Puzzle/Crystal Maze game?

[Elisabeth Jones]

With the puzzle game we thought up would it be more useful to style it as a journey to find/discover something? I don't know if it could be knowledge or infiltrating somewhere but by having a point that you don't tell them straightaway it might keep people going to discover it.

I found two point and click games like this, both have original (and some quite tough) puzzles and show the kind of thing I was thinking of:
Submachine 1 - FP puzzle, more like the thing I was thinking, but with the wiimote the possibilities for puzzles grow, using it as a lever, unscrewing things, looking around the entire room etc.
Gateway II - third person puzzle, has some good ideas and innovative problems with simple graphics to show how effective it can be.

Sorry they're both newgrounds links, they do have their own sites (I think) but I don't know where they are. They're both eerie in places but that's just coincidence...

Any comments on anything I said?

[DanceDanceIkaruga]

Comment 1:

"Start the fans PLEASE!"



Comment 2:

There are lots of puzzle "escape the room" style games linked to on Jay Is Games. That could be a good starting place for inspiration or research.

[Elisabeth Jones]

Yes comment 1 was pretty much the reaction in the meeting >.> Though personally I liked it when someone else said "I was just about to say that..."

[Mat]

If you can get Richard O'Brien to voice/come talk to us, I will forever be your slave.

[Jonathan G]

It would be good to have some story/narrative in this, if people are interested in writing it.

Something that concerns me is that the Wiimote isn't something many people will have, so it's best to use that for games that will be played in a showcase/social setting. The puzzle game ideas would be more suited to individual play sessions, where people can sit and think about what's going on, so it'd probably be better to use mouse and keyboard. I do agree it would be cool with a Wiimote though.

[Elisabeth Jones]

Hm, good point, so would it be better as a point and click?

[Jonathan G]

It could be point and click, although it could also be a 2D platformer or a 3D first- or third-person game, it depends on the puzzles you want to make and whether it's to be integrated with action gameplay too (not necessarily violent action, jumping between moving platforms is action too; anything which requires timing and coordination).

[Elisabeth Jones]

Hm, another thing that could be good is a puzzle that needs you to use platforms, for example needing to jump between certain platforms or follow a certain route around the room on bridges etc. That would mean you'd need to think from top down in a FPgame. That could be interesting.

Another good thing about having a room puzzle system is that various people can contribute puzzles.

[Ali]

It would be good to have some story/narrative in this, if people are interested in writing it.

Something that concerns me is that the Wiimote isn't something many people will have, so it's best to use that for games that will be played in a showcase/social setting. The puzzle game ideas would be more suited to individual play sessions, where people can sit and think about what's going on, so it'd probably be better to use mouse and keyboard. I do agree it would be cool with a Wiimote though.

I disagree - I don't think audience should be too much of a concern. The Crystal Maze has that wonderful rummage-around feel about it. You don't just point and click on the jade monkey to pick it up. You dig through the sand until you find it. Trying to make a game where the player has to explore and experiment physically makes it an experience that's fresh and exciting, even if they only really get to play it at events. I don't think it's worth sacrificing artistic vision just to make the game widely available. At least not when we have this kind of oppurtunity to experiment!

[DanceDanceIkaruga]

I don't think it's worth sacrificing artistic vision just to make the game widely available.

High five.

And for this reason, I hope Atari Lynx dev kits are on the next budget.

[Elisabeth Jones]

In theory it might be kind of convertible between the two formats but that might involve a lot of recoding for a flash version.

3d would prob be better for this game, but harder to draw...

[Elisabeth Jones]

Hey guys, the people who are doing this, can we reschedule for 2-4? we're going to see fireworks after so need time for food/bus etc

[someone]

i cant make 2-4, maybe 12-2 or a different day...

[Elisabeth Jones]

12-2 should be fine for me. (As long as I manage to get up, which I will) That okay for everyone else?

[SteveM]

Yeah, 12-2 is probably fine for me, as long as I remember.