Now this is puzzle design michael-laugh

For context, I’m playing Tormented Souls which is a 2021 Chilean indie game that uses the classic Resident Evil/Silent Hill formula. It’s got some decent puzzles too but then you have ones like these where you’re just solving random pictograms. I get many of the puzzles in those old games were pretty arbitrary too but a bit of theming goes a long way. How’s this fit a Victorian mansion turned hospital

  • MuinteoirSaoirse [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    3·
    9 days ago

    Perhaps it’s just a drawing of pentominoes (which Tetris is based off). The earliest set of complete printed pentominoes (The Canterbury Puzzles) was published only a few years after Victoria’s death.

    • doublepepperoni [none/use name]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      3·
      9 days ago

      Could be, but the hints just being taped right next to the puzzles like this feels really starkly video game-y. Here’s another similar puzzle and you’ll see what I mean by them feeling random and disconnected from the game’s setting

      Also here’s the solution because I think it’s actually a pretty cute puzzle on its own merits (these puzzles require you to match the symbols on the door to the symbol dials on the key)

      • MuinteoirSaoirse [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
        3·
        9 days ago

        Okay yeah, I didn’t have confidence that it was just pentominoes, it was more of a fun little hypothetical for immersion. I’m not much of a video game person, but I do love fun little puzzle games, so thanks for sharing about this one!!