{"author_link":"\/users\/jpat","author_name":"jpat","author_uid":"jpat","comments":[],"epoch":1776783762,"event":"LD59","format":"md","ldjam_node_id":431347,"likes":6,"metadata":{"p_key":"96348","p_author":"jpat","p_authorkey":"1428140","p_urlkey":"311989","p_title":"Designing puzzles is tough","p_cat":"LDJam ","p_event":"LD59","p_time":"1776783762","p_likes":"6","p_comments":"0","p_status":"WAYBACK","us_key":"1428140","us_name":"LDJam user 428140","us_username":"428140","event_start":"1776470400","event_key":"113","event_name":"Ludum Dare 59"},"node":{"_collation":{"body_sanitizer":"TextUtils::SanitizeHTML via existing importer","event":"LD59","removed_author":false},"_superparent":424249,"_trust":1,"author":428140,"body":"### Designing puzzles in 48 hours is brutal\n\nThe hardest part of this jam for me was the puzzle design. Puzzles are unforgiving in a way art and code arent. A rough sprite still works. A confusing puzzle just stops the player cold.\n\n![golem_painful1.gif](\/\/\/raw\/c68\/86\/z\/72025.gif)\n\n\nI'm a big fan of not giving away all the info to the player and letting them discover things for themselves.  But I'm starting to realize I could've leaned a little harder into subtle hints to nudge players along the way. If this one lands well, I'd love to keep building on it with more levels and really focus on getting those hints right.\n\n\n![golem_painful2.gif](\/\/\/raw\/c68\/86\/z\/7201d.gif)\n\nThanks so much for playing my game, and if you beat level 3 you are a true gamer. :sunglasses: \n\n\n![golem_painful3.gif](\/\/\/raw\/c68\/86\/z\/7201e.gif)\n\n[Play *While You Were Here*](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/while-you-were-here)\n","comments":0,"created":"2026-04-21T14:13:19Z","files":[],"files-timestamp":0,"id":431347,"love":6,"love-timestamp":"2026-04-22T02:47:20Z","meta":[],"modified":"2026-04-22T02:47:20Z","name":"Designing puzzles is tough","node-timestamp":"2026-04-21T15:02:42Z","parent":428142,"parents":[1,5,9,424249,428142],"path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/while-you-were-here\/designing-puzzles-is-tough","published":"2026-04-21T15:02:42Z","scope":"public","slug":"designing-puzzles-is-tough","subsubtype":"","subtype":"","type":"post","version":1367590},"node_metadata":{"n_key":"431347","n_urlkey":"311989","n_parent":"428142","n_path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/while-you-were-here\/designing-puzzles-is-tough","n_slug":"designing-puzzles-is-tough","n_type":"post","n_subtype":"","n_subsubtype":"","n_author":"428140","n_created":"1776780799","n_modified":"1776826040","n_version":"1367590","n_status":"WAYBACK"},"source_url":"https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/while-you-were-here\/designing-puzzles-is-tough","text":"### Designing puzzles in 48 hours is brutal\n\nThe hardest part of this jam for me was the puzzle design. Puzzles are unforgiving in a way art and code arent. A rough sprite still works. A confusing puzzle just stops the player cold.\n\n![golem_painful1.gif](\/\/\/raw\/c68\/86\/z\/72025.gif)\n\n\nI'm a big fan of not giving away all the info to the player and letting them discover things for themselves.  But I'm starting to realize I could've leaned a little harder into subtle hints to nudge players along the way. If this one lands well, I'd love to keep building on it with more levels and really focus on getting those hints right.\n\n\n![golem_painful2.gif](\/\/\/raw\/c68\/86\/z\/7201d.gif)\n\nThanks so much for playing my game, and if you beat level 3 you are a true gamer. :sunglasses: \n\n\n![golem_painful3.gif](\/\/\/raw\/c68\/86\/z\/7201e.gif)\n\n[Play *While You Were Here*](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/while-you-were-here)\n","title":"Designing puzzles is tough","wayback_source":[]}