College Game - Audience Data Needed

[VergilBlade]

Hello!

I'm currently an Interactive Media Student who is attending his final year. We have been given the task of working on a project of our choice for the rest of the year. I have located a client who wishes for me to produce a horror themed point-and-click video game for the arcade section of their community website.

I am currently gathering information from my desired target audience. In this case, information from those who are interested in the puzzle or point-and-click genre (like thw Walking Dead video game). I was wondering if some of you would take the time to answer a few questions for me about what kind of horror elements you enjoy and what you would personally like to see in a puzzle/point-and-click genre game that would at least convince you to look at that product once.

I wish to gather as much data as possible from various sources that will help me to develop a game with elements and features that puzzle/point-and-click fans find fun and interesting. I thank you in advance!

For those of you who don't know what a point-and-click game is, it's a game where the player investigates an environment by using the mouse. They can click on objects to find items and solve puzzles in order to advance with the story.

Below are the questions:

Part 1:

1. Do you usually play video games that use puzzles in its gameplay? If you do, please give an example of some of the games that you play.

2. What do you enjoy about puzzle games exactly? Is it the intellectual stimulation? the reward gained from completing a puzzle? etc. Please explain your answer.

3. Is there a certain type of puzzle that you enjoy? For example, maths puzzles, problem solving puzzles, jigsaw type puzzles, riddles, etc.

4. Can you explain why you pesonally enjoy the types of puzzles that you mentioned in the previous question?

5. How complicated do you think puzzles should be?

6. What do you believe makes a fun puzzle? What do you think puzzles need to have in order to catch and hold the player's interest?

7. In a video game, do you find puzzles more enjoyable if they are apart of a storyline? For example, a mystery game based on Sherlock Holmes may involves the player gathering clues and solving smaller puzzles in order to gain more information on the main story.

Part 2:

These next questions will allow me to figure out the details of my game to try and make it appeal to as many people as possible.

1. What kind of puzzles would you personally put in a horror themed point-and-click game that would atleast convince you to try the game out?

2. What kind of puzzles would need to be in the game to make you want to continue playing the game after trying it out?

3. Since the game revolves around investigating rooms and exploring, the puzzles will probebly not be too complex so the player can solve it, unlock more of the story, and then move onto the next puzzle. Would it affect your enjoyment of the game if it took you around 5-7 minutes to complete most of the puzzles?

4. The horror elements in the game may include 'jump scares' where an enemy suddenly appears or a sound is suddenly heard. Other parts of the game may build an atmosphere using background music and subtle sounds in order to provide my client with a horror theme. Would this effect your enjoyment of the game, even if you enjoyed the puzzle elements?

5.How would you balance the horror elements with the puzzle elements so you would personally enjoy the game?

[Auz]

At 4/17/13 04:41 PM, VergilBlade wrote: Part 1:

1. Do you usually play video games that use puzzles in its gameplay? If you do, please give an example of some of the games that you play.

Most of the games I play do contain some puzzles here and there.

One of my favourite video game series is The Legend of Zelda which is a lot about solving puzzles to get through dungeons.

Right now I'm playing Skyrim, which sometimes has some dungeons that contain puzzles (although it's not a big gameplay element).

I'm also playing Botanicula which is a point-and-click puzzle game.

I've played through the Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney series which contains quite a lot of thinking and adding pieces together (which is also a form of puzzling I guess).

I could go on for a while...

2. What do you enjoy about puzzle games exactly? Is it the intellectual stimulation? the reward gained from completing a puzzle? etc. Please explain your answer.

I guess just the fun and satisfaction of solving something. Not really to get the idea that I'm oh-so-smart for figuring something out.

3. Is there a certain type of puzzle that you enjoy? For example, maths puzzles, problem solving puzzles, jigsaw type puzzles, riddles, etc.

I guess anything will do, as long as the puzzle is at least a bit clever and original. It's a bit of a bore to do puzzles where every time you're like "oh, it's one of those again".

4. Can you explain why you pesonally enjoy the types of puzzles that you mentioned in the previous question?

Again, it's a bit boring to go through uninspired puzzles.

5. How complicated do you think puzzles should be?

Well they shouldn't be childishly easy, but I don't think they should require near genius intellect to solve either. It's a bit frustrating if you're staring at a puzzle for 30 minutes and still can't figure out the logic behind it and can't proceed with the game because of it.

6. What do you believe makes a fun puzzle? What do you think puzzles need to have in order to catch and hold the player's interest?

Again, clever design and originality. Don't come up with (too many) slider puzzles, math problems and other generic stuff.

7. In a video game, do you find puzzles more enjoyable if they are apart of a storyline? For example, a mystery game based on Sherlock Holmes may involves the player gathering clues and solving smaller puzzles in order to gain more information on the main story.

If well integrated, yes. Puzzles do have the potential to completely take the pace out of the game, so if it's not really connected to the story it might just bring the game to a stall.

Part 2:

These next questions will allow me to figure out the details of my game to try and make it appeal to as many people as possible.

1. What kind of puzzles would you personally put in a horror themed point-and-click game that would atleast convince you to try the game out?

Again, puzzles with some originality.

2. What kind of puzzles would need to be in the game to make you want to continue playing the game after trying it out?

Just make sure the puzzles contain variety. Don't keep throwing the same kind of puzzles at the player.

3. Since the game revolves around investigating rooms and exploring, the puzzles will probebly not be too complex so the player can solve it, unlock more of the story, and then move onto the next puzzle. Would it affect your enjoyment of the game if it took you around 5-7 minutes to complete most of the puzzles?

That sounds good. I'd say make the puzzles more complex as you progress (so they gradually take a bit more time to solve).

4. The horror elements in the game may include 'jump scares' where an enemy suddenly appears or a sound is suddenly heard. Other parts of the game may build an atmosphere using background music and subtle sounds in order to provide my client with a horror theme. Would this effect your enjoyment of the game, even if you enjoyed the puzzle elements?

I would advice you not to use too many jump scares. They're a bit of a cheap way to build tension. I would mostly focus on setting a horrifying and maddening atmosphere (with the help of sounds, music, visuals, etc). You can make some excellent horror without even having anything scary happening in the game at all.

5.How would you balance the horror elements with the puzzle elements so you would personally enjoy the game?

I guess it depends a little on what kind of game you want to make. Do you want it to be more about the plot/experience or more about the fun of puzzling? Maybe you should first come up with the plot and then see if you should stuff a lot of puzzles in there or not.