Puzzles


Hey again! We're back with another dev blog and today we'll be going over something we spent a lot of time on: puzzles! In aVoid, puzzles aren't just there to slow you down or make you think hard. They're designed to pull you deeper into the story and make you question everything. Every detail might matter and every click could change what you think you know.

We wanted each puzzle to feel part of the story/desktop. We didn't want it to look or feel out of place and made sure it fit the narrative and aesthetic. Instead of classic puzzles, we focused on making them interactive and making the player feel as if they're exploring a corrupted computer.

Context is the Key

One of our favourite early puzzles starts with what looks like an ordinary picture. It shows Noah's (computer's previous owner) 3rd childhood birthday with the caption: "Noah - 3 Years Old - 27/08/1988"

At first glance, the answer may seem obvious. Just enter the date shown in the photo. But the trick is the caption. It says that Noah is three years old, so the actual birthday is 1985. Subtracting his age from the photo's date gives you the correct password: 27/08/1985.

It's a simple puzzle, but it rewards players who are paying attention. We want the player to feel as if something clicked once they figured it out, making the puzzle easy yet effective.

Don't Trust the Console

As the game progresses, things start to break down a bit more. Within the computer console, typing a specific command floods the screen with green numbers, styled like something out of a 90s hacker movie. At first it seems like visual noise, but then you notice something off. Certain numbers begin to shake, almost like they're glitching.

Those are the numbers required for this particular puzzle.

Once you spot them and input the correct combination, you'll unlock a deeper layer of the story. This fits right into the setting for our game. You're not supposed to feel safe. You're supposed to feel like you're slowly losing control.

Making It Feel Real

Our main goal was to make each puzzle seamlessly blend into the desktop environment. We made sure to avoid obvious game mechanics such as inventory systems or anything else that would break immersion from a normal desktop environment. We made sure to only use folders, windows, glitchy files, hidden notes and strange behaviour. 

Our goal was to make you feel like you're really on a computer that shouldn't exist. Like you're poking into things you were never meant to see.

Goodbye, for now 

We can't wait to share more. In our next dev blog, we'll talk about the aesthetic of aVoid and how we used early 2000s visuals to create a nostalgic atmosphere that slowly turns disturbing.

Thanks for following us and our journey!

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