作者：Pascal Luban

谜题是冒险游戏的核心，是动作冒险游戏的关键要素。谜题顺利破解后，玩家能够从中收获很多满足感，而这可能也伴随着同样多的沮丧感。大家定记得这样的经历：被某无法解决的谜题困住，或甚至是在起初就无法找到谜题，然后选择退出某趣味横生的游戏。

而且业内鲜有关于此设计话题的著作和研究。本文主要论述设计和整合谜题的具体规则。

什么元素造就优质谜题？

谜题在游戏中的角色纷繁各异。《Riven》之类的冒险游戏完全基于这类内容而设计。谜题是游戏的实质。而《Outcast》型具有强烈“动作”取向的动作冒险游戏通常只通过谜题设定玩家的中间目标。介于两种极端情况，《生化危机》和《鬼屋魔影》之类的游戏则把动作和探索内容结合起来。

在具体分析如何设计和植入谜题前，我们先来看看究竟是什么成就优质谜题。

运用谜题元素的游戏主要有3类；分别是：传统意义的冒险游戏，如《迷雾之岛》；主要围绕“动作”的动作冒险游戏，如《星际迷航：精英力量》；《鬼屋魔影》之类的混合动作冒险游戏。

虽然此分类无法说明什么造就优质谜题内容，但从中我们能够发现每款游戏都凭借不同谜题获得不俗表现，把握这点能够帮助我们弄清各类型游戏如何创造优质谜题内容。答案显然取决于个人口味和习惯，但建立客观标准也非常重要。

关于此，我常采用此的规则是：玩家购买游戏时所追求的东西是什么？这个方法帮我找到各类游戏的本质：冒险游戏可让玩家发现新风景，平台游戏具有幽默感等。

现在我们可以试着回答此问题：如何创造优质谜题？

经典冒险游戏

说到“冒险游戏”，我们首先映入脑海的就是无法解决谜题，及连续几小时盯住电脑屏幕的画面。冒险游戏是否就是系列谜题？不是的，有关冒险游戏的玩法无非就是系列脑筋急转弯，很多情况下玩家都会非常无助地受困其中的说法完全错误。

详细分析杰出冒险游戏我们会发现其玩法存在一个关键要素：分析研究。冒险游戏机制中的分析研究同现实生活类似。的确，游戏玩法总是局限于这样的循环：玩家需要探索各地点发现目标、线索或机制，当玩家发现自己受困于某空间中时，就需要探索继续前进的方式，最后玩家通过之前收集的线索发现加锁/解锁功能。

冒险游戏的大多数粉丝都认可这种分析方式，承认解开秘密，发现新元素（游戏邦注：例如角色、装饰品及机器）及在冒险中前进是他们最主要的游戏动机。很少玩家会真正对谜题本身感兴趣。

这点说明分析研究是冒险游戏的推动因素；因此谜题应鼓励玩家探索空间，同空间互动，而不是花几小时面对静态屏幕。谜题不应只局限于加锁机制，而应该创造包含线索的无缝隙整体。

以“动作”为主的冒险游戏

此游戏类型的关键要素是动作。这同玩法密切相关，受战斗支配；但动作也是由脚本提供：角色顺利逃脱，潜入某地，发动进攻等。《异型大战铁血战士 2》或《星际旅行航海家号：精锐部队》之类的游戏就完美呈现此原则。玩家动作没有变化（游戏邦注：移动和战斗），但脚本时常变更游戏节奏和动作情境。

这些游戏不那么擅于植入谜题元素，但依然有囊括此内容。其实谜题要遵循两个基本要求。首先，它们应让玩法多元化。偏向“动作”的动作冒险游戏通常玩法单调，零散的谜题旨在活跃单调气氛。《半条命》是最佳例子之一。要在游戏中前进，玩家通常需要把握某小工具的运作方式，及如何将其运用于前进过程中。这些谜题都和主角的动作有关。动作依然是主要议题。我主要基于动作谜题类型评估这些内容。其次，他们应通过呈现所需完成的目标引导玩家。寻找3把开门钥匙之类的简单谜题让主角的操作具有目的性。这些是目标谜题。

同样，这两类谜题都有自己的缺点。动作谜题可能会破坏游戏节奏，无法向玩家呈现预期动作。的确，若玩家无法迅速找到解决方案或缺乏必要灵活度，那么这些谜题就会变得令人沮丧。

而目标谜题通常过于简单。玩家会很快发现，这些不过是促使他们持续进行的理由，而非紧凑融入故事的挑战。

总的来说，侧重“动作”的动作冒险游戏谜题应遵循如下原则：

* 由于动作是这些游戏的本质，谜题应保持简单，避免破坏节奏。

* 动作谜题不是平台挑战（游戏邦注：在平台挑战中，玩家成功与否主要取决于灵活度）。这些谜题主要考验玩家如何运用系列机制克服障碍或借助系列装饰元素向前迈进。

* 目标谜题应能够丰富冒险活动，而不是成为进行冒险活动的理由。

混合动作冒险游戏

这些游戏混合系列大相径庭的题材。玩家会碰到经典冒险游戏的机制，例如探索和解决复杂谜题，还有若干实际操作元素。当节奏突然放缓，以便玩家进行调查研究时，渴望动作内容的玩家是否会因此感到沮丧？

