Puzzle video game

Minesweeper, a popular computer puzzle game found on many machines.

Computer puzzle game is a genre of computer games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles involved can involve logic, strategy, pattern recognition, sequence solving, word completion or, in some cases, just pure luck.

Before there ever were video games (as we would recognize them), there were jigsaw puzzles and the Rubik's Cube, today's puzzle game forerunners. This genre can be difficult to describe: the gameplay is usually abstract (but not always) often involving arranging geometric shapes to fulfill some goal or constraint: often edge-matching or colour-matching plays an important role. Puzzle games usually strive to have a pick-up-and-play accessibility to them and to have an addictive quality. They are popular with travelers and commuters for the same general reasons as the airport novel: Low bars to accessibility, moderate levels of personal involvement, and a relatively easy and painless mode of abandoning and reaccessing one's progress in the event of being jostled or moved. They provide a welcome distraction from the jostling and inconvenience of travel.

Some puzzle games feed the player a random assortment of blocks or pieces that they must organize in the correct manner (Tetris, Klax, Lumines), where others present a preset game board and/or pieces and challenge the player to solve the puzzle by achieving a goal (Bomberman, The Incredible Machine). Some of the games in the former category have a mode that plays like the latter. For example, in both Tetrisphere and Tetris Attack, there is an actual "puzzle mode" in which the player must clear a pre-defined board within a certain amount of moves.

Some games are not puzzle games, yet contain many puzzle elements, such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill and the Legend of Zelda series.

Because puzzle games are often so abstract, the term is sometimes used (be it correctly or not) as a blanket term for games with unique and otherwise indescribable gameplay. Every Extend Extra is a fine example of this.

Puzzle games are relatively easy to develop and to take from dedicated arcade units, to home video game consoles, to personal digital assistants and mobile phones.

The game Minesweeper is notable because of the large installed user base (the game comes bundled with the Microsoft Windows operating system).

Tetris

Main article: Tetris

Tetris is widely regarded as the pinnacle of this genre, despite not having any real advertising nor an appealing character to garner attention. The game is believed to have spawned the versus-puzzle genre. The screen is typically split vertically in two separate play areas, and two (or sometimes more) players compete against each other. When one player performs a well-played move or a chain or combo, the other player is obstructed with extra blocks or blockades. Examples include Puyo Puyo, Puzzle Bobble and Tetris Attack.

See also

• List of computer puzzle games
• Video game

External links

• Puzzle Games Forum - A forum site dedicated to puzzle games, mostly of the 'falling piece' type.
• History of Puzzle Games at GameSpot
• NotPron Hardest Riddle available on the net.
• Purplehell Computer puzzle games discussion forums.