Most Overused Puzzles?

[Corpse Wyrm 8]

I haven't seen a thread that specifically asks this question, so I just wanted to know what people thought, as I'm interested in making a fairly puzzle-based game. (Also, I'm a huge fan of the genre in general.)

 

In your opinion, what are the most overused, boring, and/or least intuitive puzzles that you see regularly in games? Why don't you like them?

 

I myself hate the "go to a room, find a key, open another door, find another key, repeat ad nauseum" puzzles. I just find them very repetitive and boring, and I just don't feel like they require you to solve anything, just click a lot. Also, unless it's given a reason, I always feel it's really weird to have that many locked doors. If you're inside a house (for example), who the heck locks all their inside doors? It puts a crack in my suspension of disbelief.

 

So what about you guys?

[TheHarmp 155]

block pushing probably, I don't mind if there's one or two in a game, but some of them just have tons and tons of them.

[+ TBWCS 953]

Pushing Blocks - Sokoban Style

 

I always see this on RPG games. Push this and that block, a switch happens and a treasure opens. Seriously, you can be more creative than that

Most of the puzzles in this pushing blocks too are somewhat repetitive, its just that the location, mood, feel or graphics change. It is still the same mechanic over and over again.

 

The Riddler Style

 

Some wise man or any other spiritual being is giving you a riddle that you must solve. Apparently, this again is used in so many rpg games you get tired of them. I don't know about others, but as far as many RPG games are concerned, I don't want to see this again.

[+ Novem 344]

Yea, definitely pushing blocks.

 

It's even in Resident Evil for crying out loud, haha

[TheHarmp 155]

Yea, definitely pushing blocks.

 

It's even in Resident Evil for crying out loud, haha

and Nier! for no reason what so ever. you can even jump over those boxes in that game anyway.

[SpookyMothman 361]

Teleporter mazes.

 

They're terrible.

 

'nuff said.

Edited March 7, 2014 by SpookyMothman

[Corpse Wyrm 8]

Block puzzles! I didn't even think of those. They are pretty ubiquitous, aren't they? I never minded them, but then, I didn't even really think of them as "puzzles," more as "obstacles." So all fair points made!

@SoulpourVII:

I can definitely see what you're saying there. Riddles for the sake of riddles just seem very shoe-horned. Again, I myself like riddles, but in the context of "wise man gives you a riddle," that just seems boring.

 

@SpookyMothman

Yes. They're so confusing, and usually never given any hints! It's so often trial-and-error. I like my puzzles to be tied into the setting, and with proper direction.

[Spectre 829]

If a puzzle doesn't require much thinking (e.g. hitting switches located all over), it's bad.

That being said, some overused ones may not necessarily be bad, for instance sokoban-styled puzzles. Used correctly or with some unique elements (e.g. dropping blocks to a lower level to help complete that stage), it's still a very viable puzzle element.

 

Here are my top 4 least necessary puzzles:

 

4: Hitting Random Objects in Order

Six ogres are sleeping around the prison block. To escape, you must stomp their bellies and make them play "Moonlight Sonata" with their own flatulence. Really?

So much trial and error here it's actually terrible.

Remedy: Make it similar to memory puzzles, where you have to remember which order it's played in, randomize the order each time it's done and for Tiamat's sake don't make this puzzle too lengthy.

 

3: Labyrinths

Easily beatable with a game guide, and usually designers will cheat by blocking off important passageways with powerful mooks or traps.

The same concept applies to "maprinths", or labyrinths that span across multiple maps (enter room 2 to go to one of six rooms, then go to room 16 and climb the ladder to access room 5 etc etc)

Remedy: Make dynamic elements: Movable or collapsible walls, guardians that patrol the maze rather than stand at one point, switches that move entire segments of the maze altogether.

 

2: Key Runs

Replace the key with any switch of any sort. Basically, 15 minutes of finding the key in some godforsaken corner of the dungeon, and running all the way back to open the copper door, only to find the silver and gold having the same process, where the key is definitely hidden behind some trap or strong mook.

Remedy: Make switches that are easily accessible, but where one switch toggles another off, and the puzzle becomes less of a walk grind and more of figuring out which combination of switches, and which combination of walking through rooms, is required to progress.

 

1: Riddles

Want to access some hidden treasure, or the next map? Answer a question regarding fresh fruit!

The king of redundant puzzles, riddles usually either test on general knowledge or segments of the game that are totally unimportant, like the cup size of the female protagonist or what the berserker uses for toilet paper. Also, game guides.

The most evil variant of this requires you to travel seven floors down to look at text on an obscure gravestone as a password.

Remedy: Just.... Don't Use Them.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Kentard

[+ Brackev 66]

Invisible walls. I scowl the whole time I'm in there...

 

I once got asked a question by a little boy. I told him I'd give him an answer if he solved this riddle. He looked so scared I was afaid there would soon be a puddle beneith him.

[+ Retired 274]

Two come to mind

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNql4JcqBPQ

 

 

[+ Shack_Keeper 30]

It all comes back time and time again but block pushing..... is the most common. When in doubt push a block.

