Square Enix Montreal
The studio behind the GO puzzle games, including Lara Croft GO and Deus Ex GO.
Where Square Enix Montreal comes up1 episode or test
Square Enix Montreal's GO games, such as Lara Croft GO and Deus Ex GO, are cited for how they order puzzle levels. They rate difficulty on four criteria: number of solutions, steps, options per moment, and mechanics needed beforehand. The sources give no numbers. The lesson: score difficulty with explicit criteria, and playtest puzzles more heavily than other genres, as the developers interviewed advise.
- More possible solutions
- More required steps
- Too many steps become tedious
- More options at each moment
Fourth criterion: mechanics the player must already know
From Square Enix Montreal, GO games
What was said about Square Enix Montreal
Square Enix Montreal rates GO puzzle difficulty with four criteria. The studio orders levels in the GO games, such as Lara Croft GO and Deus Ex GO, by four criteria. More possible solutions make a puzzle easier, and more required steps make it harder, though too many steps become tedious.
The other two criteria are the number of options the player has at each moment, which adds difficulty, and the mechanics the player must already know. Quote: "The number of possible solutions - the more there are, the easier the puzzle is."
Puzzle games need more playtesting than most genres, even with a difficulty rubric. Ordering levels by criteria still needs real players to check it. Developers interviewed, including Square Enix Montreal's team and Alan Hazelden, said puzzle games need more playtesting than most genres.
The best puzzle games take years of design, iteration, playtesting and ruthless cutting. Quote: "puzzle games perhaps need more playtesting than most other genres"
What Makes a Good Puzzle?
It rates puzzle difficulty by number of solutions, steps, options per moment and mechanics needed beforehand. It says puzzle games need more playtesting than most genres.
Square Enix Montreal rates GO puzzle difficulty with four criteria. The studio orders levels in the GO games, such as Lara Croft GO and Deus Ex GO, by four criteria. More possible solutions make a puzzle easier, and more required steps make it harder, though too many steps become tedious.
The other two criteria are the number of options the player has at each moment, which adds difficulty, and the mechanics the player must already know. Quote: "The number of possible solutions - the more there are, the easier the puzzle is."
Puzzle games need more playtesting than most genres, even with a difficulty rubric. Ordering levels by criteria still needs real players to check it. Developers interviewed, including Square Enix Montreal's team and Alan Hazelden, said puzzle games need more playtesting than most genres.
The best puzzle games take years of design, iteration, playtesting and ruthless cutting. Quote: "puzzle games perhaps need more playtesting than most other genres"
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