Prompt 1 - I played the puzzle Hungry Penguin and it was a fun cute puzzle game. It’s main concept is to complete the level by reaching the fish. In each level the penguin has to get past the water to reach the fish and can do so by freezing over the water by standing on a switch. Once standing on the switch the penguin cannot leave until the color corresponding to the switch is all frozen. There also happen to be rocks that can be moved around but not passed through. This adds a layer of complexity since you must be careful to move the rocks in a particular order and pattern so as to not block your penguin off from reaching a switch needed to complete the level. The levels increase in difficulty but always have a pattern of hitting switches in a certain order to freeze a path to the next until gaining a path to the goal (fish). From level to level it increases in difficulty by adding rocks in a way to almost trap the player if they move too fast or aren’t careful since there is no way to undo a move once it’s done. The penguin has a movement that is restricted to up down left and right and cannot go over water unless frozen and cannot go over rocks. The switches, ice, and fish are all able to be moved over and the switches will keep the penguin stuck until the water is frozen. It’s all about the correct movement of rocks since they are the only real obstacle in the puzzle.
Prompt 5 - The colors, sprite designs, and sounds are essential for this game’s experience. The player is easily able to feel as though they are in a cold and icy landscape due to the white and light blue coloring of the walls and ground. The sprite design also adds to the icy landscape, as the penguin and fish sprites feel as though they belong in a colder environment. The sounds also add to the experience, as the walking and eating sounds feel realistic for a penguin walking around on ice and eating fish.
The writing in the game is also important to the experience. The game communicates its goal with a title card before the first level, stating: ‘Penguins eat fish’. The first level then shows a penguin and a fish on the screen and it is clear that the player needs to figure out how to get the penguin to the fish. The rule that a switch of a certain color freezes water of a certain color is not explicitly told to the player, but it is easy to see what one has to do in the first level when provided with a blue wall blocking the fish and a blue switch easily available. While the first rule was not explicitly stated, the rules that the player can move stones and that different colored switches freeze the same colored water are stated before different levels where each rule is first used.
I wanted to keep solving the puzzles partly because of the satisfaction from solving the puzzle, but mostly because the game was very relaxing to play. The goal of the game was clear and it was satisfying to get rid of the different colored water until the screen was mostly clear.
Prompt 3 - An interesting interaction occurs when the player touches a button. Upon using a button, which will have a color, all blocks with said color will be erased as the player continues to give movement input - or if the player holds a movement button. Each input of movement correlates to one of the corresponding color blocks being deleted; while doing so, the player is also locked into position until all colored blocks are gone. This interaction between connecting with the button and removing blocks from the room makes the game feel satisfying because when you are able to make it to a button, you know that more of the room will open up to you and you can watch as the blocks that once prohibited you from reaching the goal simply disappear. Furthermore, in a way, it makes the puzzles feel like they have multiple layers. In some of the levels, there are multiple buttons and typically one of which that you will want to go to first. Sometimes there are obstacles in your way, like the rocks, but when you reach a button and clear away part of the room it leaves you with another task, which is getting to the next button. Thus, this makes each level feel like it has sublevels and leaves a lot of room for creativity in room complexity, especially when involving the rules of the rocks. The rocks are able to be pushed by the player in whichever direction. While simple, they still add a necessary interaction in making the level and discussed ‘sublevels’ more complex.
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Prompt 1 - I played the puzzle Hungry Penguin and it was a fun cute puzzle game. It’s main concept is to complete the level by reaching the fish. In each level the penguin has to get past the water to reach the fish and can do so by freezing over the water by standing on a switch. Once standing on the switch the penguin cannot leave until the color corresponding to the switch is all frozen. There also happen to be rocks that can be moved around but not passed through. This adds a layer of complexity since you must be careful to move the rocks in a particular order and pattern so as to not block your penguin off from reaching a switch needed to complete the level. The levels increase in difficulty but always have a pattern of hitting switches in a certain order to freeze a path to the next until gaining a path to the goal (fish). From level to level it increases in difficulty by adding rocks in a way to almost trap the player if they move too fast or aren’t careful since there is no way to undo a move once it’s done. The penguin has a movement that is restricted to up down left and right and cannot go over water unless frozen and cannot go over rocks. The switches, ice, and fish are all able to be moved over and the switches will keep the penguin stuck until the water is frozen. It’s all about the correct movement of rocks since they are the only real obstacle in the puzzle.
Prompt 5 - The colors, sprite designs, and sounds are essential for this game’s experience. The player is easily able to feel as though they are in a cold and icy landscape due to the white and light blue coloring of the walls and ground. The sprite design also adds to the icy landscape, as the penguin and fish sprites feel as though they belong in a colder environment. The sounds also add to the experience, as the walking and eating sounds feel realistic for a penguin walking around on ice and eating fish.
The writing in the game is also important to the experience. The game communicates its goal with a title card before the first level, stating: ‘Penguins eat fish’. The first level then shows a penguin and a fish on the screen and it is clear that the player needs to figure out how to get the penguin to the fish. The rule that a switch of a certain color freezes water of a certain color is not explicitly told to the player, but it is easy to see what one has to do in the first level when provided with a blue wall blocking the fish and a blue switch easily available. While the first rule was not explicitly stated, the rules that the player can move stones and that different colored switches freeze the same colored water are stated before different levels where each rule is first used.
I wanted to keep solving the puzzles partly because of the satisfaction from solving the puzzle, but mostly because the game was very relaxing to play. The goal of the game was clear and it was satisfying to get rid of the different colored water until the screen was mostly clear.
Prompt 3 - An interesting interaction occurs when the player touches a button. Upon using a button, which will have a color, all blocks with said color will be erased as the player continues to give movement input - or if the player holds a movement button. Each input of movement correlates to one of the corresponding color blocks being deleted; while doing so, the player is also locked into position until all colored blocks are gone. This interaction between connecting with the button and removing blocks from the room makes the game feel satisfying because when you are able to make it to a button, you know that more of the room will open up to you and you can watch as the blocks that once prohibited you from reaching the goal simply disappear. Furthermore, in a way, it makes the puzzles feel like they have multiple layers. In some of the levels, there are multiple buttons and typically one of which that you will want to go to first. Sometimes there are obstacles in your way, like the rocks, but when you reach a button and clear away part of the room it leaves you with another task, which is getting to the next button. Thus, this makes each level feel like it has sublevels and leaves a lot of room for creativity in room complexity, especially when involving the rules of the rocks. The rocks are able to be pushed by the player in whichever direction. While simple, they still add a necessary interaction in making the level and discussed ‘sublevels’ more complex.