This post is a continuation of the last dev blog and covers how signifiers are essential in puzzle games.
Everything you see in this post is work in progress.
What are Puzzle Signifiers?
Here are two terms that I'll be using in this article...
Signifiers: Perceivalbe indicators that communicate appropriate behaviors to the user. When signifers are correctly used, they create "feedforward".
Feedforward: Information that helps answer that question of "what do I want to accomplish".
The presence of both signifers and feedforward always guides the player into desired bevhaior.
In a puzzle game, a series of puzzles ideally has a gradual learning curve. Each sequential puzzle ramps up in difficulty and add layers of knowledge. A single puzzle can be designed similarly to follow the same structure. Signifiers can be used to provide direction and validation in the middle of a puzzle to provide stepping stones for the player.
Puzzle Signifiers in AquaBlock
AquaBlock uses signifiers in multiple ways that range in scope.
Corner Pieces
In the first puzzle world of AquaBlock, special colored blocks are used to indicate that they belong in one of the eight corners of the cube. This puzzle constraint creates guidelines for the player in the beginning world to get the player used to how game’s puzzles are solved.
World Block
When the player is selecting which puzzle world to select, they get to see the type of block that world is themed around. The block itself is an indication of what its effect is, and the player can expect to see its use in the puzzles contained in that specific world.
Puzzle Names
There is a name that appears before the start of any puzzle in AquaBlock. The text is meant to stick a certain idea/thought in the player's mind that can serve as a puzzle hint. This signifier proved to be a bit more ambiguous and can have varied effectiveness.
Design
Don’t indicators lessen challenge in puzzle games?
Even with a small scope and a forced control scheme, a mobile puzzle game like AquaBlock has the potential to cause the player to be overloaded with information. This is where things like constraints, mappings, and signifiers come in handy. Signifier do reduce the mental challenge placed on the player, but it also serves as a way of keeping a puzzle attempt-able.
How do hint systems differ from signifiers?
Hints in puzzle games are essentially player-obtainable signifiers. Both are meant to be perceivable indicators of where the action should take place, but hint systems are able to monetize this design concept. One downside of hints systems is that their effect is obvious to the player; players will have their feeling of accomplishment lessened because they realize they relied on a hint. This is why signifers need to be avoid being labeled by the player.