Two things: accessibility and addictiveness.
Puzzle games, by there very nature, are simple. They have simple mechanics and a simple goal to work toward, even if that goal is "get as many points as you can." Some require fast reflexes, some require lateral thinking, and some require just a lot of practice and a little luck.
Anyone can enjoy Tetris. It's a classic for a reason, and it still tops many "Greatest Games of All Time" lists. It has catchy music, simple, tight mechanics, and there is no end point, giving it unlimited replayability. It brought handheld gaming to the public in a huge way because you could be an adult and not feel bad about being seen with it on the bus or subway. Kids loved Tetris, grandparents loved Tetris, hey, even girls loved Tetris. Imagine that. Girls. Today, 30-45 year-old moms send their kids to school then play a quick game of Bejeweled while they check their e-mail. Casual puzzle games are still video games, and they are basically the sole reason gen-x moms can be considered gamers. If mom can do, anyone can do it!
The other puzzle factor is addictiveness. All the best puzzle games have that "just one more match" quality. You feel like you can do better this time - all you needed was a blue block! - and pretty soon you realize it's 5 in the morning and you have to be up at 8 for work. RPG's keep track of how much life you've wasted in their fictional worlds. Puzzle games are sneakier... the developers know that when you're in the zone and every color matches just right or every piece falls perfectly into place, you don't notice how quickly your life is ripped away. Imagine how much time is wasted on Guitar Hero at four minutes a song. It adds up quick. Puzzle games are the same way.
But I wouldn't want to play a game that didn't give me a reason to come back for more. Puzzle games are eternal. Since the graphics are generally so simple, the bright colors hold up just as well in 2009 as they did in 1985. It's not Call of Duty. It's Tetris, or Puzzle Fighter, or Pokemon Puzzle League/Tetris Attack, or (my favorite bathroom time waster) Puzzle Quest. These games are eternal. How many games can say that? Very few. How many genres can claim that? Just one.
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Tetris Attack=best game ever for the grey brick gameboy. yes.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet I know people who won't even try it because they don't like Tetris and they think they're basically the same game! That's not quite how spin-offs work.
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