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Glossary Entry: Inventory Puzzle
Quick Definition
This is a common type of obstacle in video games, especially first person puzzlers and point and click adventures. The basic idea is that there is a "lock" of some kind that the player needs to open, and in order to do that, they must use the correct item from their inventory.
Often, finding the item needed requires the player to search around or even solve other puzzles. Sometimes, this is made more difficult by limiting how many items a player can carry at once. If this is the case, the player will either need to make multiple trips or leave other valuable items behind.
However, it's important for a developer to be cautious about their use of inventory puzzles - done wrong, it will feel like meaningless busywork rather than a fun gameplay mechanic.
Often, finding the item needed requires the player to search around or even solve other puzzles. Sometimes, this is made more difficult by limiting how many items a player can carry at once. If this is the case, the player will either need to make multiple trips or leave other valuable items behind.
However, it's important for a developer to be cautious about their use of inventory puzzles - done wrong, it will feel like meaningless busywork rather than a fun gameplay mechanic.
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