同样，这类题材也存在很多热门代表作品，如《生化危机 2》、《寂静岭》及《鬼屋魔影》。当玩家购买《生化危机》时，他们首先瞄准的不是动作内容。若是这种情况，他会直接选择基于动作的动作冒险游戏。同样，玩家也不是追求经典冒险游戏，他们首先锁定的是故事内容。

的确，故事是所有冒险游戏的核心，但《寂静岭》等游戏类型的故事表现方式非常特别：在经典冒险游戏及动作导向的游戏中，玩家控制游戏世界；在混合游戏中，游戏空间控制玩家；玩家变成游戏目标。故事叙述的戏剧化效果更强烈。

在《寂静岭》中，主角发现自己被困罪恶之城。他的唯一目标就是找到女儿，然后逃离这里。面对此恐怖情境，他毫无机会。城市比他强大很多。

由于此游戏类型的本质是故事，这里不存在特定类型的谜题，是只有调查研究和动作谜题的混合内容。

整合谜题的黄金法则

谜题内容可以分成三大类（游戏邦注：无论游戏题材是什么）：调查研究、动作和目标谜题。关于设计优质谜题，我们总结出若干基本法则。下面就来看看如何落实这些法则。

整合调查谜题

整合调查谜题有4个基本原则：

* 保持游戏节奏和玩法连贯性。

* 运用合理游戏架构。

* 尊重游戏世界。

* 帮助玩家解决谜题。

保持游戏节奏和玩法连贯性

若游戏内容在调查和动作间交替，那么谜题应保持一致。不要破坏需玩家高度专注的动作谜题的呈现节奏，例如打开柜子。

《生化危机 2》在落实此原则方面表现突出。玩家游走于动作和调查元素间。但调查情境依然是游戏主要内容——担心被攻击的情况始终保持不变。谜题非常简单， 需要玩家进行很多移动操作，进一步曝露在险恶对手面前。

调查谜题主要基于发现、检查和操纵物件。谜题需要鼓励玩家探索和发现自己的空间——而不是在面对脑筋急转弯时呈现呆滞状态。《Myst：Riven》的很多谜题都以这种方式设计。很多谜语都可以通过检查装饰品，将其同线索联系起来进行破解。

运用适当游戏架构

游戏架构是整个作品的支柱。它决定玩家接触谜题的顺序，谜题植入脚本的方式，以及这些内容出现的频率。如下规则是运用适当游戏架构的向导：

* 保持在脚本初始设计简单、令人满意的谜题。鼓励玩家“进入”冒险活动，他需要初步成就感。不要忘记游戏的首次露面通常会转变成演示内容。通过毫无可能的谜题吓跑用户无疑不是鼓励潜在买家的最佳方式。

* 确保玩家能够轻松发现谜题。由于谜题是潜在困境，它们应能够被轻易发现。坚决避免让玩家在游戏中迷失，不知下步要如何操作的情况。操作方式有很多，例如当玩家进入特定地点时，过场动画应突出谜题，或是呈现吸引玩家眼球的视觉技巧。

* 限制关于谜题的调查领域。解决谜题所需的所有元素应能够在谜题周围找到（游戏邦注：线索、目标和方案等）。就此来看，不应出现玩家回到很早前探索过的空间，试图在此找到错失的目标或线索的情况。

* 解决过渡谜题：解决某谜题能够给下个谜题提供线索。

* 由于我们无法获悉哪种方案会让玩家进入停止状态，不妨考虑提供谜题选择。若玩家在尝试解决某谜题时遭遇失败，他们会尝试其他内容。想象下玩家试着解决谜题A，然后失败。随后他在谜题B中试运气，然后取得成功，进而获得关于谜题A的线索。

* 适时呈现特定的提示信息。对开发者来说，游戏所呈现的每条信息都具有一定意义，因为其非常清楚脚本。但对玩家来说就并非如此，他们通常无法从背景资料中找到解决谜题所需的基本线索。因此，一般信息应在适当时间中呈现。记住该领域有很多对设计师和脚本创作者有所帮助的软件工具。

* 坚持更线性的探索活动。设计师将探索发现和事件遭遇的顺序控制得越好，玩家解决问题的可能性就越大。在整个冒险活动中给予玩家相应指导，保持体验空间的局限性是个好办法。

尊重现实常理

游戏设计师通常竭尽所能地创造丰富多彩的世俗世界。他们获得的回馈就是种种怀疑烟消云散，这令玩家完全融入其中。若是此时出现将玩家带出此情境的谜题将会非常遗憾。通常在大家看来，谜题就是：挡住玩家道路的障碍。有些简单策略能够避免此影响。

