Because puzzle design is shaped by the verb list (plus other possible actions like object combination). Mechanics are the canvas which permits contextual expression from either the player, the designer, or both.ĭesign-wise, I believe graphic adventure games like Monkey Island 2, even if they appear mostly scripted, are near the middle of this second spectrum (as a prefer to see them as continuums rather than separate categories). In multiplayer, we remember a unique playstyle from a player. In an RPG or action-adventure games, we keep in mind the narrative who broke the game routine to surprise us (anyone who finished The Last Guardian might know what I‘m talking about). The alligator release unlocks a room and an object for other puzzles. An original way to set a rather conventional obstacle in adventure games, seen in Monkey Island 1. The hidden window is quite elegant and creates an interesting aha moment. A bit obtuse, so it gets logically cut in the “Lite” version, at the expense of a joke You have to figure out about the elaborate bucket prank by thinking about the reason why the door doesn’t close off and the laundryman. You have two dialogue branches possible to get the bucket: one short where you outsmart the pirate on the left of the boat, or another one when you need to beg him several times. Not much to say on this long puzzle, a lot of steps. Nonetheless, you can’t interact with the box nor the rat. I will use the term “puzzle arcs” here as I conceive them like little sub-plots.Įven though you don’t need those objects in the “Lite” difficulty level, you can still take Willy’s monocle and “Cheese Squigglies” for fun purposes. I used the “Intention+Obstacle+Tactics” character development model theorized by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin to expose the story setting. Their reputation for being illegible is depicted jokingly in Thimbleweed Park. See how the lite version cuts steps from the more complex puzzles. Here are some breakdown charts I’ve made of what I tend to call “puzzle arcs”, but Ron Gilbert uses the term “Puzzle Dependency”.