The Séance
YEAR
2020
PROJECT TYPE
Game, Personal
SKILLS USED
Puzzle design, graphic design, user testing, narrative.
Planning
Pandemic lockdowns were long and tedious, so I decided to make some print-and-play, escape-room-style puzzle games to bring a little joy to friends.
I came up with several possible themes for games, and chose to start with the Séance. I wrote down some artifacts and items related to séances to generate puzzle materials.
I invented a friend's "Great Aunt Dot" as a framing device. This plucky, if unmotivated, adventuress justifies the format and allows for any number of puzzle themes.
Narrative
Great Aunt Dot once attended a séance, hoping to name the killer of a famous psychic. The ghost of the psychic appeared, leaving clues to point to her killer! But…Great Aunt Dot never solved the puzzles.
Your friend has sent you Dot's files.
Maybe you'll have better luck.
Design
I used rapid prototypes to test puzzle concepts, and created a flowchart to map the puzzle architecture.
This is a game played without a game master, computer, or hints. Therefore, I approached design with three rules:
1. Puzzles flow non-linearly
Multiple access points reduce frustration and allow early successes to drive engagement.
2. Puzzles are self-contained
The player will not need any external information, trivia, or materials (beyond a pencil) to complete the game.
3. Puzzles are self-confirming
With no other form of feedback, the puzzle itself must provide unmistakeable confirmation of success. Correct answers are clear and intelligible and preferably language-based. Any numeric answers are small and have a clear purpose.
Paper Prototype
I came up with potential puzzles based on the theme of the game. I made simple paper prototypes to see how well they worked. I had my partner test the prototype puzzles to see how others might approach them, and to make sure the solutions were clear.
Puzzle architecture
I used a flowchart to plot out how the puzzles would fit together. This allowed me to ensure there were multiple access points.
Spoiler alert!
Hover to reveal details
Playtesting
I made a clean copy of the game and sent it out to friends to enjoy. In exchange for the game, I had them answer some questions about their experience, and was able to gather some data:
Successes
-
Players consistently took about 1 hour to complete the game, exactly as planned.
-
Players enjoyed the theme, narrative device, and aesthetic, and felt everything fit together well.
-
Players praised the unique and novel puzzles.
-
Players found the difficulty satisfying, and were able to complete the game without hints.
Lessons
-
Players tended to brute force the longest cipher, effectively bypassing the first part of the game.
-
Players were confused by the tarot cards, as only one of them contained information relevant to the game.
The New Rules
Feedback from friends revealed some shortcomings in my game's design, and I was able to add some new best practices to my basic ruleset, to be applied to future games.
New Puzzle Design Best Practices
1. Puzzles flow non-linearly
2. Puzzles are self-contained
3. Puzzles are self-confirming
4. Puzzles build on the theme
5. The longer the coded message, the more complex the cipher
6. Use every part of the puzzle piece