Strange New Interest in Puzzle Games

On 12/26/2018 at 10:56 PM by KnightDriver

I don't know why, but as I got tired of playing just about everything, I've been somewhat revived by puzzle games.

Professor Layton and the Last Specter: I played this a fair amount during Christmas. Usually, doing puzzles gives me great anxiety. It reminds me of exams at school. But since I've been taking exams at school this last year and a half, it doesn't bother me as much. I also like not having to do anything in real time. I think I might be getting seriously stressed by continuous school and part time work; I never really seem to take a break.

I love the Prof. Layton games. The graphics are great, the stories are great, and the puzzles are generally fun.

It's weird, but lately the New York TImes Book Review podcast has been using this string quartet theme music, and it remined me of the music in Prof. Layton. That's why I've been wanting to play it for weeks. I couldn't get the latest one, but I dug into my collection for this DS game that I think I played once, but not to completion.

The Witness: I only just started it tonight for about an hour. I unlocked the laser in the beginning of the game. You do a lot of circuit puzzles. I think that's what they call them. They remind me of the ones in Bioshock. These in The Witness have many more variations however.

I like the way the game just begins: no story, no tutorial, nothing, just figure it all out. Very cool. I'm enjoying it so far.

Other stuff.

I watched Avengers: Infinity War (I liked it) and Ant-Man and Wasp (fine). I played Solitaire HD on Xbox One. This is a trial version that gives you 20 games and no achievements. It's not terrible but there are no frills to it. It doesn't even clearly tell you a score and save it, although, I know it does, just in a tiny section on the main menu. I want my score to be prominent so I can get a sense of progression. I played Minecraft with Mark a lot. I got the Forest Mansion map and went searching for it. Turned out it was 5600 blocks south and 15,000 blocks East of our village. WTF! That takes well over an hour in real time to get to by foot and by boat. Too darn far! I think I hate proceedurally generated maps right now.

Cary Woodham

12/27/2018 at 09:50 AM

I like the characters, themes, and stories of the Prof. Layton games, but many of the puzzles are like math story word problems like in your high school math book. And I hated math in school so I definitely don't want to play a game about it.

Did you know there is a Prof. Layton cartoon anime movie? It's really good and has puzzles in it for you to solve as well. And the movie has a Miyazaki feel to it.

Did you know there was a 3DS game called Prof. Layton vs. Phoenix Wright? That was really good, too. If you like the Prof. Layton games, you may want to give the Phoenix Wright games a play. I love those games and the ones on the DS are some of my favorite games for the system.

KnightDriver

12/27/2018 at 11:13 PM

A few of the puzzles frustrate me but the hint system lets you off the hook if you get stuck.

I've heard about that movie. I'd love to see it. I know the in theater version had puzzles. I wonder if it's out for home or not, and if it still has puzzles.

I played a demo for one of the Phoenix Wright games once. I'd love to give the series a try sometime. These are perfect sort of games for a handheld system.

12/27/2018 at 11:18 PM

Well I have the Prof. Layton movie on DVD and it has puzzles in it for you to solve.

12/28/2018 at 12:04 AM

Oh cool. I'll have to look that up. Maybe my library has it.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

12/27/2018 at 08:38 PM

I’m intrigued and respect what I’ve heard about the Witness but I don’t know if I have the patience for it. It looks cool though. I might get it for the iPad where it’s pretty cheap.

Whats interesting though is my friend told me some people get “color sickness” playing it because it’s so colorful and saturated.

12/27/2018 at 10:44 PM

It's puzzle heaven for those into that. I have a limited tolerance for that sort of thing. I never finished Portal and many other puzzle games. I would say, I like it for a hour or two and then that's enough for me.

Color sickness? I wonder what that is. Maybe it triggers a kind of motion sickness somehow?

goaztecs

12/28/2018 at 12:08 PM

Hey I have that Prof Layton game! I remember liking the little bit I played, and I should start a new game.

If you like Solitaire games there are a couple on iOS that are good and give you a sense of accomplishment. One of them that I am playing is every game you play you earn coins that go into the construction of new buildings in a set. Once the set is completed you move onto a new era with new buildings to build. I'll check out my iPad in a bit for the name of the game.

12/29/2018 at 09:28 PM

I like traditional games that mix it up with a RPG like Letter Quest or Culdcept. Some kind of progression system makes them more interesting. Xbox has Mahjong. I might give that a whirl.

01/04/2019 at 01:50 PM

I finally looked and the game I've been playing is called Age of Solitaire.

01/04/2019 at 09:25 PM

Looks good. Free too.

daftman

01/01/2019 at 12:52 PM

I wish I had more time for Picross-style games...or maybe more Picross games to spend my time on I love those.

01/02/2019 at 11:17 AM

I mostly relegate those types of games to my handhelds, or when I get exhausted from adventure games on console. I guess they could be called palate cleansers?

PixlBit