只运用能在目标位置找到的元素。《生化危机 3》的设计师严格遵循此原则。例如，经过公众喷池，玩家需将阀门调至正确方向，将水停掉，腾出通道。

运用符合游戏主题和时间的元素。呈现于维多利亚时代的冒险游戏应利用能够唤起秘密柜子所包含的沉闷气氛的物件：笔记模糊的文件及隐蔽的抽屉等。在《Journeyman Project：Legacy of Time》中，部分冒险活动出现在古希腊时代重新建造的Atlantis中。这里没有先进技术，玩家在充满古希腊色彩的情境中前进。谜题只包含来自那个时代的物件和工艺品：控制风车，制作泥质雕饰，索要硬币。谜题本身非常简单，但能够带来沉浸感。它们不仅是智力挑战，而且能够丰富游戏环境，维系至关重要的释疑元素。

设计遵循常识的谜题。若谜题是找到房东隐藏的钥匙，那么将其藏在墙体另外一面就非常荒谬。房东自己应能够轻松找到钥匙。同样，若谜题是被某机制保护的秘密，那么显然设计师不会将线索置于谜题周围。不要期望玩家能够解决违法常识的谜题。

帮助玩家解决谜题

很多玩家会在谜题无法解决时丧失游戏兴趣，退出游戏。这个行业的宗旨是娱乐玩家，而非令他们感到沮丧。所有谜题设计师都应牢记这点。确保玩家拥有解决谜题所需的所有元素。破解谜题所需的关键要素（物件或线索）应能够在周边找到。若玩家在某谜题中惨遭挫败，那他就会知晓自己能够通过搜寻找到解决方案。他可以将自己的搜索范围集中在某小领域中，进行彻底搜索，从提高找到遗漏元素的机率。鼓励玩家在解决谜题中运用常识。

帮助玩家解决谜题的最佳方式是让他们运用现实世界的知识。最后，融入帮助机制。

其他有效机制包括额外线索。当玩家在谜题中花费若干小时，然后最终没有破解便离去时，我们能够合理推断他无法破解谜题，决定在游戏其他地方寻找线索。当游戏察觉此行为，在情境中添加线索就能够有效帮助玩家。可以是包含词组的平面图或纸张。

主角的个人日志能够存储玩家在调查中学到的东西。这是将玩家视线转移至他们可能会忽略的重要线索的便捷方式。例如，在《寂静岭》中，玩家日志会融入注释和涂鸦。

游戏还可以提供外部帮助。若游戏确定玩家无法破解某谜题，团队成员也许会通过无线电联系他，然后提供线索。若脚本允许，次要角色也许就会进入情境中。在《Alone In The Dark：The New Nightmare》中，我们设定“无线电呼叫”按键，玩家可以呼叫团队成员，从中获得某种帮助。此外，玩家也许会从游戏中获得线索。在《Byzantine：The Betrayal》（游戏邦注：由Discovery Channel发行）中，玩家能够访问所有谜题的渐进帮助机制

。初级帮助内容就是单一线索。二级内容就是直接帮助。三级就是完整解决方案。有趣的是，此机制让玩家得以战胜任何类型的谜题，无论他是否面对某脑筋急转弯完全速手无策，或是不知道怎么做，向何处前进。

最后一招是，让玩家掌握有限数量的通配符，能够完全跳过某些谜题。此解决方案首先出现在《绝命追杀令》，这是由Coktel发行的动作冒险游戏。

植入动作谜题

在这类谜题中，玩家的目标是获悉如何通过装饰品从某个地点转移到另一地点，或克服某障碍。有些读者会很惊讶在围绕谜题的文章中发现这种玩法。但《神秘岛》或《古墓丽影》中的谜题就是典型代表。首先，有些谜题会阻碍玩家的道路，唯有克服，玩家才能继续前进。其次，玩家需探索周围环境，寻找线索。最后，他或她需通过逻辑思维获悉实现目标的方式。

动作谜题主要有两类。在特技谜题中，这是《古墓丽影》的经典玩法，玩家的目标只是到达窗口或高地之类的出口。但玩家很难点实现此目标，或太远，或太高。玩家需探索各元素（突出和悬浮物件之类的东西）所处的空间，这也许能够让玩家拼凑出一条道路。《古墓丽影》将这类谜题变成主流内容。完成这些任务通常需要玩家具有一定的灵活度，但这不是本文的谈论内容。

在情境谜题中，谜题的设置通常比特技谜题更巧妙，玩家需要通过在装饰品中发现需解锁的元素或到达某通道。《半条命》系列就有很多典型例子。在《半条命：针锋相对》中，玩家发现一个有陷阱的门，它通过电线同炸弹相连。但电线是断开。解决方案是用金属罐接住电线，将其重新连接起来，将门吹开。这些谜题显然完全融入游戏，但同时也不那么容易被玩家发现，因此很容易带来困境，虽然谜题本身非常直白。设计师在此的挑战是设计能够完美嵌入装饰背景却又足够显眼的谜题。

