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This talk describes various silly reasons to abandon a puzzle game idea.
Many a puzzle is scrapped for lack of structure by which to become a game. These "systems that could never be games" map poorly onto thinky (and in particular, sokoban) expectations. By dissecting our baggage as game designers and players, we can approach a richer understanding of what games are possible to make.
Topics of discussion include: wordless games and the necessity of word-ful puzzle games, undo stack management, solution extractions, and the "no musical bird" problem.

Towers of Pen: puzzle experiences that zoom out and out
Andrew Plotkin

Cute Enough to Try, Clear Enough to Solve: Approachability in Star Stuff
Sylvia Aguiñaga, Ánimo Games
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