Puzzle video games typically require players to match up shapes, numbers, or colors of tiles according to the game’s rules.
Fast-paced “arcade” puzzle games don’t give players much time to act. Sega’s Loco-Motion (1982) is a fun variation on a sliding tile puzzle toy. Instead of assembling a picture, the player must slide train tracks in front of a constantly moving passenger train to keep it from crashing. The hero of Gottlieb’s Q*Bert (1982) must jump on all the blocks in a pyramid to change their colors to the right color. In Boulder Dash (1984), the player must collect gems in a diamond mine while dodging falling boulders and dangerous creatures. Alexey Pajitnov’s Tetris (1984) pioneered the “falling block” game genre, inspiring Columns (1989), Klax (1990), Dr. Mario (1990), Puyo Puyo (1991), Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (1996), Lumines (2004), and many others. Today, you can play Tetris against 98 other online players simultaneously in Tetris 99 (2019) on Nintendo Switch. In Taito’s Puzzle Bobble (1994) players try to clear a board of colored bubbles by launching bubbles of the same color at them. This “aim and shoot” mechanic is seen again in titles like Zuma (2003) and Luxor (2005).
Turn-based puzzle games can move at the player’s pace for a more relaxing challenge. In Sokoban (a.k.a. Boxxle) (1982), the player moves boxes into their correct positions in a crowded warehouse.In Microsoft Minesweeper (1990), the player must uncover all the clear tiles on the board without setting off a hidden mine. The Russian game Shariki (1994) is the earliest example of the “match-three” puzzle game genre, where players swap positions of tiles to get three matching colors in a line. This inspired games like Bejeweled (2001), Hexic (2003), Puzzle Quest (2007), and Candy Crush Saga (2012). More recently, Jonathan Blow created The Witness (2016), a quiet game about exploring a beautiful, mysterious island filled with many different maze-like puzzles. The solutions are not always obvious, but clues to each puzzle may be found in the lush environment.
Students will learn how to use GameMaker 2 to perform the following:
