Title: L3 - Game Challenge 5-3
Course: RITA MC - VIDEO GAME DESIGN HYBRID > Section: Module 3

Game Challenge 5 - It's Da Bomb!

As with games, sometimes when designing a  puzzle you're given a theme and you must create the mechanics to fit the theme. In this case, you're designing a game based on the old TV show MacGyver, and part of the storyline in the game involves the main character defusing a bomb.

Rather than making it a non-interactive cutscene, you've chosen to make it into a timed puzzle, where taking too long to solve the puzzle or solving it incorrectly results in the game being over. Add to this an enemy character, of sorts.  A foible that tries to prevent the player from resolving the puzzle. If that doesn't provide some tension to the player, nothing will.

Consider the different kinds of puzzzles mentioned in Lecture and choose at least three puzzle types that would be appropriate to the theme. Then choose your favorite type and create a working prototype of the puzzle.

Components Required:

- Materials to create the prtotype
- Kitchen timer to count down the time remaining for the player

Deliverables:
Three paragraphs and accompanying sketch, one per puzzle type, describing the basic mechanics of the puzzle and a playable prototype of one of the three puzzles.

Suggested Process

1. Brainstorm.
Think about the different ways a character could defuse a bomb. You could have the bomb attached to a sliding tile puzzle but this would seem artitrary. Think of puzzle mechanics that fit the givn theme. What kinds of puzzles lend themselves well to your mechanics?  Keep thinking until you identify at least three different core mechanics for a bomb defusal puzzle.
2. Choose one puzzle.
Take one of your core mechanics and flesh it out. Create the rest of the mechanics. Identify the general goal. Then choose the details for this specific puzzle:  The beginning state, thte goal state, and the correct and incorrect
solutions.
3. Playtest and iterate.
Try your puzzle on some friends. Did they solve it correctly?  How long did it take them?  Did they approach the puzzle in the way that you expected them to?  Go back and modiy your puzzle if some aspects of it weren't clear, or if it was too hard (or too easy, although it's rare for a puzzle designer to actually create something too easy).
4. Create Deliverable.
5. Add dificulty levels (optional).
After you show off your prototype, the publisher of your game insists that there be multiple dificulty levels, and that the difficulty of the puzzle should be affected. Find at least theree ways to modify the difficulty of your bomb
puzzle-other than changing the amount of time given to the player. Be very specific.