Puzzles Vs Problems: A Two-Sided Genre
Follow me on Twitter- / thefearalcarrot Support The Architect of Games on Patreon- / architectofgames We're all familiar with puzzle games, but not many people have noticed that two distinct groups have emerged within this very broad genre. Even fewer have realised that this split is all about the power of authorial intent. The Architect, being equally bad at both kinds of game, is well placed to tell you all about what makes a puzzle different from a problem, and how you can tell the difference. You Saw: Portal 2 (2011) The Sexy Brutale (2017) Fidel Dungeon Rescue (2017) Opus Magnum (2017) Portal (2007) The Witness (2016) Bejeweled 3 (2010) Poly Bridge (2016) Spacechem (2011) Factorio (2012) Eternal (2016) Bridge Constuctor Portal (2017) World of Goo (2008) Grim Fandango (1998) Tales From The Borderlands (2014) Interesting Links: How Simple Toolsets Encourage Learning: • How Simple Toolsets and Sandboxes Encourag... Zach Barth AMA: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comment... Creating a Sequel To The Game That Doesn't Need One: • Portal 2: Creating a Sequel to a Game That...

Finding the Fun in Failure

The Anatomy of a Bossfight

What Makes a Good Puzzle?

The Greatest Videogame Genre You Didn't Know Existed

A Secret Genre of Puzzle Games

What Makes a Great Secret?

Why Don't Mystery Games Need Mechanics?

The Design Principle That Separates Good Games From Great Ones

How Games Communicate, Without Saying Anything

The Pedestrian Developers React to 11 Minute Speedrun

How Outer Wilds Makes Running Out of Stuff Fun

What people don't get about strategy games

The Art of Puzzle Design | How Game Designers Explore Ideas and Themes with Puzzles and Problems

Point and Click Puzzle Design

The Dumbest Dramas Of Magic: The Gathering

Difficulty By Design- X-COM 2's Endless Arms Race

How Gameplay Loops Keep You Playing

How NOT to Make a Story for your Game

Fixing Genre Fusions

