Puzzle games have enjoyed a long tradition, and have been entertaining people and stretching minds for centuries. There are many different types of puzzle game, but they all share similar traits that make them attractive and enduring.

Games like Chess and Draughts rely on moving different pieces to a proscribed set of rules, which result in practically endless variations. Simpler games like Dominoes, Jigsaw puzzles, and Tangrams rely on arranging tessellating shapes on a board to create larger shapes or pictures.

The mathematical nature of the tessellating puzzles has made them a perfect choice for computer games. A classic variation of dominoes called pentominoes, where the pieces are made up from not two but five congruent squares, forms the basis of Chime. There are twelve unique pentomino shapes, all of which appear in Chime’s various levels.

Computer-based puzzle games have the advantage of being able to automatically calculate scores and apply rules, such as the removal of pieces from the playing area, opening up a huge range of possibilities. Many puzzle games only offer variations on the classics — it isn’t often that we see a new game as original as Chime.

A puzzle games’ simplicity makes it easy to pick up and play, while the combination of different moves may make it hard to master. This short learning curve, coupled with the ability to constantly improve one’s game is what helps make puzzle games so addictive.

Barry Northern – Lead Programmer