[LakiLarian 3]

I would like to add that in the mystery/adventure genres (which I have loved, suffered through, and rooted for many years now) there are some definite puzzle frustrations.

 

Inventory/Combining objects:

 

Adventure genre games usually have inventories that serve as Mary Poppin's bags, but some RPGs with mystery elements can suffer from this too. Irrelevant items sit there in the inventory long after their expiration date, and just serve as distractions when you figure you're suppose to smash one object against all the others until they combine into Something. I don't mind needing to investigate to find things that my character could reasonably need to collect, but I've seen the whole system of inventory-heavy puzzles abused and require a guide so many times, it's made me wary.

However, if it could be done thoughtfully and intuitively with some relevance to the setting of the moment and story, it could be used creatively. But the numerous bad examples have been such a thorn in the side of otherwise great stories (anyone else here remember the legendary inflatable rubber duck + tape + clothesline + clamp incident?).

 

Distance/Searching:

 

My biggest peeve with puzzles has to be when the controls to a puzzle are far enough away from the relevant part, that you have to constantly backtrack. Like flipping a switch that opens one of three paths at a time, but to get back to that intersection from the switch takes almost a minute. It breaks the cognitive part of puzzle solving and makes you essentially wait to be able to test you next idea. It feels like punishment for not just reading a guide to get through it faster, especially if it is as simple as opening paths. On a similar note, the key/switch/button your character decides they need should not suddenly appear far off in a place you've already explored (or the character previously refused to touch, but it's still far enough off to require a good deal of backtracking). Finding it is just random busywork at that point.

[+ EraYachi 180]

 

Inventory/Combining objects:

 

Adventure genre games usually have inventories that serve as Mary Poppin's bags, but some RPGs with mystery elements can suffer from this too. Irrelevant items sit there in the inventory long after their expiration date, and just serve as distractions when you figure you're suppose to smash one object against all the others until they combine into Something. I don't mind needing to investigate to find things that my character could reasonably need to collect, but I've seen the whole system of inventory-heavy puzzles abused and require a guide so many times, it's made me wary.

However, if it could be done thoughtfully and intuitively with some relevance to the setting of the moment and story, it could be used creatively. But the numerous bad examples have been such a thorn in the side of otherwise great stories (anyone else here remember the legendary inflatable rubber duck + tape + clothesline + clamp incident?).

 

 

 

YES! YES, that GAME. The Longest Journey was an amazing game except for some of its silliest puzzles that made no sense. I had to get a guide after figuring out only half that puzzle. Anyway....

 

Adventure games use the inventory system as a chunk of its backbone; it's actually what kind of defines an adventure game. The key, like you said, is to be inventive with the puzzles and items and don't make it completely inconspicuous as to what needs to be done. For that reason, I have an optional 'hint' mechanism in Inwards, via a certain talking teddy bear.I'm playing a mobile game right now called "Escape" or something, which is a pretty shabby 'look for items and use them to escape' game, and 75% of the time, it makes no sense. "I have to use a screwdriver to open up the bread?" "Really!?"

 

Generic Switch Flipping

 

Flip Switches A + B + C in the right order, but one switch turns off two others, and another turns on a third! 

These kinds of puzzles are impressive in its own way, because it takes a fairly skilled eventer to make a complex one, but the fact that they're in pretty much every single RPG I've ever played is just...tedious. I don't feel challenged solving one of these switch puzzles, especially when there's no sound reason for it being there. Okay, a very old temple guarding something...might have some kinda Indiana Jones-like puzzle like this to solve it, but if you're gonna use one, don't put it on the front gate of somebody's mansion...or as a way to enter some top-secret high security lab. Or don't use 'em at all, or use 'em but spice it up a bit by combining this kinda puzzle with another.

[LakiLarian 3]

Haha! Screwdriver to bread huh? That's certainly a perfect example of obscurity! I've played sooo many adventure/puzzle games, so I've seen some doozies. I think some can be blamed on the demands of the big-wigs (i.e. Gabriel Knight 3's infamous 'adventure games are dead' cat/mustache/ID puzzle), but Indie games can certainly avoid that issue.

 

An optional hint mechanism is always appreciated for inventory games. I also like it when games with a long run time dump objects you no longer need to avoid looking through piles of useless junk late in the game. I believe Longest Journey did actually do that, which was nice. Like you said, Era, inventory/item puzzle are a pretty big core of what makes an adventure game. Theme, sense of writing wit, and relevance can really help make them fun instead of nonsensical. (especially for abstract/psychological stories)

 

Oh yeah, those "turn on this one and it turns off two" puzzles I just poke at like a monkey until I get a close grasp on which two-three switches need to be hit last. That's Always the answer  .

[Corpse Wyrm 8]

Ahhh, and switch-flipping. Is there anyone who doesn't just solve those by randomly hitting them until they work? Usually if there are only a couple of switches (and in my experience, there are), process of elimination takes less time than actually figuring it out.

 

These have all been really fantastic answers, and a lot of things I agree with and also things I didn't consider. (This might be strange, but I've been so indoctrinated by video games I completely forgot block puzzles were puzzles! I just always looked at them as "necessary obstacle to get from point A to point B," rather than a puzzle.)