Patrick's Parabox
A puzzle game about pushing boxes that contain other boxes, made by Patrick Traynor.
Where Patrick's Parabox comes up2 episodes and tests
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit, making his first game testHow I make puzzles for my indie magnet game (Developing 9)
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testHow Neon White Lets You Speedrun Speedrunning- 1List mechanicsAlong the top and side of a table
- 2Remove duplicatesEach cell is one pair of mechanics
- 3Test each pairEmpty room, a few basic pieces
- 4Look for interactionsInteresting consequences become puzzle ideas
From Patrick Traynor's puzzle matrix technique
What was said about Patrick's Parabox
Patrick Traynor's puzzle matrix pairs every mechanic with every other to generate puzzles. List all mechanics along the top and side of a table and remove duplicates. Each cell is then a pair of mechanics to try in an empty room with a few basic pieces, looking for interesting interactions or consequences.
The matrix works as a prompt and a jumping off point. Mark Brown used Traynor's technique for Mind Over Magnet, where the electromagnet and drill bit cell produced a puzzle idea. As the source puts it, "every cell is at the intersection of two game mechanics."
Patrick's Parabox was a 2022 honourable mention for a fresh twist on puzzles. Game Maker's Toolkit named it an honourable mention for 2022 for finding a fresh twist on puzzles.
How I make puzzles for my indie magnet game (Developing 9)
Its creator Patrick Traynor wrote the post about the puzzle matrix technique that inspired Mark Brown's method of pairing every two mechanics to generate puzzle ideas.
Patrick Traynor's puzzle matrix pairs every mechanic with every other to generate puzzles. List all mechanics along the top and side of a table and remove duplicates. Each cell is then a pair of mechanics to try in an empty room with a few basic pieces, looking for interesting interactions or consequences.
The matrix works as a prompt and a jumping off point. Mark Brown used Traynor's technique for Mind Over Magnet, where the electromagnet and drill bit cell produced a puzzle idea. As the source puts it, "every cell is at the intersection of two game mechanics."
How Neon White Lets You Speedrun Speedrunning
Named a 2022 honourable mention for finding a fresh twist on puzzles.
Patrick's Parabox was a 2022 honourable mention for a fresh twist on puzzles. Game Maker's Toolkit named it an honourable mention for 2022 for finding a fresh twist on puzzles.
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