这两类动作谜题有各自的运用规则。

下面就是植入特技谜题的原则：

* 色阶建模：突出装饰品的重要元素。仔细观察装饰品是破解这些谜题的关键。色阶的设计应突出装饰品中的重要元素，例如突出点，或通过运用在背景中表现突出的纹理，或通过采用其他视觉机关。

* 玩家需能够访问观察摄像头，从不同角度研究装饰品。《古墓丽影》的摄像头设置堪称首创，使用其他玩家控制的摄像头也很能给人制造想象空间。

* 到达（出口）的目标应清楚向玩家呈现。设计师能够通过精心设计的摄像头视角、过场动画或适当背景向玩家展示目标。

* 运用视觉线索。一群起飞的鸟之类的线索能够单独用于将玩家的注意力吸引到重要装饰元素上（游戏邦注：例如玩家需要到达某平台，然后继续冒险活动）。

* 坚持引入特殊操作。若解决某谜题需要运用玩家尚未掌握的特殊操作，确保首先引入此操作。

接着是植入环境谜题的原则：

* 将谜题放置在棘手情境中。这样，你就能确保玩家发现谜题，着手进行破解。在《半条命：蓝色转变》中，玩家在下水道里前进会受到研磨器具的阻碍。松动板条箱会伴随流动物突然出现，自然会被机器碾碎。玩家想起在码头看到一箱炸药，于是将其推入水中。箱子然后飘向碾磨器械，将其炸开，然后开出一条路。

* 倾向基于实际逻辑的简单机制。在现实游戏世界中，玩家希望熟悉的物体能够以相同方式运作。在《半条命》中，玩家需要启动坐落于试验台的火箭引擎，用于消灭怪物。玩家能够解决此相当复杂的问题（需要在各偏远地点进行若干操作），因为他知道此引擎会破坏任何东西。

* 组合各谜题的元素，让它们保持紧密关系。若各元素过于分散，玩家就需要首先建立联系。

* 阐述破解谜题所需元素的效果。若破解谜题需要对物件或机器进行特殊操作，要让玩家知晓他们能够这么做。

在《绝地武士 2》中，玩家需要摧毁某庞大机库门方能继续前进，但他们始终没有意识到这点。只要玩家出现，敌人就会纷纷冒出来。玩家开枪进行自我防卫，但由于敌人在大炮和门间冒出，门自然就要承受大炮火力，玩家就会看到门开始出现破损。玩家从中发现自己的前进方向和前进方式。

植入目标谜题

最后就是目标谜题。这些谜题通过设定短期目标引导玩家在冒险活动中前进。

从开发者角度看，这些谜题都是上天的恩赐。他们提供类似于脚本的内容，赋予玩家操作任务。他们还让关卡具有“经济可行性”。目标谜题通常会让玩家重复穿梭于某任务，因此他们需要投入更多时间。

目标谜题应保持简单，因为它们存在的目的不是为了减缓玩家在动作游戏中的进程。但“简单”不意味着拙劣。这类谜题需要开发者投以特殊关注。解决方式是令人满意的脚本创作。

想想富有想象空间的恐怖生存游戏。两位主角（游戏邦注一位由玩家控制）需要准备好一辆车，这样他们就能够跳过危险地带。有些组件会消失：汽油和点火开关。同样，玩家的伙伴传来消息说电动机库门由于缺乏保险丝无法打开。目标谜题是：组装各元素，继续冒险活动。下面我们就来看看优质脚本创作如何将无趣探索变成令人醉心的活动。

玩家的伙伴来自不同地方。他回忆称自己有看到一个电路板，他觉得自己可以从那里拆下保险丝。于是两个主角分开行动。玩家的伙伴负责收集保险丝，而玩家则继续探索场地，寻找丢失的另外两个组件。

在探索过程中，玩家发现一个燃料库，其电动门锁着，而且还有故障。他能够轻松找到原因。他必须检查附近的电路板，然后发现控制们的保险丝坏了。玩家得继续探索，然后发现一位飞行员的躯体。他得进行搜查，然后发现一串钥匙。玩家发现破解谜题所需3个要素中的一个：车辆的钥匙。

在此发现后随即出现遇险信号。他的伙伴被敌人包围，要求玩家前来营救。玩家需要回头照着伙伴的脚印找到她。现在玩家压力很大。无助的求助信号从耳机中传来。玩家需要尽快找到伙伴，将她救出。

只要救出伙伴，她就会告诉玩家她发现打开机库门所需的保险丝。玩家此举令他赢得破解谜题所需3个要素中的第二个。

有了保险丝，玩家就能够开门进入燃料库，取出汽油。他现在需要返回找到控制燃料库入口的电路板。他需要装上伙伴提供的保险丝，将其放在适当位置，确保防盗门不会锁上，然后寻找燃料，这破解谜题的第三个要素。

但玩家出去后，敌人就会进行出其不意的进攻。屏幕跳出过场动画告知玩家有大批敌人在一步步逼近。游戏此时嵌入的猛烈攻击旨在让玩家感到恐慌，促使他在没有取回保险丝的情况就慌忙逃走！记住，这是开启机库门的必备要件。

此例子说明简单的要素收集谜题也能够变成迂回曲折的内容，并进一步总结动作冒险游戏的谜题设计和整合原则。

游戏邦注：原文发表于2002年12月6日，所涉事件及数据以当时为准。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Designing and Integrating Puzzles in Action-Adventure Games

by Pascal Luban

Puzzles are key to adventure games and can be a crucial component of action-adventure games. They are a source of great satisfaction once solved, and potentially a source of just as much frustration. Everyone remembers quitting a captivating game when stuck with an impossible puzzle, or even being unable to find the puzzle in the first place!

