Atom Smasher

Trying to collect my thoughts on level design, and more specifically, puzzle design for End of Line. I’ve started documenting all the atoms available, just like I did for The Last Rocket. (I’m borrowing my loose definition of an atom, an action/outcome pair, from Raph Koster.)

This is what I see as the current atoms available for EOL puzzles (doesn’t include new elements added late this week):

MICRO

Active

    - kill yourself to get to another area of the map
    - kill yourself to return to origin
    - kill yourself to attract a flyer
    - kill yourself to attract a hopper
    - kill a flyer to prevent repair (of hoppers, terminals, and EOL)
    - kill a flyer to clear a path
    - kill a hopper to prevent repair (of terminals and EOL)
    - kill a hopper to attract a flyer
    - kill a hopper to press a switch
    - kill a hopper to clear a path
    - kill a terminal to attract a flyer
    - kill a terminal to attract a hopper

    - attract a flyer to press a switch
    - attract a hopper to press a switch
    - attract an ice hopper to create a path

    - push a crate to clear a path
    - push a crate to press a switch
    - push a crate to release a switch
    - push a crate onto a conveyor to...

    - press a switch to lower a gate
    - press a switch to raise a gate
    - release a switch to lower a gate
    - release a switch to raise a gate

    - collect fire to cross fire
    - collect fire to kill fire flyer
    - collect fire to kill fire hopper
    - collect fire to kill iron crate

    - collect ice to cross water
    - collect ice to kill ice flyer
    - collect ice to kill ice hopper

Passive

    - convey yourself
    - convey a crate

    - pass through an open gate
    - pass through a destroyed iron crate
    - pass over ice hopper ice path

Compound

    - use gates to control hopper flow
    - push crate across ice (hopper or Ice EOL created)
    - push a crate into the path of a hopper to press a switch

MACRO

    - kill all iron crates
    - kill all flyers
    - kill all hoppers
    - (optional) kill all terminals (for special ending?)
    - kill yourself on
        - spikes
        - fire (except Fire EOL)
        - melting ice (except Ice EOL)

ENVIRO

    - place conveyors to prevent crate movement
    - place conveyors to prevent hopper movement
    - kill a hopper on spikes
    - a hoppers path towards a switch creates a timer
    - obscure switches with crates
    - obscure switches with iron crates
    - obscure switches with flyers
    - flyers as first responders (hoppers don't repair if a flyer is available)

And those are just the ones we’ve discovered so far. Level design, and especially puzzle design, is a time consuming process. First you need to define your mechanics and invent some props. Then you explore and learn how they interact. It’s that foundation and insight that allows you to discover interesting combinations that result in challenging puzzles.