June 10, 2020: A Puzzling Experiment

I recently grabbed stock artwork from Fat Goblin Games (Patreon link), Rick Hershey's publishing operation, as well as a map by Dyson Logos, and ran a one-unit test of a puzzle. For a first try at a puzzle, this turned out quite nicely and, as you can tell by the pics, all of the pieces fit together just fine.

With many of us sticking close to home, puzzles are having a bit of a boom, and we're going to be taking a stab at releasing a couple of puzzles later this year. (Not the one shown. That was just a test.)

We're still working on our puzzle plans, but one of the things I'd like to tackle are puzzles that can be used in games. Creating new maps for Ogre and The Fantasy Trip that are puzzles would be a blast. Just imagine an RPG campaign where the player characters are collecting puzzle parts and, as the game progresses, the GM hands them actual pieces of the puzzle. Assembling the puzzle then activates a portal that transports the party to the secret dungeon level where they enjoy the proudest of RPG traditions: bashing the monsters and taking their stuff!

Watch the Daily Illuminator for more news of our puzzle plans. Once we have finalized a design or two, and have a schedule, we'll share the details in a future blog post.

-- Phil Reed