And yet, there is very little literature and research dedicated to this major aspect of game design. This article was written to offer a set of tangible rules for designing and integrating puzzles.

What Makes a Good Puzzle?

The role of puzzles in a game varies widely. An adventure game such as Riven is entirely designed around them. Puzzles are the essence of the game itself. On the opposite end, an action-adventure game with a strong “action” bias like Outcast only uses puzzles to set intermediate goals for the player. Between the two extremes, games like Resident Evil and the series Alone In The Dark attempt — more or less successfully — to blend action with detective work.

Before going into the details of how to design and integrate puzzles, let’s define what makes a good puzzle.

There are three major game genres that employ puzzles; they are: adventure games in the traditional sense such as Myst; Action-adventure games that are strongly bent on “action” like Star Trek Voyager – Elite Force; and Mixed action-adventure games such as Alone In The Dark.

While this categorization does not seem to explain what makes a good puzzle, each genre relies on a different type of puzzle for success and understand this will help us define what makes a good puzzle for each genre. The answer will obviously hinge on individual tastes and habits, but it’s important to have a standard as objective as possible.

The rule I often apply is this: What is a player looking for when buying a game? This approach helps me pinpoint the very essence of a game category: the discovery of new sceneries in some adventure games, the humor in a platform game, etc.

We can now attempt to answer the question: What does it take to build a good puzzle?

Classical Adventure Games

When we say “adventure game”, the first thing that comes to mind are images of inextricable puzzles and recollections of hours spent staring at the computer screen. Is an adventure game nothing but a string of puzzles? No. It’s a mistake to think that gameplay in an adventure game is merely a succession of brain twisters and just as many opportunities to get hopelessly stuck.

A detailed analysis of the great adventure game classics reveals one key aspect in their gameplay: investigation. Adventure games rely on the same mechanisms as a real-life investigation. Indeed, gameplay is virtually always limited to a cycle where a player must explore locations to discover objects, clues or mechanisms until the player realizes he or she is stuck in a game area and needs to find a way to move on when finally, the player discovers the lock/unlock feature using clues previously collected.

Most adventure game fans confirm this analysis, saying that unraveling a mystery, discovering new elements (characters, décor, machines, etc.), and advancing within the adventure, are their chief motivators. Very few gamers are actually interested in the puzzles themselves.

What this tells us is that investigation is the driving force of adventure games; so puzzles should encourage the player to explore and interact with the environment, not spend hours on end in front of a static screen. The puzzle should not be limited to a lock mechanism. It must make a seamless whole with the clues surrounding it.

Action-Adventure Games with an Emphasis on “Action”

The key aspect in this game category is movement. This is directly related to the gameplay, which is combat-dominated; but movement is also provided by the script: characters make their escape, infiltrate, mount attacks, etc. Games like Alien versus Predator 2 or Star Trek Voyager – Elite Force are accomplished implementations of this principle. The player’s actions are unchanged – move and fight – but the script regularly changes the pace of the game and the context of the action.

Half-Life

These games seem less capable of incorporating puzzles and still, almost all of them do. Indeed, puzzles respond to two basic requirements. First, they should diversify the gameplay. Action-adventure games biased on “action” often provide monotonous gameplay, and scattered puzzles are a way to liven up the monotony. Half-Life is one of the best examples. Moving ahead in the game often requires the player to understand how a particular gadget works and use it to move on. These puzzles are all related to the movement of the hero. Motion remains the dominant theme. I rate these under the category movement puzzles. Second, they should guide the player by bringing up goals to be accomplished. Simple puzzles such as finding three keys to open a door give the hero’s action a purpose. These are goal puzzles.

Still, these two types of puzzles have their shortcomings. Movement puzzles threaten to disrupt the pace of the game and may fail to provide the desired movement to the player. Indeed, such puzzles can turn out to be frustrating if the player cannot find the solution quickly or lacks the necessary dexterity.

Goal puzzles, in turn, are often overly simplistic. The player quickly understands that they are nothing but excuses intended to keep him going, instead of challenges intimately braided into the story.

In conclusion, a good puzzle designed for action-adventure games with the emphasis on “action” should follow these rules:

* As movement is the very essence of these games, puzzles should be kept simple to avoid breaking up the pace.

* Movement puzzles are not platform challenges where the player’s success ultimately hinges on dexterity. These puzzles rely on the player’s capacity to understand how to use a series of mechanisms to overcome an obstacle or use décor elements to advance.

