Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Puzzle types
There are many kinds of puzzle mechanics, and in general, only a few of them are
unsophisticated. As a rule, each game is a mix of various concepts and ideas. Never-
theless, let's try to identify some basic forms.
Word puzzles
In word puzzles, the players try to connect letters or symbolic images into words or
expressions. This is a very popular class of games and many of them were created
long before the first electronic devices were born. Among the popular examples are
Crossword
,
Rebus
,
Cryptog ram
,
Hangman
,
Ghost
,
Jotto
,
Anagram
, and
Scrabble
.
Some of them operate with words, while others manipulate letters. Dictionaries are
used to check existing or correct spelling. There are many word puzzles for mobile
devices; one of the examples is an excellent game
QatQi
(
http://qatqi.com
)
by
Zwork-
bench
, which is both very intelligent and magically beautiful.
Number (mathematical) puzzles
Number puzzles use different forms of exercises on combinatorics, arithmetic opera-
tions, algebra, and so forth. One of the traditional examples is a paper game called
Sudoku
. The rules of the game are simple: players get a special grid with some di-
gits and many empty cells. The objective is to fill the cells with the correct digits re-
membering that in each row and column of the grid, as well as in the so-called boxes
(blocks with dimension 3 x 3 cells), should be present one digit each from one to nine.
The order of digits is irrelevant, and the only condition is that entries cannot repeat.
The concept is not complex, but the game itself is very engrossing as it requires play-
ers see the big picture of the game field.
One of my favorite instances from the digital age is a smart and elegant game
Hundreds
(
http://playhundreds.com
) from
Semi Secret Software, LLC
; it has perfect
graphics (minimalistic artwork and neat typography based on the Helvetica typeface)
and very attractive gameplay. The player should generate a sum of elements that is
equal to one hundred. This is tricky because there can be some obstacles, so the
game requires good reaction and computation skills.
The following is a screenshot from a number puzzle game,
Hundreds
:
