Puzzle Games, Do you enjoy them? Options

[Genten]

There is already a topic about puzzles that I've read over here but it was mostly about puzzle elements in RPGs. I'd like to see how many people are interested in games that are more puzzle-based instead of a standard RPG with puzzle elements.

Some of my favorite RPGMaker games are Ib and Ao Oni. Both are horror games wherein players progress by solving puzzles. Any battle system is simply enemy avoidance; the characters have no way of fighting back and must avoid any foes. The game makes the player solve puzzles to progress. These games still have a plot, but it's not based on defeating bosses or such. I'm curious if anyone is interested in these sorts of games because I've never seen anything similar posted in the project forum. Is it because the difficulty of programming such a thing is too high, or is there simply no interest?

My basic question is, what do you think of games (perhaps RPG games if you've played them) that are puzzle focused and do not include standard monster fights compared to games that add puzzles as a small element,as in a straight RPG game? Straight RPG game being one where the main element is fighting monsters, clearing dungeons, defeating boses, etc.

[Kaust]

Well being a site with rpg in the title, and being a site devoted to the use of the RPGMaker engines, I think you're gna find one or two rpg fans here . Still, puzzles are practically integral to the rpg style (Legend of Zelda for instance), and beyond that nobody likes just one style of game so dont be surprised by the support you find.

I wouldn't say puzzle games are more complex to program; simply a different idea with different focuses. While both would have an overriding narrative a puzzle game would likely be less interested in the intricacies of character development or character relationships- any characters really just being your stand-in to perform the puzzle (like Luke in Professor Layton). In turn, however, they have to provide us with completely new styles of puzzles or seriously reworked older puzzles for entertainment which is a tricky task, Rm or no.

What I will say from my experience dabbling with RM is that its good for making rpgs, and as aforementioned, the style of puzzles you see in the genre, but not so good in other aspects. For example I've only seen one passable shooter, a couple of passable platformers, so if you are planning something that seems like its not going to 'work', well, with enough effort it will, but there are other easier methods outside of RM.