Video Stbpuzzles in video games: a reference guide

An independent reference guide to puzzles in video games. Not affiliated with the former sites on this domain, does not publish other people's videos and sells nothing.

Glossary

Gaming terms

Puzzle fans have a language of their own: some words come from maths, some from board games, and some were coined by players themselves. This glossary will help you make sense of guides, patch notes and forum discussions.

Naming something is half of understanding it. Here, the glossary works as one more hint.

— Editor's note

How this section works: the terms are explained in plain words and grouped by topic. Meanings may vary slightly from game to game, but the essence stays the same.

How a puzzle is built

Objective
The goal a puzzle sets: open a passage, fill the board, collect items. Sometimes the objective is never stated and you have to work it out from the environment.
Board state
The position of every element of the puzzle at a given moment. Many puzzles come down to moving the board from one state to another.
Dead end
A position from which the puzzle can no longer be solved, for example a crate pushed into a corner. In good games a dead end is easy to spot and reset.
Red herring
A false clue that draws attention away from the real solution. A trick borrowed from detective stories that escape room designers love.
Elegant solution
An answer in which every detail of the level turns out to be needed and there are no wasted moves.
Unintended solution
A way to beat a level that the designers didn't think of. Sometimes it's left in, sometimes it's patched out in an update.

Hints and progress

Hint ladder
A set of hints from the lightest to the most direct. It lets you get exactly as much help as you need.
Spoiler
Information that reveals a solution or plot point before you've reached it yourself.
Undo
The ability to take back your last action. It makes experimenting easier and mistakes almost painless.
Backtracking
Returning to places you've already visited, where new abilities or keys have opened previously inaccessible paths.
Tutorial level
A simple challenge that shows a new mechanic in its pure form before it is mixed with others.
Difficulty curve
How difficulty grows from level to level. A smooth curve teaches; a steep one scares players off.

Genres and formats

Metroidvania
A genre named after the Metroid and Castlevania series: the world opens up as you gain abilities and keys.
Escape room
A puzzle set in an enclosed space where you have to find the way out by connecting items, codes and hiding places.
Warehouse puzzle
A puzzle about pushing crates or blocks across a grid, as in Sokoban, the Japanese puzzle from the early 1980s.
Mini-game
A short, separate challenge inside a larger game, such as picking a lock or adjusting a mechanism.
Co-op puzzle
A puzzle for several players in which each one can see or do only part of what's needed.
Age rating
A label that shows which age a game's content is suitable for: PEGI, ESRB or the Russian 0+ to 18+ ratings.
  • Mechanics

    Recurring puzzle mechanics: order of actions, symmetry, cause and effect, and working with time.

  • Guides

    How to solve puzzles without spoilers: the hint ladder, getting past a dead end, playing as a pair. Plus our article catalogue.

  • Questions

    Short answers on how to approach puzzles, how to play with kids and how this guide can help.

  • How to judge

    Criteria for judging a puzzle yourself: fair rules, the hint system, accessibility and pacing.

Sources and references

  • Developer guides and in-game help
  • PEGI
  • ESRB

We describe the general principles of puzzles. Hints, levels and settings work differently in each game and may change after updates, so check the in-game help and the developer for exact details.