October 13, 2026
What makes a puzzle fair
A fair puzzle can be solved from what the player has already seen. Four tests we use.
Players forgive a hard puzzle. They do not forgive one that was impossible until someone read the designer's mind. The difference is fairness, and it can be tested before anyone plays.
Four questions
- Is every piece of information needed for the answer visible before the answer is asked for?
- Is there exactly one answer that fits all the clues?
- Would a player who solved it be able to explain why the answer is right?
- Does the puzzle tell the player when they are on the right track?
If a puzzle fails the first question, it is a guessing game. If it fails the second, players will find a different answer that also works and feel cheated when it is rejected.
Outside knowledge
Trivia, cultural references and specialist skills narrow the audience. If a puzzle relies on Morse code, put a Morse table somewhere in the game - finding it becomes part of the fun instead of a barrier.
Write the solution as a short chain of steps before building anything. If a step reads 'and then the player realises...', that step needs a clue.