Summary
In the early days of video games, puzzles and their solutions were pretty cut and dry. Get from Point A to Point B, and accomplish A, B, and C using a very specific method. There was only one way to beat the game; players just needed to find it. Part of this was due to hardware and scripting limitations. Consoles had such limited memory that there simply wasn’t room for more creative solutions.
But as video games and consoles become more advanced, puzzle-solving in games has become more open-ended. Developers are now usually more than happy to hand players the reins and let them run wild with their creativity. All the pieces are there; players just need to put them together. There are no right or wrong answers, just what works and what doesn’t, and for those looking toflex their creative puzzle-solving muscles and get rewarded for doing so, there are plenty of gaming options available.
This 2015 smash hit revolutionized puzzle-solving and story progression in RPG adventure games, being one of the first where players could complete the entire game without killing a single enemy. Instead, they could choosethe Pacifist routeand befriend NPCs instead (or go from killing asingleenemy toallof them inthe notorious Genocide route).
Beyond the multiple endings,Undertaleis filled with puzzles to overcome, not all of which have a single solution. Is a dastardly skeleton placing a maze trap before the fallen human? They might be able to solve it, or they can opt to simply walk around it. New dialogue options and story branches open and close based on who the player chooses to spare and how. The reward for creative puzzle-solving is that players get to explore more of this colorful world and iconic characters.
Scribblenautsproves that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. No, seriously. The titular heroes in thispopular puzzle RPG seriesuse the power of words to solve all their problems. Players can write down a noun and watch it appear in the world. Giving it an adjective results in the object or creature transforming to match its new description. Giving a pig wings will allow it to fly, and manifesting some glue out of the ether will permit players to stick things together. The possibilities are literally endless.
Scribblenauts Unlimitedbuilds on its predecessors with an expansive list of nouns, adjectives, and adverbs that players can use and provides multiple ways to solve each puzzle. The game doesn’t care how players accomplish their goals, so long as they clear the level’s main objective. The only real limit is the player’s imagination (and their vocabulary).
ThePortalgames make no secret that they want to test players' problem-solving abilities. The game’scentral antagonist, GLaDOS, makes that abundantly clear. In fact, the entire plot is to use those same skills toescapethe testing facility once and for all. Each test follows the same simple premise: get to the end of the testing chamber in one piece. How the player does it is up to them - and the game’s physics engine. Jump through portals, avoid deadly turrets and bottomless pits, propel through the air – it doesn’t matter. As the saying goes, “If it’s stupid and it works, it isn’t stupid.”
Portal 2takes this engaging premise and amps it up to eleven. Puzzles are bigger, deadlier, and more complicated than ever before. While some answers are laid out more obviously than others, players are free to ignore those options and think outside the box as much as they want. So long as they reach the final door, GLaDOS doesn’t mind how they did it. After all, data is data.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwas a massive breath of fresh air for the franchise. Linear adventures with clear-cut solutions were swapped out for a massive open world and a fun new physics engine that led to infinitely creative gameplay. Many fans of the series felt the game essentially reinvented the wheel of a franchise that had started to get a bit formulaic. However, its direct sequel,Tears of the Kingdom, didn’t just reinvent the wheel; it allowed players to invent their own.
On top of the many new mechanics introduced inBreath of the Wild,Tears of the Kingdomintroducedseveral new mechanicsfor players to tinker around with. The best by far is the introduction of Zonai devices, allowing players to use various moving mechanical parts in endless combinations to solve puzzles. Gamers can build siege engines that breathe fire, gliders powered by fans, or massive catapaults to launch enemies (or themselves) off into the horizon.
This award-winning RPG action-adventure game from 2023 famously adapted the core rules ofDungeons & Dragons 5th Editioninto a video game format. But the game didn’t just take the basic stats and mechanics; it went above and beyond to allow players to think just as creatively as they would while playing realD&D. AnyD&Dcampaign can go off the rails at any moment. One bad dice roll or truly chaotic player choice, and there will be consequences. That’s what makes the game so fun, andBaldur’s Gate 3understands this.
No two playthroughs ofBaldur’s Gate 3are the same, thanks to theinfinite array of choices, dice checks, and consequences. Players are rewarded for seeing just how many different ways they can solve the same problem. Do they exterminate the goblin camp or side with them? Can they pickpocket the vendor for powerful items to avoid paying? Can they talk their way out of being arrested, either through smooth-talking or saber-rattling? Every decision opens doors and closes others. Each interaction canforge new alliesor enemies. Every quest has multiple endings, good or bad. Players can play the campaign however they want and will be rewarded for their creative thinking along the way.