* Goal puzzles should enrich the adventure instead of being an excuse for it.

Mixed Action-Adventure Games

These games provide a mix of seemingly incompatible genres. The player encounters mechanisms of a classical adventure game such as exploring and complex puzzle solving, as well as pieces of genuine action. Won’t the action-hungry — movement-hungry — player be frustrated when the pace suddenly slows down for an investigation?

Still, this category boasts remarkable hits like Resident Evil 2, Silent Hill and Alone In The Dark.When a gamer buys Resident Evil, he is not looking for action before everything else. If that were the case, his choice would go with an action-oriented action-adventure title. Also, the player is not looking for a classical adventure game. No, what he wants first and foremost, is story.

True, a story is at the heart of any adventure game, but the kind of story we look for in a game like Silent Hill stands out in a unique way: in classical adventure games and in action-oriented games, the player controls the world; in mixed games, the world controls the player; he becomes the object of the game. The dramatic intensity of the narration is much stronger.

In Silent Hill, the hero finds himself prisoner in a city overcome by evil. His only goal is to find his daughter and make his escape. There is no “cleaning up” to do. He stands no chance in the face of such horrors. The city is stronger than he is.

Since the essence of this game family is the story, we won’t find a specific type of puzzle here. There is a mix of investigation and movement puzzles.

The Golden Rules for Integrating a Puzzle

Puzzles can be categorized into one of three large groups, regardless of the games genre: investigation, movement, or goal puzzles. We have also established the ground rules to follow in designing good puzzles. Let’s take a closer look at how these rules need to be implemented.

Integrating an Investigation Puzzle

The rules for integrating an investigation puzzle come as four basic principles:

* Maintain consistency between game pace and gameplay.

* Use an appropriate game architecture.

* Respect the universe of the game.

* Assist the player in solving puzzles.

Maintain Consistency Between Game Pace and Gameplay

If the game alternates between investigation and action, the puzzles should follow in line. Don’t break up the pace of an action sequence with a puzzle that requires concentration, such as opening a chest.

Resident Evil 2 does an excellent job implementing this principle. The player reels between action and investigation. Investigation scenes, however, retain the game’s general atmosphere – the fear of being attacked is permanent. The puzzles are simple and require the player to move a lot, further exposing him to sinister encounters.

Investigation puzzles must rely on discovering, examining and manipulating objects. Puzzles should encourage the player to explore, discover his universe – instead of freezing solid in front of a brain twister. A lot of puzzles in Myst – Riven are designed in this way. Most of the riddles can be solved by examining the décor and associating it with the clues.

Use an Appropriate Game Architecture

The game architecture, the synopsis, is the backbone of your product. It determines the order in which players encounter puzzles, the way they are integrated into the script, and how often they turn up. The following rules serve as a guide to using the appropriate game architecture:

* Always design easy, gratifying puzzles at the beginning of your script. To encourage the player to “step into” the adventure, he needs a sense of initial success. Let’s not forget that game débuts are often turned into demos. Scaring the audience off with an impossible puzzle is certainly not the best way to encourage potential buyers!

* Make sure the player can easily find the puzzles. Since puzzles are potential dead-ends, they should be easily identifiable. Absolutely avoid having the player stray around the game not knowing what to do next. Many approaches are available, such as a cut scene highlighting the puzzle when the player enters a particular location, or a visual gimmick (reflection, blinking light, etc.) to draw his attention.

* Limit the investigation area around the puzzle. All the elements needed to solve the puzzle (clues, objects, plans, etc.) should be found near the puzzle itself. This way, the player won’t be tempted to return to locations explored long ago in the hope of finding a missing object or clue.

* Design workaround puzzles: Solving one provides clues for another

* Since it’s impossible to know which one will bring the player to a halt, consider offering a choice of puzzles. If the player defaults at one puzzle, he can always try another. Imagine our player attempting to solve puzzle A, and failing. He then tries his luck with puzzle B and succeeds. A clue is then offered concerning puzzle A.

* Avoid drowning the player in clues. To the designer, each piece of information given out has an obvious meaning since he knows the script inside and out. Not so with the player, who often cannot tell the essential clues needed to solve puzzles, from background information. Information of a general character should therefore be dispensed at appropriate times. I already discussed this aspect of design in an article published on Gamasutra.com: “Turning a Linear Story into a Game: The Missing Link between Fiction and Interactive Entertainment”. Remember, there are software tools available to help designers and script writers in this area.

* Stick with a more linear adventure. The better the designer controls the order of discoveries, encounters, etc., the more likely the player is to solve each puzzle. It’s always a good idea to guide the player throughout the entire adventure and keep the playing area limited. The player won’t have to wander aimlessly in search of clues.

Respect the Universe of the Game

Game designers often go to great lengths to create a rich, credible other-worldly universe. Their reward is the famous suspension of disbelieve which enables the player to become immersed into the history. It would be a pity, then, to break up the illusion with a puzzle that takes the player out of context. Too often, puzzles are seen for what they really are: nothing more than obstacles in the player’s way. Some simple strategies can negate this effect.

