The Puzzlemaker’s
Survival 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
Character
& Setting
Challenge
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
GAME ACTIONS
New block
TICKS
1
4
New line
Click group
12
36
Level up
PLAYER ACTIONS
Blow up bomb
300
2000
Reach top
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 mechanisms

GAMES
MUSICALS
Ico – Quest
Myst – Mystery
Fool’s Errand -- Cards
The Producers
Singing in the Rain
West Side Story
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!
2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1
20
2
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
{abcuvz(|M[} = 10
{abcuv} x {z(|M[} = 25
{abc} x {uvz(} x {|M[} = 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

But possible --- Mummy

Random --- Solitaire

Algorithmic– Lights Out
Lesson 3: easy to learn

Familiar – Solitaire

Simple– Diamond Mine

Self-demonstrating

Discoverable -- Alchemy
PROCESS
Eight steps to a finished game
The Eight Steps
SPECIFY
RULES
BUILD
PUZZLES
1. Inspiration
2. Simplify
3. Editor
4. Spec
5. Levels
6. Hinting
7. Testing
8. Presentation
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

BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
Manual
Demo
Tutorial
On-the-fly hints
Camera angle
Dialog
Undo
Adjusting difficulty
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
Easy
Medium
Hard
Alternate paths
Shortcuts
Steer the player
Score
Step 7. Testing
Are the rules clear?
 How hard is it?
 Are there other solutions?
 Is it fun?

Step 8. Presentation
References
Books
1000
Play Thinks (Moscovich)
 The Colossal Book of
Mathematics (Gardner)
Advanced Lingo for
Games (Rosenzweig)


Games Magazine
Web sites

Shockwave.com

Mathpuzzle.com

Puzzles.com

Rubiks.com
Game stores
For slides from this talk, visit scottkim.com
Scott Kim, scott@scottkim.com, 650-728-8582
Copyright 2003 Scott Kim
Images of games copyrighted by their companies