Designing IF Elements


There are many traditional elements of interactive fiction, such as puzzles and mazes. Here are some of the discussions these elements have sparked on rec.arts.int-fiction.

Designing puzzles
How one author designs puzzles.
The problem of empty rooms
How do you create the illusion of space without including a lot of empty rooms?
Puzzle difficulty and arbitrariness
A violent argument over whether it is possible to design logical puzzles which are nevertheless unsolvable. This thread lead to Dave Baggett writing the game +=3.
Mazes and the game Curses
How mapping a game adds to its enjoyment.
Mathematics and puzzles -- No comparison
What's the difference between, say, mathematical proofs and puzzles in IF?
Quantifying puzzle difficulty
How to gauge the difficulty of puzzles you design.
Maze design dilemma
Designing mazes.
Puzzle classification
Gareth Rees' categorization of puzzles.
Red herrings
Do red herrings add to or detract from IF?


[Forward to NPC Design]
[Back to Initial Design]
[Up to RAIF categories]
[Return to IF Authorship overview]

Copyright © 1997-2000, Stephen Granade