Using examples from the development of Halfbrick’s Bears vs. Art, Layton Hawkes, former Game Designer for Halfbrick Studios, explored the tension between the logic driven and the chance-based, randomized elements in puzzle design. Halfbrick found these elements influenced a player’s perception of difficulty, critical decision-making, and their experience of frustration and achievement. Tune in to his talk from Casual Connect USA and find out how to create more compelling puzzles by balancing logic and chance effectively. One of the ways to do that that Layton described during his talk was in understanding some psychology. “Frustration and aggression increase in what (psychologists) call the attribution of blame. Simply, this is where the blame lies when someone is obstructed or prevented in their efforts to attain a goal.” He advices to find the frustration your users are having and reduce the unexpected failures they often encounter. To learn more, tune in below.

To read more about Layton Hawkes, see this exclusive article.



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