FUNDAMENTALS OF GAME DESIGN, SECOND EDITION

Artificial Life and Puzzle Games

This chapter discusses two game genres that aren't as fashionable as the ones already covered: artificial life and puzzle games. That doesn't mean there's any­thing wrong with them; some extremely successful games belong to these genres.

In fact, because there are fewer games in these categories, the market isn't crowded with look-alike products. If you work in one of these genres, you may have a better chance of creating something distinctly new. However, you might have trouble per­suading a conservative producer that a really good puzzle game is a better bet than another first-person shooter.

Because this chapter covers two genres, there isn't room to explore the elements of each one; instead, we'll just look at the highlights. You'll study artificial life games by using The Sims as an example, and then learn a little about genetic life genera­tors. You'll also explore the subgenre of god games. The chapter continues with puzzle games, defining them and summarizing how to create and simplify them for the computer.