5.0 KiB
Game Proposal | Graphic Puzzle Game
- Name: Suhyun Lim
- Student ID:
20265367 - Repository URL: https://git.prototyping.id/20265367/homework5.git
1. Game Overview
This project proposes an educational puzzle game designed to improve the perceptual sensitivity of beginner designers.
The game focuses on enhancing the player's ability to recognize subtle visual differences in composition, alignment, typography, and graphic details.
The game is structured into two rounds, each targeting a different aspect of visual literacy.
-
Round 1: Tile Sliding Composition Puzzle
The player rearranges fragmented image tiles to reconstruct the original reference design. -
Round 2: Typeface Matching Challenge
The player identifies and connects four matching pairs of alphabet letters that belong to the same font family.
The broader purpose of the game is not only entertainment, but also the cultivation of observational skills essential to graphic design practice. Through repeated play, users are expected to improve their ability to detect formal inconsistencies and typographic nuances.
The player wins by clearing both rounds within the time limit or target score. The player loses if time expires or too many mistakes are made.
2. Game Mechanics
The player interacts through mouse clicks and dragging gestures.
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Slide Tile | Click or drag adjacent tiles to reconstruct the target image. |
| Compare Reference | Observe the reference design and identify misplaced visual fragments. |
| Select Letter | Click two letters to attempt a font match. |
| Connect Pair | Successfully identify four correct font pairs. |
| Hint Use | Optional hint reveals one correct move with score penalty. |
Round 1: Tile Sliding Puzzle
The player is shown a target composition (poster, layout, or logo-based image) and a shuffled tile board.
The objective is to restore the original arrangement by sliding tiles into the empty space.
This round trains:
- spatial organization awareness
- balance and hierarchy recognition
- sensitivity to alignment and negative space
Round 2: Typeface Pair Matching
The player is shown multiple alphabet characters rendered in different fonts.
The objective is to identify four pairs of letters that share the same typeface characteristics.
Examples of recognition cues include:
- serif vs sans-serif
- stroke contrast
- terminal shape
- x-height proportion
- geometric vs humanist construction
This round trains typographic discrimination and detail recognition.
3. Core Systems
3.1 Puzzle Board System (Array-based Grid Logic)
The tile puzzle board will be implemented as a two-dimensional array.
Each tile object stores:
- currentRow
- currentCol
- targetRow
- targetCol
- imageFragment
- movable Where 0 represents the empty slot.
The system checks whether adjacent tiles may move into the empty space and continuously verifies puzzle completion.
3.2 Typography Matching System (Object Comparison Logic)
Each letter card is stored as an object in an array.
Main properties:
- character
- fontFamily
- selected
- matched
- position
[ letter: "R", fontFamily: "Helvetica", selected: false, matched: false ] When two cards are selected, the system compares their fontFamily values.
If identical:
- pair remains visible
- score increases
If different:
- cards reset after delay
- mistake counter increases
3.3 Scoring and Progression System
The game rewards speed and accuracy. Score Sources
- Puzzle completion bonus
- Fast matching bonus
- Consecutive correct streak bonus
- Remaining time bonus Penalties
- Wrong font matches
- Hint usage
- Excessive move count Win Condition
- Clear Round 1 and Round 2 successfully ose Condition
- Timer reaches zero
- Mistake limit exceeded
3.4 Adaptive Difficulty Scaling
To maintain challenge and learning effectiveness, the game gradually increases difficulty.
Round 1 Scaling
- Grid size expands: 3×3 → 4×4
- More visually similar fragments used
- Consecutive correct streak bonus
- Less reference preview time
Round 2 Scaling
- Fonts become more visually similar
- More distractor letters appear
- Matching time shortens
This system encourages progressive perceptual training.
4. Educational Value
This game explores how interactive systems can support design literacy through play. Rather than teaching design through lectures alone, it applies procedural learning: users repeatedly engage with perceptual tasks and improve through immediate feedback. The project therefore combines entertainment, pedagogy, and visual cognition training in a game format.
5. References
- sliding-puzzle.com: https://sliding-puzzle.com/impossible
- Kern Type: https://type.method.ac/
