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Two Categories of Puzzles in Games

Core puzzles
A style of puzzle with a simple basis that is easy for the player to understand. As the player progresses through the game, more elements are added to this style while the basic structure remains the same. This allows the player to observe a difficulty curve and feel they are improving and understanding more about how the game works. An interesting concept for these types of games is the possibility of automatic generation of puzzles. If puzzles are all based around a simple concept with a defined solution, it is possible that they could be procedurally generated.
  • The Witness (2016) begins with a basic maze that the player must draw a route through, then gradually adds more constraints for mazes to have to add complexity.
  • Portal (2007) begins with the idea that the player can make holes in walls that teleport them around levels. From there, they use different objects and experiment with physics systems to build puzzles around the portals.
  • Fez (2012) tells the player that they can rotate a 3D level to access different parts of it from different perspectives. Every level and puzzle in the game is based around this one feature. 
Peripheral puzzles
Puzzles in games that are treated as minigames. They are often optional and are not necessarily directly related to the main game. The puzzle itself is not always compelling or interesting enough to define the basis for an entire game but works in small 'doses' for the player.
  • Many games contain fishing minigames with different mechanics. These are a good starting point for research into puzzles in games because they are usually very simple yet engaging for as long as they need to be within the context of the game. Notable examples of the games include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998), Stardew Valley (2016), and Minecraft (2011).
  • Resident Evil Village (2021) contains multiple variations of a type of puzzle throughout. As the player progresses, they will find metal sphere collectibles in the open world, which can be inserted into certain machines found around the world. The player can then play a minigame in which they tilt the machine in different directions to move the ball around and try and guide it to its exit.
  • Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023) has a minigame, Holotactics, in which the player can simulate fights using holograms. The player begins the game by choosing a set of creatures to make up their team, who then face off against a predetermined opponent configuration of creatures. The player progresses through these minigames by beating different opponents. When playing the game, the player can find collectibles in the open world that give them new creatures to use. These collectibles are not mandatory quest items but they provide an advantage in the minigame and make it more fun.
  • Lockpicking in game series from Bethesda: (The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Starfield) is a good example of a peripheral puzzle. They are enjoyable when they occasionally pop up in the game but I would not play a game that is only lockpicking minigames. 

A big difference between these two categories of games is the extent to which experimentation is encouraged. Core puzzles are often based around experimentation, offering little guidance and instead leaving it to the player to discover solutions themself. The Witness has no dialogue at the beginning of the game


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