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A puzzle game is a type of game found on Scratch. This genre is primarily focused on introducing game mechanics while forcing the player to interact with them in creative and obscure ways to accomplish a goal.
Types of Puzzles
There are a few types of puzzles.
- Logical reasoning puzzles. These puzzles often play with the human's innate nature of common sense or if-then situations. Sudoku and chess are examples of logical reasoning puzzles. Most puzzles use logical reasoning.
- Algebraic and mathematical reasoning puzzles. Many mathematical riddles include the use of algebra, for example.
- Word games. These riddles usually rely on the excellence of human vocabulary. A common word game is a daily crossword. Word games can indefinitely be made in any language.
Although puzzle games may vary, here are some common puzzle games made on Scratch:
- Maze
- Jigsaw
- Battleship
- Chess
- Sudoku
- Crossword
How To Make A Puzzle Game
Maze Game
Maze games are a sub-genre of the puzzle genre. Maze games generally have at least three 'dead ends', and one or more sub-routes. A dead end refers to a point of the maze where the solver cannot proceed further. If proceeded, it would cross the barrier.
A maze game is one where the goal is to get the character to the finish by using arrow keys. It may draw a line over the screen. Maze games on paper are solved by drawing a specific line.
First, one should make the maze. Here is an example:
The 'barriers' of this maze are the following black lines. The white space between the black lines is the area where the solver must draw a line. If the solver's drawn line reaches from the start to the end with overlapping barriers, he/she has completed the maze. The following example has only one route, and at least three dead ends.
Then, create the character, e.g. a small black circle, and the finish line, e.g. a flag with black and white rectangles.
For the character, create these scripts:
when [right arrow v] key pressed change x by (10) if on edge, bounce // This means that if it goes to the edge of the screen, it bounces back when [left arrow v] key pressed change x by (-10) if on edge, bounce when [up arrow v] key pressed change y by (10) if on edge, bounce when [down arrow v] key pressed change y by (-10) if on edge, bounce when gf clicked forever if <touching [#008000]?> then // Should be the wall color change x by (10) when gf clicked forever if <touching [Sprite2 v]?> then // Sprite or color can do switch backdrop to [you win v] // Optional
Examples
Jigsaw Puzzles
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A jigsaw puzzle is a type of puzzle where one combines pieces to form a picture. Usually, jigsaws range from four pieces to hundreds of them. Perhaps the most common method to solve these puzzles is by first solving the edges of the picture, then solving the middle, which is often generalized by color. The image shown could easily be torn apart into pieces, which can later be formed into the complete jigsaw puzzle.
First, create the pieces. One can use any paint editor to create them.
Then, place these scripts on each of the puzzle pieces:
when gf clicked forever if <(distance to [any surrounding piece v]) < (15)> then go to [any surrounding piece v]
Finally, allow it to be dragged. Click the blue "i" near the sprite thumbnail, then allow it to be dragged on player.
The most common and agreed method to create a jigsaw puzzle in general is by first selecting a picture or creating an image. Once the image or drawing is created, the puzzle creator may draw over image to create another image that looks like a completed jigsaw puzzle. He may then attach a cardboard behind the pieces and cut the completed jigsaw precisely. If the puzzle creator is not creating a jigsaw puzzle practically, he may use online tools and code to help split the jigsaw puzzle.
Examples
Chess
Chess is a specific board game consisting of 32 pieces. It is a two-player game, and each player has one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns. Sixteen of the pieces are white, and the other sixteen are black. There are thirty-two black squares and thirty-two white squares, which are arranged in an alternating pattern. In chess, the player wins when it checkmates its opponent's king. Each different piece moves in a somewhat different matter.
In terms of chess, 'en passant' means to capture an opponent's pawn that just moved two squares forward. It should not be confused with the French phrase 'en passant', which means 'in passing'.
To create a chess game in Scratch, one should first create the board. Then, he must assign functions to each piece so that it corresponds with the rules. One can choose whether he wants the game to be Multiplayer or against the computer. If he chooses multiplayer, then he also must decide whether it would be an online multiplayer or a local multiplayer.
Sudoku
Sudoku is often played over a screen, paper, or notebook. Sudoku is a kind of one-player puzzle game where the player must fill in all spaces of the grid with numbers from 1-9 by the end of playing. A Sudoku is split into a 9x9 grid, thus resulting in eighty-one squares. The grid is also split into nine, 3x3 squares, which are outlined in thicker lines. Not every square needs to be filled or not filled prior to solving, but sufficient squares need to be filled prior to solving in order for the solver to apply logic. Generally, the more squares that are filled prior to solving are easier to solve than fewer squares filled prior to solving.
Here are the rules of sudoku:
- Since there are nine squares in the thicker, 3x3 squares, all nine squares must contain all the numbers from 1-9. The numbers must not repeat themselves.
- All lines from one absolute side of the grid to the other (horizontally and vertically), must contain all numbers 1-9. The numbers may not repeat themselves.
An example of using the following rules is that the third row to the bottom in the following image (containing numbers 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 3, 7, and two blank spaces), should contain a 6. For the first blank, there is no underlying reason not to place a six there. In the second blank, we can not place a 6 since the 3x3 square that corresponds with the blank already contains a 6, thus the 6 would go in the first blank. Another example is that the third line to the right (containing numbers 9, 2, 6, 8, 7, 1, 3, 4, and one blank square) must have all nine numbers, and for now it only has eight. The only number which the line does not have is 5, thus 5 would go in the one blank. The last example is that the utmost top right corner 3x3 square (containing numbers 9, 8, 2, 5, 7, 6, 1, and two blank squares), does not contain 4 yet. It would not go in the bottom-right blank square of the 3x3 square since the horizontal line that corresponds with the blank square already contains 4. Thus, the 4 would go in the other top right since there is no underlying reason not to.
To create a sudoku, you must write a completely filled grid on paper or on a screen. The completely filled sudoku must already align with the rules. Then, erase a few of the numbers. You cannot erase too many filled squares, or the solver will not be able to use his logic to solve the sudoku. It is generally considered a good idea for the sudoku creator to play the new sudoku himself before expecting others to solve it accurately.
Crossword
A crossword is a kind of word game. The measurement that describes how tough or easy solving a crossword is how vague or unknown a hint is. For example, "The capital of Italy" is generally an easier hint than, "The capital of Mozambique". In a crossword, there is a grid. The grid is usually completely empty, and it is expected for the solver to fill the entire grid accurately with words. Each word corresponds with another in a crossword grid, although the words themselves may not correspond with each other virtually.
For example, the crossword shown has many clues along with the grid. The "Across" heading says to use the following clues for the horizontal rows in the grid. The "Down" heading says to use the clues following for vertical rows in the grid. One can use logic to use the clues to solve the grid. For example, one of the hints says, "Long pointed pieces of ice". One generally sees someone refer to long pieces as ice as 'icicles'. Since the clue has 2 written next to it, we will refer the grid to the number 2 and write icicles downwards. If the word 'icicles' does not fit in the blanks vertically downwards, more or less, then one assumed the word wrong. If it does, then it may be correct.
One can create a crossword practically or virtually by drawing a standard 15x15 grid as shown in the image. Then, he can write the clues. The clues must correspond with the rules of the game.
