This is The Mechanic, where Alex Wiltshire invites developers to discuss the inner workings of their games. This time, Cosmic Express [official site].
There are many reasons why puzzle games designed by Alan Draknek Hazelden sit on top of the form. There s the puzzles, for one thing. They re pretty good. They explore seemingly simple rulesets and find in them huge and satisfying challenge, dragging you along for the ride. That s as true for Cosmic Express as for all Hazelden s games. (Actually, maybe that s sort of literally true, since Cosmic Express is about drawing tracks to take aliens on little train rides.)
But there s something else to his puzzles, something that opens up a sense of wonder at the depth of the little logical worlds that emerge from their rulesets and layouts. It s also something that gives you a sense of involvement and discovery in a genre that can so often feel like jumping through a designer s tortuous hoops. It s that they have:
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