Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 20
Artificial Life and
Puzzle Games
This chapter discusses two game genres that aren't as fashionable as the ones
already covered: artificial life and puzzle games. That doesn't mean there's any-
thing wrong with them; some extremely successful games belong to these genres.
In fact, because there are fewer games in these categories, the market isn't crowded
with look-alike products. If you work in one of these genres, you may have a better
chance of creating something distinctly new. However, you might have trouble per-
suading a conservative producer that a really good puzzle game is a better bet than
another first-person shooter.
Because this chapter covers two genres, there isn't room to explore the elements of
each one; instead, we'll just look at the highlights. You'll study artificial life games
by using
The Sims
as an example, and then learn a little about genetic life genera-
tors. You'll also explore the subgenre of god games. The chapter continues with
puzzle games, defining them and summarizing how to create and simplify them
for the computer.
Artificial Life Games
Artificial life
is a branch of computer science research, just as artificial intelligence
is. Artificial life, or
A-life
as it is sometimes called, involves modeling biological pro-
cesses, often to simulate the life cycles of living things. A-life researchers hope to
discover new ways of using computers by using biological mechanisms—mutation
and natural selection, for example—rather than algorithmic ones. In particular,
A-life is the study of
emergent properties
, unanticipated qualities or behaviors that
arise out of the interactions of complex systems. Life itself is considered an emer-
gent property of the planet Earth.
Because they're intended for entertainment rather than research, commercial A-life
games implement only a subset of what A-life research investigates. There aren't any
commercial A-life games about observing thousands of generations of one-celled
animals evolving in an environment. Typically, A-life games focus on maintaining
and growing a manageable population of organisms, each of which is
unique.
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