

By themselves

Within larger games

On web and phones

In education

But how do you… Design a good puzzle? Get started? Produce levels efficiently? Match puzzles to your audience?

The puzzlemaker’s survival kit

!!!

Concepts

Genres Process Refs

CONCEPTS

Behind all puzzles

!!!

A puzzle is a problem that is

fun to solve and has a right answer

As opposed to everyday “problems”

That can be confirmed by computer

The play pyramid

Game

Puzzle

Toy

Experience

Motivation

Deeper Meaning

Challenge

Character &

Setting

Distraction

Modalities: Word, Image, Logic

Modalities: Combinations

Modalities: Combinations

Beyond pure reason

Chance

Knowledge

Dexterity

Prizes

Five genres

GENRES

1. Action–Puzzle

Action puzzle games

= Puzzles + Time pressure

Yes: Tetris, Collapse!

No: Pacman, Mummy Maze

Popular with women

Popular on the web

Key issue: Error recovery

Tetris – clear lines

Collapse! – clear clumps

Pipe Dream – replace tile

Q*Bert – reversible moves

Demo: Collapse!

Lessons from Collapse Nested rhythms

New block

Click group

New line

Blow up bomb

Level up

Reach top

GAME ACTIONS PLAYER ACTIONSTICKS

2000

300

36

12

4

1

Lessons from Collapse

Easy to learn

Randomness is addictive

Business model: upsell

GENRES

2. Story–Puzzle

Story puzzle games Puzzles + storyline Yes: Myst, The Fool’s Errand

Yes: Metal Gear Solid, Ico

No: combat quest games

Key issue: role of puzzles Branching narrative – choices

Key issue: role of puzzles Branching narrative – choices Linear narrative – locks

Key issue: role of puzzles Branching narrative – choices Linear narrative – locks Enhanced narrative – optional

depth

Demo: Ico

Lessons from Ico Appropriate story Solve puzzle two

ways In-game hints Re-use

mechanismsMUSICALSThe Producers Singing in the RainWest Side Story

GAMESIco – QuestMyst – MysteryFool’s Errand -- Cards

Other examples

The 7th Guest

Myst

Metal Gear Solid

Law & Order

GENRES

3. Competitive–Puzzle

Competitive puzzle games

Puzzles + multiple players Yes: Jeopardy!, Boggle

No: chess

Almost: Scrabble

Key issue: Scoring

Score: Jeopardy!

Board: Trivial Pursuit

Race: Set

Take turns: Battleship

Social scoring: Boggle

Demo: Boggle

Demo: Boggle

Lessons from Boggle Simple format

Random content

Short play cycle

Scalable room

Tangleword

Jeopardy!

12 12 12 12 12 12 12

220

GENRES

4. Construction–Puzzle

Construction puzzle games Puzzles + Building Things Yes: The Incredible Machine, Pit

Droids

No: SimCity, Marble Drop

Almost: Tetris, Lemmings

Key issue: Modularity

Few pieces, many combinations

{ } = 10

{} x { } = 25

{} x { } x {} = 54

Key issue: Modularity Legos, furniture

Too little structure

Too much structure

Demo: Incredible Machine

Demo: Incredible Machine

Demo: Incredible Machine

Demo: Incredible Machine

Demo: Incredible Machine

Demo: Incredible Machine

Demo: Incredible Machine

Demo: Incredible Machine

Demo: Incredible Machine

Lessons from Incredible Machine

Start with a tutorial Edit + Run Authoring = Build + Record

GENRES

5. Pure Puzzle

Pure puzzle games Puzzles are the focus Yes: Pandora’s Box, Mummy Maze

Yes: FreeCell, Minesweeper

Yes: Crossword, jigsaw puzzles

Key issue: Larger Form

Accelerating

Linear

Sawtooth

Semilinear

Ordered collection

Metapuzzle

Demo: Mummy Maze

Things to notice Small board fits on phone Tutorial vs. on-the-fly tips Liberal undo Easy to get stuck

Lesson 1: indulge one style Satisfy player’s appetite

Lesson 1: indulge one style Satisfy player’s appetite Economical to produce

Lesson 1: indulge one style Satisfy player’s appetite Economical to produce Daily delivery

Lesson 1: indulge one style Satisfy player’s appetite Economical to produce Daily delivery Variety through content

Lesson 2: generate puzzles

It’s hard --- Pit Droids

Random --- Solitaire

But possible --- Mummy

Algorithmic– Lights Out

Lesson 3: easy to learn

Familiar – Solitaire

Self-demonstrating

Simple– Diamond Mine

Discoverable -- Alchemy

PROCESS

Eight steps to a finished game

The Eight Steps

1. Inspiration2. Simplify3. Editor4. Spec

5. Levels6. Hinting7. Testing8. Presentation

SPECIFYRULES

BUILDPUZZLES

Step 1: Inspiration Other computer games

Step 1: Inspiration Other computer games Noncomputer games

Step 1: Inspiration Other computer games Noncomputer games Art, mechanism

Step 1: Inspiration Other computer games Noncomputer games Art, mechanism Subject matter

Step 2. Simplify

Step 3. Editor Programmer: reusable code Game designer: tweak rules Level designer: build levels Player: build levels

4. Spec Board — grid, network, irregular,

none Pieces — shape, image, attribute,

supply Moves — sequential, side effect,

primary Goal — exact match, partial,

condition

5. Level design Start with bang Teach techniques Paint a picture Develop a theme

Start with a bang

Teach techniques

Teach techniques

Paint a picture

Develop a theme

Develop a theme

Develop a theme

Step 6. Hinting Flow

From the book Flow

Step 6. Hinting Sequence

Giving hints

Adjusting difficulty

EasyMedium

HardScore

BEFORE DURING AFTER

Alternate pathsShortcuts

Steer the player

ManualDemo

TutorialUndo

BEFORE DURING AFTER

On-the-fly hintsCamera angle

Dialog

Step 7. Testing Are the rules clear? How hard is it? Are there other solutions? Is it fun?

Step 8. Presentation

References

Books

Games Magazine

1000 Play Thinks (Moscovich) The Colossal Book

of Mathematics (Gardner)

Advanced Lingo for Games (Rosenzweig)

Web sites Shockwave.com

Mathpuzzle.com

Puzzles.com

Rubiks.com

Game stores

For slides from this talk, visit scottkim.comScott Kim, scott@scottkim.com, 650-728-8582

Copyright 2003 Scott KimImages of games copyrighted by their companies