The Water Temple
A huge, maze-like water-themed dungeon in Ocarina of Time built around a changing water level.
Where The Water Temple comes up1 episode or test
The Water Temple turns one dungeon into a single puzzle with a three-setting water level switch, with keys hidden in areas that open only at certain levels. Staged access keeps the large space manageable. The iron boots menu swap added friction to core movement, and the 3DS remake removed it. Lesson: give players meaningful choices in one system, but keep basic actions smooth.
- 1Spot bombable wallSeen while swimming up on 2F
- 2Lower water to 1FSet at one of the water switches
- 3Raise water to 2FSet again at a switch
- 4Go back, swim upNow the wall can be reached
From Mark Brown on the Water Temple
What was said about The Water Temple
1How the water level turns the Water Temple into one puzzle
One dungeon-wide variable, the water level, makes the whole level a single puzzle. The water level decides which areas can be reached and what the player can see versus touch. A bombable wall on 2F is seen while swimming up, but the player must lower the water to 1F, raise it to 2F, then go back and swim up to it.
The player has to hold the whole space in their head. Mark Brown calls it "complex, demanding, and basically one, huge puzzle."
A three-way water switch forces players to choose, not just flip. The player can set the water to any of three floors at three spots. They must decide which setting they need and plan the order.
The Fire Temple and Eagle's Tower in Link's Awakening use a one-time pillar drop that changes the dungeon once. Brown describes the Water Temple as "a three-way switch where you have to make a conscious choice which way you pull it." This removes brute-force solving and rewards understanding the layout.
Sectioning off the space in stages keeps a huge dungeon manageable. At first only some areas are reachable. Dropping the water can trap you in another section until you find a key, and the longshot finally opens the whole temple.
This limits what the player must consider at any moment while the puzzle stays complex. Brown: "the temple is sectioned off while you make progress."
2Hidden keys, the iron boots menu and the 3DS fixes
Hiding keys in rooms closed off at certain water levels layers the puzzle. Keys are spread over many rooms, and many are inaccessible at different water levels. One is hidden beneath a platform. This ties the key hunt to the water system.
It also gave the dungeon its reputation for being painful, so the 3DS remake highlights the path to the water switches. Brown: "The complicated bit, though, is the keys."
Menu swaps for the iron boots add friction to the core action of exploring. The player must open the menu each time they want to sink or float, which makes a huge maze laborious and discourages exploration.
The 3DS remake removed the menu swap. A great puzzle can be held back by a clumsy input.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's dungeon design | Boss Keys
You can set the water to any of three floors, which turns the whole dungeon into one puzzle, and keys are hidden in areas closed off at different water levels. The menu swap for the iron boots is a real flaw, and the 3DS remake fixed it and highlights the path to the switches.
One dungeon-wide variable, the water level, makes the whole level a single puzzle. The water level decides which areas can be reached and what the player can see versus touch. A bombable wall on 2F is seen while swimming up, but the player must lower the water to 1F, raise it to 2F, then go back and swim up to it.
The player has to hold the whole space in their head. Mark Brown calls it "complex, demanding, and basically one, huge puzzle."
A three-way water switch forces players to choose, not just flip. The player can set the water to any of three floors at three spots. They must decide which setting they need and plan the order.
The Fire Temple and Eagle's Tower in Link's Awakening use a one-time pillar drop that changes the dungeon once. Brown describes the Water Temple as "a three-way switch where you have to make a conscious choice which way you pull it." This removes brute-force solving and rewards understanding the layout.
Sectioning off the space in stages keeps a huge dungeon manageable. At first only some areas are reachable. Dropping the water can trap you in another section until you find a key, and the longshot finally opens the whole temple.
This limits what the player must consider at any moment while the puzzle stays complex. Brown: "the temple is sectioned off while you make progress."
Hiding keys in rooms closed off at certain water levels layers the puzzle. Keys are spread over many rooms, and many are inaccessible at different water levels. One is hidden beneath a platform. This ties the key hunt to the water system.
It also gave the dungeon its reputation for being painful, so the 3DS remake highlights the path to the water switches. Brown: "The complicated bit, though, is the keys."
Menu swaps for the iron boots add friction to the core action of exploring. The player must open the menu each time they want to sink or float, which makes a huge maze laborious and discourages exploration.
The 3DS remake removed the menu swap. A great puzzle can be held back by a clumsy input.
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