Hello everyone,
This Wednesday's update is a bit different: instead of talking about an enemy type, I want to focus on the core design of the game:
how the genre choices were made, the challenges I faced, and the solutions I came up with.
Let’s get started!
Why Turns in a Puzzle Game?
This decision dates back to the earliest stages of development, when the game was just a concept for a gamejam.
I wanted to blend several genres in a meaningful way, while preserving the key elements of each one of them:
- Puzzles: Every move should be deliberate. The game is best played when the player thinks ahead, since each action has predictable outcomes. I hope that solving tricky situations or escaping seemingly impossible blocks gives that satisfying “I got it!” moment.
- Turn-based: The idea of "turn economy" forces the player to think strategically within a limited number of moves. Ideally, this leads to decision making like: “How can I make the most of this level? Should I move there and perform that action, or do the opposite?”
- Dungeon Crawler: This comes from my nostalgia for old games of this type that I played as a kid. Reaching the stairs at the end of a level always made me wonder: What’s next? What new enemies or mechanics will I encounter?
The Challenges
The biggest challenge has been balancing all of these elements. Specifically:
- Some puzzles risk of being too complex or too simple. I want players to think through their actions, but not to face overly convoluted logics or feel like they’re just ticking off obvious boxes from a visual checkbox.
- Turns can feel too restrictive. It’s frustrating to almost finish a level, solving everything correctly, only to be killed by the turn limit.
- The sense of discovery needs to be preserved throughout the game. Facing the same enemies repeatedly gets dull. How often should I introduce new mechanics? Will they stay fun? Should each enemy feel distinct?
The Solutions I’ve Found
- Given that players have different problem-solving styles, I focused on gradually introducing mechanics. This helps players understand what they can and can’t do. If they carefully plan their moves, and study the level, they should be able to resolves the various challenges they'll face in not so many attempts. I hope that it works well. Some levels also allow for multiple solutions, so I had to balance the turn limits accordingly to keep them challenging no matter the chosen path.
- The “big brain move” regarding the turn limit was adding an easier difficulty mode, because this game lends itself well to that. This way people that want to take a more relaxed approach can. But honestly, it felt a bit cheap. I’d rather players finish levels in the main difficulty. So what was the answer? Designing levels that gradually introduce challenges. Every level has its set of obstacles that are generally divided in sections (for example a room or a corridor). If players solve each challenge correctly, they should finish with the right number of turns.
- To maintain engagement, I’ve aimed to introduce at least one new mechanic or simple, well designed enemy types, every few levels (on average, every 4 levels, with some exceptions). It was important that they felt unique and meaningful.
The Influence on the Narrative
I wanted the mechanics to be tied into the story. So, throughout the game, there are in-universe explanations for how the systems work.
For example, the turn system is the result of a spell cast by Archmage Tip (named so because he gives tips, ahahaha).
Other game mechanics like coins, traps, and even the dialogue system are similarly woven into the narrative.
This approach, I believe, makes the game more immersive and “self-aware”, adding a subtle but meaningful layer of engagement. Given the lighthearted and comedic tone of the game, I think this integration was the right call.
That’s all for today, I hope you found this devblog interesting!
I Wish you all a great day!
-Giuseppe