What's the damn point of putting puzzles in a video game if you're not even going to give people the chance to figure it out for themselves?

[Princess Viola]

Seriously I don't get it. Why even have puzzles then if you're just gonna have another character blare out the solution after like 1 second of being presented with the puzzle. Not even giving people the chance to solve it themselves.

Are producers really so damn scared that someone might not be able to solve baby's first puzzle or that they don't have a phone or have never heard of the idea of 'looking something up online'. Just pure anti-game design behavior.

 

[Mal]

dev been like: i heard you like puzzles, so we making you puzzle at why we solved the puzzle we puzzled for you.

 

[cornpops]

Are producers really so damn scared that someone might not be able to solve baby's first puzzle

Yes.

---

Difficulty is no longer a reliable revenue stream; you cannot rely on moon logic to summon players to your paid hint-line, or to the bookstore for the latest guides from Prima. At best, you can convert difficulty into marketing by tapping the right streamer. More likely, you will invite refunds and negative user reviews -- or such is the fear.

There's another factor: larger games made by large teams with large budgets feel obligated to deliver full experiences. If they invest the time and budget into companions, they will give them context-reactive voice acting. If they gate the rest-of-the-game behind a puzzle that focus testing reveals that some critical percentage (say, 30%) of players won't get past before giving up, they will invent a solution that trivializes that puzzle. Combine the two: the project leads will consider this to be a 'clever' fix.

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

Because games are made from a checklist these days.

Devs would much rather SEEM profound than actually being so.

 

[diet_orange]

You think that's bad? Try some of the puzzles in Point & Click Adventure games

 

[Badseed Badseed]

Seriously I don't get it. Why even have puzzles then if you're just gonna have another character blare out the solution after like 1 second of being presented with the puzzle. Not even giving people the chance to solve it themselves.

Is there a particular game that this happened to you in?
I can't seem to remember any. (not trying to be a dick).

Post automatically merged: May 19, 2026

@diet_orange

Dude, your avatar pic is really cool.

 

[ODM]

Exactly, I'd just use a hint coin or two if I needed any help figuring it out.

 

[Unassuming_Spook]

That would bug me if the games I do own did this. I refuse hints and only get help from friends who I play together with. Although my puzzle games are point and click, read and jot down. One of my favorite ones are Darkfall 1 2 & 3 along with the Lost Crown.

 

[Graw]

For some reason this thread reminded me of this guy's videos

 

[GoodGods]

Yes.

---

Difficulty is no longer a reliable revenue stream; you cannot rely on moon logic to summon players to your paid hint-line, or to the bookstore for the latest guides from Prima. At best, you can convert difficulty into marketing by tapping the right streamer. More likely, you will invite refunds and negative user reviews -- or such is the fear.

There's another factor: larger games made by large teams with large budgets feel obligated to deliver full experiences. If they invest the time and budget into companions, they will give them context-reactive voice acting. If they gate the rest-of-the-game behind a puzzle that focus testing reveals that some critical percentage (say, 30%) of players won't get past before giving up, they will invent a solution that trivializes that puzzle. Combine the two: the project leads will consider this to be a 'clever' fix.

I remember when OoT 3d gave us the sheikah stone to provide hints if you got stuck, but it was optional and you had to go out your way to even use it. Even then, it wasn't a real necessity owing to the fact the game was originally designed without that crutch in mind, back when developers trusted the players to use their brains to figure it out on their own. Hell, the water temple wasn't even that bad, it just required a lot of spatial awareness and remembering specific rooms, which is a skill the prior dungeons didn't really require (the fire temple kind of did, as it occasionally had you backtrack to find keys). The iron boots were the real pace killer.

On that second point: I can't tell if it's fear or cowardice, that devs will trivialize their design so that the casuals can clear the game and pat themselves on the back for it, but I wish they had the spine to design games to separate the boys from the men.

 

[Badseed Badseed]

@Unassuming_Spook

 

[Tbest25 Tbest25]

Is there a particular game that this happened to you in?
I can't seem to remember any. (not trying to be a dick).

The 2 recent God Of War games (nordic mythology ones). If you spend too much time (a couple of minutes) on a puzzle, Atreus will literally give you the solution.
I think this is pretty lame, i mean this is God of War, if there's one franchise where you don't want to babysit the players is this one

 

[Badseed Badseed]

The 2 recent God Of War games (nordic mythology ones). If you spend too much time (a couple of minutes) on a puzzle, Atreus will literally give you the solution.
I think this is pretty lame, i mean this is God of War, if there's one game where you don't want to babysit the players is this one

OK, F YEA I'm with ya. Fine I got it. I'd like to add just the trend that has been in SO MANY
games for years, your "radio buddy" .You know, your constant radio companion that always
has helpful tips and always radios you at the most annoying time.
I'm always like "FU man. Let me go do my thing!"

 

[Adrastia]

Is it really that bad now? The last puzzle-centric game I played was Zero Time Dilemma. I think that was around a year ago. And before that it was Virtue's Last Reward. The last puzzle isn't even that hard. It's described in a way that makes you think it's the worst thing ever. But it's not. You can get hints. But you shouldn't do that unless you truly are helplessly stuck.

The 2 recent God Of War games (nordic mythology ones). If you spend too much time (a couple of minutes) on a puzzle, Atreus will literally give you the solution.
I think this is pretty lame, i mean this is God of War, if there's one franchise where you don't want to babysit the players is this one

No one wants to get stuck on a puzzle forever. But unsolicited hints are another form of annoyance.

 

[Tbest25 Tbest25]

OK, F YEA I'm with ya. Fine I got it. I'd like to add just the trend that has been in SO MANY
games for years, your "radio buddy" .You know, your constant radio companion that always
has helpful tips and always radios you at the most annoying time.
I'm always like "FU man. Let me go do my thing!"

True. I hate those kinds where you're exploring the environment and then suddenly they go: "stop messing around and go to your next objective".
STFU I'M GATHERING SUPPLIES

Post automatically merged: May 19, 2026

No one wants to get stuck on a puzzle forever. But unsolicited hints are another form of annoyance.

It's not even a hint, he just straight up gives you the answer to the puzzle. It would've been fine if there was a option to ask for the answer after a while trying the puzzle, but the game just gives you the solution after a couple of minutes

 

[polter99]

People like Jerma is the reason why such thing exists. The thing is, from what I observe, it's not that people doesn't use their brain, but people just never stop for a moment and think. Hence dev often put "skip" mechanic that either your companion subtlety (or explicitly) give you the answer, or straight up skip button.

We are in the era of fast-moving industry, game basically have "time limit" to play and beat before the next one came out. And to lesser extent, yellow paint, but that's topic for another day.

This Umamusume comic is the perfect example for it. And to put it harshly, I don't think some people have the capabilities to visualize a puzzle on their head, like mental math.

Sure, some puzzle requires some kind of skill to solve like the sliding puzzle, ignoring the "easy speedrun route" that cannot visualize easily, it does require understanding of the fundamental that even little me struggle in the past. But long gone the day of complex puzzle in video game (unless it's puzzle game, obviously).

Chess, I would say a form of "real-time strategy puzzle" game, and people who master it can "see" and predict the next move. Puyo Puyo and Tetris as well.

That's my view anyway.

 

[Badseed Badseed]

@Tbest25
That GIF had me thinking of Arnie yelling at the fat kid for stealing the
other's lunches

 

[Michael Frank]

You think that's bad? Try some of the puzzles in Point & Click Adventure games

Well, that's the point of giving you saves isn't it?, so you can figure it out, trial and error.

 

[diet_orange]

@diet_orange

View attachment 186924 Dude, your avatar pic is really cool.

Thank Tony Millionare~

 

[Badseed Badseed]

@polter99
I was with ya all the way until you 100% until you put Chess and PuyoPuyo
in the same time zone. No offence meant, but Puyo is a Japanese video game
that really only the fans care about and Chess is... well fuckin Chess. People
have been playing it for around 1,500 years. Puyo is almost already forgotten.
Sorry but try again

Post automatically merged: May 19, 2026

Tony Millionare

Bro, thanks so much. I'm an art guy, at least that's what that piece of paper
my college gave me when I left says. I am seriously gonna check out
somma this guys work.

 

[diet_orange]

Bro, thanks so much. I'm an art guy, at least that's what that piece of paper
my college gave me when I left says. I am seriously gonna check out
somma this guys work out

Definitely look up "The Drinky Crow Show", it's where I first came across the character. It's a pretty faithful adaptation (or at least I think so) of Millionare's original Maakies comics

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

For some reason this thread reminded me of this guy's videos

Focus, L

 

[Badseed Badseed]

@diet_orange
Yea, I did a quick look at the guy, and I like the whole vibe he got going on,
I'm not sure I've seen anything like it before. Plus I see you live in Alabama?
If you got some time whenever and are interested hit me up on the DMs
I got a really funny story.

 

[RedCometHarry]

It comes down to playtesting, game devs will see people smashing their face against a wall and it's just generally speaking far easier to have someone give you a hint rather than changing the puzzle or environment.

 

[ct9983]

current gamers have a couple very strong attributes:
they are impatient
they don't want to think or worse, feel dumb
they want to shoot/slash/attack stuff and can't jive with any other gameplay, other than superficially
so you get uncharted style climbing, where you basically press jump and hold up and watch a climbing animation. you get puzzles as you described. and you get "RPGs" that are basically action games with leveling or a skill tree. you get Resident Evil 4/5 style "horror games" that are a hallway with things to shoot at. etc
They are even afraid to have exposition and character/world building in cutscenes, and just have characters yak in gameplay. because heaven forbid gamers have to stop shooting stuff
because that's what the average joe wants now. to run in a line and shoot things
oh, but if it's a super hand holding "open world game" with 80 hours worth of basic, repititive gameplay, then chef's kiss. Of course.