The Witness: A Modern Puzzle Game Designed to Expand the Palette of Challenges in Video Games
Summary
In this article, we discuss the interview with Jonathan Blow, the creator of the indie game Braid and the upcoming puzzle adventure game The Witness. Blow explains how he created a first-person, atmospheric puzzle game inspired by Myst, but with a modern game design sensibility. The Witness is a hybrid of first-person exploration and abstract puzzles, with very little action. Blow wanted to expand the palette of challenges in video games, and The Witness is his answer to that.
Table of Contents
- The Witness: A Modern Puzzle Game
- Expanding the Palette of Challenges in Video Games
- The Development Cycle and Console Opportunities
- Challenges of Developing for Future Generations of Consoles
The Witness: A Modern Puzzle Game
Jonathan Blow, the creator of the indie game Braid and the upcoming puzzle adventure game The Witness, was a guest on Game Life’s video podcast. Blow explained that The Witness is a first-person, atmospheric puzzle game inspired by Myst, but with a modern game design sensibility. The game is a hybrid of first-person exploration and abstract puzzles, with very little action.
Expanding the Palette of Challenges in Video Games
Blow explained that many games provide difficulty through action or tactical decisions, but he wanted to expand the palette of challenges in video games. The puzzles in The Witness are designed to be difficult but fair, and the game doesn’t rely on reflexes or other traditional gaming skills. Blow wanted to create a game that challenges players’ minds and makes them feel smart when they solve the puzzles.
The Development Cycle and Console Opportunities
The Witness will be released on PS4, PC, and iOS. Blow originally planned to release the game on PC and PS3 or Xbox, but the development cycle stretched on, and new console opportunities arose. Sony was proactive in working with indie developers, and Blow was interested in their outreach, so he requested a dev kit and received one soon after.
Challenges of Developing for Future Generations of Consoles
Jonathan Blow and Veronica Belmont also discussed the meaning of “Always On” and the challenges of developing for future generations of consoles in a video for Wired’s Game Life. Blow talked about how the new consoles have more complex hardware and software architectures, which makes it harder to optimize games for them. He also discussed the challenge of developing games that work well with both traditional console setups and newer mobile devices.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Jonathan Blow’s The Witness is a modern puzzle game designed to expand the palette of challenges in video games. Blow wanted to create a game that challenges players’ minds and makes them feel smart when they solve the puzzles. The game will be released on PS4, PC, and iOS, and Blow discussed the challenges of developing for future generations of consoles in a video for Wired’s Game Life.
