Cosmic Express
A puzzle game about laying train tracks to carry aliens to matching boxes.
Where Cosmic Express comes up1 episode or test
- 1Set one limitThe train's track can never cross itself
- 2Limit blocks a tight gapThe obvious path is closed off
- 3Player finds new approachThe limit forces a different route
- 4Puzzle emergesLimitations are used to create puzzles
From Cosmic Express design note
What was said about Cosmic Express
Cosmic Express builds its puzzles on one limit: tracks cannot cross. The train's track can never cross itself. That single limit can block a tight gap and force the player to find a new approach.
It is cited as an example of a main mechanic whose limitations generate puzzles. The quoted principle: "These rules, and perhaps more importantly these limitations, are used to create puzzles."
Aliens hop out at the first box of their own colour. An alien leaves the train at the first box of its own colour that the train passes. This is a second rule that shapes how a track is planned.
What Makes a Good Puzzle?
You cannot cross your own tracks, and that single limit can block a tight gap and force a new approach. An alien also hops out into the first box of its own colour the train passes.
Cosmic Express builds its puzzles on one limit: tracks cannot cross. The train's track can never cross itself. That single limit can block a tight gap and force the player to find a new approach.
It is cited as an example of a main mechanic whose limitations generate puzzles. The quoted principle: "These rules, and perhaps more importantly these limitations, are used to create puzzles."
Aliens hop out at the first box of their own colour. An alien leaves the train at the first box of its own colour that the train passes. This is a second rule that shapes how a track is planned.
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