Only use elements which are likely to be found at the location. The designers of Resident Evil 3 took heed of this rule well. For instance, to get past a public fountain, the player must manipulate the valves in the right order to turn the water off and make way.

Use elements that are in line with the theme and time of the game. An adventure game unfolding in the Victorian era should make use of objects evoking the muffled atmosphere of secret cabinets: paper with writing in invisible ink, concealed drawers, etc. In Journeyman Project – Legacy of Time, part of the adventure unfolds in an amazing reconstruction of Atlantis as it was depicted by the ancient Greeks. There is no advanced technology and the player moves along in a setting reminiscent of ancient Greece. Puzzles only involve objects and crafts from that era: control a windmill, make a clay medallion, beg for a coin. The puzzles themselves are simple but contribute significantly to the sense of immersion. They are not merely an intellectual challenge, but also serve to enrich the game environment and maintain the all-vital suspension of disbelieve.

Design puzzles that observe common sense. If the puzzle is to find a key that’s been concealed by the landlord, it would be absurd to hide it on the other side of a brick wall! They key should be easily accessible to the landlord himself. Likewise, if a secret is protected by some sort of a mechanism, it would be obvious that its creator would not leave clues to the puzzle just lying around. Don’t expect the player to solve puzzles that defy the rules of common sense.

Assist the Player in Solving Puzzles

A lot of players will lose interest and quit a game when a puzzle is impossible to break. We are in the business of entertaining people, not frustrating them. This should be on the mind of every puzzle designer. Make sure the player has all the elements he needs to solve the puzzle. The key elements needed to crack a puzzle – objects or clues – should be found in the immediate vicinity. If a player fails at a puzzle, he knows there’s a chance of finding a solution by rummaging about. He can concentrate his search on a small area and make sure to comb every inch, thus increasing his chances of finding the missing element. Encourage the player to use common sense when solving puzzles. The best way to help the player solve a puzzle is to let him use his knowledge of the real world. Finally, include help mechanisms.

Other helpful mechanisms might include extra clues. When the player spends more than several minutes in front of a puzzle and then walks away without solving it, we can reasonably infer he has been unable to break it and has decided to look for clues elsewhere in the game. When the software detects such behavior, it can help the player by adding a clue to the scene. It could be a plan or a sheet of paper containing a phrase.

A hero’s personal log can be provided to store everything the player has learned during his encounters and discoveries. A convenient way to draw attention to an important clue the player might have overlooked. In Silent Hill, for instance, annotations and graffiti are added to the player’s diary.

Outside help can be offered. If the software determines the player is unable to overcome a particular puzzle, a teammate may contact him by radio and provide a clue. When the script allows it, a secondary character may enter the scene. In Alone In The Dark – The New Nightmare, we designed a “radio call” button. The player can page his teammate and extract some sort of help. Alternatively, the player may request clues from the game itself. In Byzantine – The Betrayal, published by Discovery Channel, the player has access to a progressive help system for each puzzle. The first level of help is a single clue. The second level is direct assistance. Finally, the third level reveals the solution flat out. As an interesting note, this system enables to player to break through any type of puzzle, whether he has run out of ideas with a brain twister, or doesn’t know what to do and where to go.

As a last resort, the player can have a limited number of wildcards (jokers) that let him skip puzzles altogether. This solution was pioneered by Urban Runner, an action-adventure game developed and published by Coktel.

Integrating a Movement Puzzle

With this type of puzzles, the player’s goal is to understand how to use the décor to travel from one point to another or to overcome an obstacle. Some readers will be surprised to find this type of gameplay in an article focusing on puzzles. However, the puzzles in Riven or Tomb Raider have a lot in common. First off, there are puzzles that block the players way and must be solved in order to advance. Secondly, the player must inspect the environment for clues. Finally, he or she must use logic to understand how to arrive at his goal.

Two categories of movement puzzles can be distinguished. In acrobatic puzzles, typical of the gameplay in Tomb Raider, the player’s goal is simply to reach an exit point such as a window or an elevation. But this goal is out of reach being too far away or too high. The player must then explore the surroundings for any elements — ledge, suspended object, etc. — that may enable him to “put together” a way through. Tomb Raider was the game that brought this family of puzzles into the mainstream. These tasks often require dexterity on the part of the player, but that aspect is beyond the scope of this article.

In environment puzzles, which are generally more intellectual than acrobatic puzzles, players are required to use elements found in the décor itself to unlock or reach a passage. The Half-Life series has excellent examples. In Half-Life: Opposing Forces, the player discovers a booby-trapped door connected to a detonator through an electrical cable. But the cable is severed. The solution is to push a metal can over the cable to restore the connection and blow the door open. These puzzles are, by definition, perfectly integrated into the game but this also makes them less “detectable” by the player. They can therefore be a source of dead ends, even if the puzzle itself is straightforward. The challenge for the designer is to devise puzzles that fit well into the décor while clearly standing out to the player.

