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What Makes Puzzles Fun?

If we were to look at what makes video games in general fun in the simplest possible sense, a simple answer is the sense of accomplishment. It is something almost all video games contain, from Pac-Man (1980) giving you a score higher than the one you achieved previously, to modern multiplayer games such as Halo (2001-) giving you a victory screen when you beat the opposing team. There are many different ways in which games provide players with a sense of accomplishment. Many genres of games rely on other aspects alongside this, such as enjoyable gameplay loops or a detailed and rewarding storyline. However, puzzle games rely almost entirely on this sense of telling the player they succeeded in something. The entire game is based around approaching problems and finding solutions, then letting the player know they have achieved something once they have found a solution.  

One aspect of puzzles that creates a sense of enjoyment for the player is guiding them to what they think is the solution, only to introduce a complexity that interrupts their plan. A simple example of this can be seen in an early level of Portal (2007). The player is presented by a locked door, a cube, and big red button on the floor that is connected to the door. The button looks enticing enough that every player will immediately walk over to the button and stand on it, thus opening the door. However, when they try to walk through the door, they step off the button and the door closes. This interrupts their initial idea and forces them to explore another option. In this case, they must grab the box and place it on the button, keeping the door open so they can walk through. Not only does this create a sense of accomplishment for the player as they have put thought into solving the puzzle, it has also taught them a mechanic that will be present throughout the game. This combination of earned success and new mechanics learned makes the player want to continue with the game.

Another important point in the fun of puzzles is the fact that they are only fun once. Most genres have a gameplay loop, so named because players are supposed to repeat the same few elements of gameplay many times without it getting boring or repetitive. Many games accomplish this effectively. However, puzzle games have a unique that means each individual puzzle is only ever fun once. To use Portal as an example again, there are few players that would solve a puzzle, then choose to play the level again to take the exact same steps a second time. This creates a problem for puzzle designers: a large quantity of puzzles are needed to make the game fun. The enjoyment from the game comes from solving a problem and moving onto the next, which has to be something new and engaging for the player. A solution to this problem is to have either many puzzle designers, or a single one that works many hours to design as many puzzles as the game needs to make it interesting. Another solution I am proposing is procedural generation: the creation of puzzles through an algorithms that has has constraints defined so it can generate puzzles autonomously. 

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