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FIRSTLY this is an alpha prototype... I just want to see how people feel about the mechanics.

This is a game I have been working on for a while, using a few common puzzles and combining them, both having pieces activate each other as well as some pieces controlling the shape, size etc of each other. The levels as of now are somewhat all over the place.

I am not great at aesthetics, the game is mostly cubes and spheres right now.

The main 3 puzzles used are pushing blocks, connect the pipes and turn on all the lights... I am trying to combine their mechanics in every way possible to make one big game from multiple smaller ones.

This game has autosave, it will save your level progress as you play for if you need a break.

As of now there are 30 levels plus the tutorials... I have more ideas for levels, I just wanted to make sure this idea was likable.

Last thing of note, the game likes to keep an aspect ratio, changing your screen size will make it snap to the aspect ratio in question after about a second.

This game has keyboard and mouse controls
WASD/arrow keys to move.
Space for activating or exiting terminals (Also entering levels).
Z to exit terminals.
Clicking for using puzzles.
U to undo.

If you wish to talk to me about how the game feels, here is a discord I just made: https://discord.gg/vSqy3KvnfZ

More information

Status	In development
Platforms	Windows, macOS
Author	adamzer0
Genre	Puzzle
Tags	3D

Download

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Click download now to get access to the following files:

Puzzleception Version 2 Windows.zip 27 MB

Puzzleception Mac V2.zip 36 MB

Development log

Puzzleception update, 20 more levels!
Feb 06, 2023
Minor update
Jul 10, 2022

Comments

JustImagineIt81 days ago

Dang I've been meaning to try this sometime but I forgot, I will play it soon, remind myself!

innocence1 year ago

enjoy the concept. if this seems too honest then just disregard it.

thoughts during the video:

this would look so much better as a 2d game.
i won’t talk about what is probably programmer art.
there is no verticality. make it a 2d game.
tutorial: “this is a box, you can push it because it’s brown.” then instead of making that pushable prism/pipe in 1-5 have a brown base, you put it on top of a box. just make all pushables brown.
the camera mechanic seems cool, but you could make it an invisible collision that zooms out when you come into contact with it.
the pushables are moved on a grid but the grid isn’t visible, so it’s easy to trap your boxes.
there would be no need for checkpoints if it was in 2d, since you wouldn’t fall.
the text boxes look kinda weird just floating there. maybe make interactable signs?

thoughts after reviewing:

concept: 7/10. could be higher, but nice creativity.
gameplay: 5.5/10. docking points for unneeded dimension (if you couldn’t tell), the tutorial being completely unneeded with 1-1 being so easy, and the controls. (only issue there is that z should be undo. closing terminals can be done with space. why not make space the dedicated terminal button and z undo?
graphics: n/a. as you said, it’s in alpha testing.
overall: 6.5/10.
one final note: the plumber puzzle objects are called prisms in the game, but everyone calls those things pipes. you even called them that in the description of the game. just rename them.

adamzer01 year ago(+1)

ill reply to your bullet points:
1 and 3 and 7 and Gameplay: My main goal was to ease players into the mechanics, so verticality is introduced later into the game. I've gotten this comment a lot and the use of 3d seems to have annoyed you, I request you please play the entire game as multiple levels utilize 3D.

4: I get this, I may re-word the tutorial... Making all pushables completely brown will not work. You can only push the brown part of a pushable object, a mechanic I will expand on later.

5: I may add an animation to using a terminal, having the camera auto-move near any terminal may be jarring.

6: Ill look into adding a visual grid. However, the undo button should help get anything unstuck for now.

7: I actually only use checkpoints a few times. They were used when the movement was really early and bad. Their main use now is just a place to undo to.

8: Interactable signs are a great idea. Ill look into implementing them.

Gameplay: I may make the tutorial skippable if it is redundant, leaving it in for players who may need it... Everyone does keybinds differently.

Final note: Due to some interactions, the objects are prisms. Without spoiling anything, world 2 introduces a mechanic that differentiates them.

innocence1 year ago

reply to the reply:

1/3/7/G: i admit i was irrational about the 3d. if you have a reason for it i’ll leave it be.
4: that mechanic seems pretty cool. if you keep the tutorial, you should introduce that there, maybe with a brown block with black ones on two sides.
5: how about a differently colored floor tile? you could put a sign next to it in the tutorial explaining how to interact with it.
6 and 7: so the checkpoint creates a save state rather than keeps you from falling. depending on the way the game is fleshed out, that could be either a crucial mechanic or a way to soft lock extremely easily.
G: maybe add an achievement as incentive? but concerning key binds, allow more one key to do more than one thing. it’s not a platformer, so that’ll be fine.
additionally, the level select seems overdone. unless you’re planning on adding a sneaky meta mechanic, you should make that a classic 2d map.

adamzer01 year ago

4: Possibly it will be in a later tutorial. The mechanic is complex enough to be at least world 3 or 4, but a tutorial for it is a good idea.
5: I will look into this, the main reason behind players not being able to move in a terminal is to prevent multiple actions from happening at once.
6: The checkpoint is not a save state, rather an undoable action. The act of *leaving the checkpoint's area* will add a location to undo to. pressing undo while on a checkpoint lets you undo past it if you made a mistake before the checkpoint.
G: Before the next update ill swipe the key-rebinds menu from my other game.
Additional: I agree with the statement made within this message.

Question to you: Have you tried the game? Re-reading you first comment it seems you got that information from the video of world 1.

innocence343 days ago (1 edit)

after the last review, i decided to actually get the game. the premise was cool and with fleshing out would be an awesome puzzle game, but after a few days to forget the solutions from the video, i only made it about halfway through world 2 in about a week. the difficulty curve was a little too tight. one thing i wouldn't change, though, is 2-1. the "accidental" realization of that is masterful.

i would also recommend a baba-like approach where you only need a certain amount of levels completed, and it doesn't matter which.

are you perhaps in need of a playtester?

icely1 year ago(+2)

chess battle advanced

ITwister300 days ago

no way icely?

zweyeredward2003280 days ago

How did you make your pfp upside-down????????

Slash/red269 days ago

set his profile to the upside down default profile??????

Lunar Flare6234221 days ago

1. screenshot the default pfp