As there are two categories of movement puzzles there are two sets of rules that apply to each respectively. The following are the rules for integrating acrobatic puzzles:

* Level modeling: highlight important elements in the décor. Careful observation of the décor is key to cracking these puzzles. Levels should be designed to highlight important elements in the décor, such as ledges, by using textures that stand out slightly against the general background, or by employing other visual gimmicks.

* The player must have access to an observation camera to study the décor from a different angle. The Tomb Raider camera is a trendsetter but other types of player-controlled cameras can be imagined.

* The goal to be reached (the exit) should be obvious to the player. The designer can use a carefully chosen camera angle, a cut scene or an appropriate setting to show the player his goal.

* Use visual clues. A clue such as a flock of birds taking off can be used to discretely draw the player’s attention to an important element of the décor — e.g. a platform he must reach to continue his adventure.

* Always introduce special moves. If solving a puzzle requires a special move the player hasn’t mastered yet, make sure the move is introduced first.

Next, the rules for integrating environment puzzles:

* Position puzzles in dead-end situations. This way, you make sure the player discovers they are there and attempts to solve them. In Half-Life: Blue Shift, the player’s advancement through the sewers is obstructed by a grinder. Loose crates drift in with the current and are inevitably shredded by the machine. The player recalls seeing a crate of explosives on the dock, and pushes it into the water. The crate then drifts along into the grinder, blows it open and clears a passage.

* Prefer simple mechanisms based on down-to-earth logic. In a realistic game universe, the player expects familiar objects to behave in a familiar way. In Half-Life, a rocket engine sitting on a testbed needs to be started to destroy a monster. The player is able to solve this rather complex puzzle (requiring several manipulations in different, remote locations) because he knows such an engine will definitely destroy anything with its blast.

* Group components of each puzzle so they are close to one another. If the components are too scattered, the player will need to make the connection first.

* Illustrate the effect of an object essential to solving the puzzle. If solving the puzzle requires an uncommon use of an object or machine, let the player know that it can be done.

In Jedi Knight 2, the player has to destroy a huge hangar door to move on, but is still unaware of this. A huge anti-aircraft cannon is located near the door. As soon as the player settles in, enemies start to come out. The player fires the weapon for defense, but since his enemies come between the cannon and the door, the door inevitably takes cannon fire, and the player can see it beginning to break down. He has discovered where he needs to go and how to get there.

Integrating a Goal Puzzle

Finally, we move to the goal puzzle. As we recall, these puzzles are ways to guide the player along the adventure by setting short-term goals.

From the developer’s standpoint, such puzzles are a godsend. They provide a semblance of a script and give the player something to do. They also make a level “economically feasible.” Goal puzzles often have the player travel repeatedly across a level and therefore spend more time there.

Goal puzzles should be very simple since their reason for being is not to slow the player down while in the midst of an action game. “Simple”, however, should not mean poor. Puzzles like these require particular attention. The solution is good script-writing.

Consider an example from any imaginable horror-survival game. The two heroes, one of them controlled by the player, have to ready a vehicle so they can clear a dangerous area. Some components are missing: gasoline and the ignition key. Also, the player’s partner reports the electrically operated hangar door won’t open because of a missing fuse. We have our goal puzzle: assemble three components in order to continue with the adventure. Let’s take a look at how good script-writing can turn a dull quest into a heart-throbbing adventure.

The player’s partner comes from a different location. He recalls having seen an electric panel and thinks he could pick up a working fuse there. Our two heroes split up. The partner leaves to collect the fuse while the player’s character goes on to explore the premises for the other two missing components.

On his expedition, the player discovers a fuel store – with the electrically operated door locked and out of order. He can easily see why. He must inspect a nearby electric panel and discover that the fuse controlling the door is missing. The player must move on with his search. He stumbles upon the body of one of the pilots. He must search it, and reveal a set of keys. The player has found the first of the three components of the puzzle: the key to the vehicle.

Immediately after this find, a distress call comes in. His partner is surrounded by enemies and is asking the player to come to the rescue. The player must turn around and follow in the footsteps of his partner to find her. Pressure is now upon the player. Calls for help, increasingly desperate, come through in his earpiece. The player needs to find his partner as quickly as possible and relieve her.

Once saved, the partner reports finding the fuse needed to open the hangar door and gives it to the player. His action has earned him the second of the three components of the puzzle.

With the fuse, the player must understand that he can open the door into the fuel store and pick up the gasoline. He must now backtrack to the electric panel that controls access to the fuel store.

He must install the fuse supplied by his partner, leave it in place to make sure the security door doesn’t close back, and go search for fuel, the third component of the puzzle.

But as he gets out, enemies mount a surprise attack. A cut scene shows a large number of enemies approaching. A massive attack at this moment in the game is designed to panic the player and force him to flee without recovering the fuse! Remember, it is essential for opening the hangar door.

This example shows how a simple component-gathering puzzle can be turned around for a much more appealing spin and concludes the rules on how to design and integrate puzzles in action-adventure games. （Source：gamasutra）