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The Mixed Blessings of a Longer Game - More Fun, More Frustration

Introduction
Huzzah! We return to the epic series of mind-scraggling community-submitted puzzles! This time around, the game is longer! I'm actually slightly anxious about reviewing this particular instalment of Befuddle Quest, as I believe it is the only one currently without a review. As such, seems I shall for a while be the primary authority... ooh dear. Regardless, let us begin.

Overarching Story
Again, the game is bookended by an obligatory storyline. Once again, Zack must journey through the tower of puzzles to prove himself, this time to the baron's wife, Frau Von Niddly. These story sections (I assume they're Kentona's work) are just as silly and amusing as in the previous game, and add charm to the adventure. The plot is also addressed a little in Liberty's Riddle of 7 map, but is otherwise absent from the puzzles themselves.

Fallen-Griever's Angels and Demons

Simple, but a simple puzzle is always best for the beginning. First, the player must work through a sliding puzzle where arrow tiles move Zack around from place to place. That done, the player must move 5 switches back and forth until they find the correct sequence. This is made easier by an angel statue informing you at any given time how many of the switches are placed correctly. A solid start.
Score: 3/5

Jakester's Tick Tock Took Book

Simple enough, but with a clever trick. Zack must rearrange three bookshelves by taking books out of some and placing them onto others. A clock gives you a clue as to how many books need to be on each shelf in order to solve the puzzle. There seems to be one book less than what is needed, but working out how to find the last book is not difficult. All in all, good.
Score: 3/5

Gibmaker's Setting the Table

Holy mother of God. As to why this was included as the THIRD map, I have no idea, but WOW. This took me a loooooooong time, and I had to consult the hints section in the end, to be honest. The puzzle here involves moving tables around, as well as interesting turnstile devices that swing you around in a circle... it's difficult to explain, honestly. Difficult? Insanely. Impressive? Inarguably. Sorry Time Loop, but this one beats you hands down. Anyone who struggles here should search for the 'Hints' folder in amongst all the game files. There aren't any hints for the other puzzles, but compared to this one they do not need any. Although I'd not have placed it so early, this puzzle was otherwise perfect. Highlight of the game.
Score: 5/5

Mr.L's Future's Past

The concept is clever, with two versions of the same town – past and future. Zack must move back and forth, using information in both towns in order to solve problems in the past and change the future. The puzzles are quite simple, though there is some challenge in working out what to interact with. It's certainly far easier than the previous puzzle, and puts a nice spin on things.
Score: 3.5/5

SavageInventions' Rocks, Slings and Arrows

This map is a collection of three puzzles, one after the other. The first is a simple rock sliding puzzle, roughly as challenging as beating a snail in a running race. The next puzzle ups the ante moderately – a switch-pressing puzzle wherein all the switches must be pressed down, but each switch moves some of the others around. Finally there is a puzzle filled to the brim with arrow tiles that zoom you around the room. Dizzying, and the most difficult puzzle in this map, but certainly not impossible. The map is rather bland, but the puzzles are satisfying.
Score: 4/5

Hexatona's The Curious Chase of Zack Zachariah

RAGE. RAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE! This... I don't honestly know. I think this one's just me, since nobody else has ever commented on it as one of the more difficult puzzles, but... I couldn't seem to solve it. It's a race, of sorts. You must make your way to the stairs before a ghost-creature reaches them. The problem is, the ghost moves two tiles every time you take one step. Plus, if you run into the ghost at any point, you must restart the puzzle. If the ghost reaches the stairs, it blocks them and stands still so your only option is to purposely run into it to reset the puzzle. No matter which way I went, it either beat me or got me along the way. After spending two hours on this and feeling thoroughly stupid, I decided to give it a rest and asked for help on the game page. I was linked to a map which showed a route that seems really obvious now, but totally eluded me at the time. So, in the end, well done sir – you stumped me.
Score: 4/5

Zeuzio's Lovely Logic

A short and easy one. You simply needed to correctly identify the right man out of eight, based on the description they gave. There was no real challenge here, so I cannot say I was particularly impressed. A relatively forgettable map.
Score: 1/5

Kentona's Zack's Chip Challenge

Well. This is certainly an interesting design. I quite liked this puzzle, as it required some thinking as you worked your way around the various areas, collecting items that caused you to bypass the effects of certain tiles (ie. Flippers to cross water, boots to cross fire, etc.) Working through it was quite a lot of fun.
Score: 4/5

Liberty's Riddle of 7

Hmm, this doesn't sound familiar at all... Actually, the map is completely different to Liberty's previous contribution, and is in fact much better. The map consists of seven separate puzzles, each representing one of the seven deadly sins. The idea is clever and nearly all of the puzzles are creative and enjoyable. Entertaining scenes depicting the history of the Von Niddlys are shown after each puzzle, which are a nice touch. My second favourite map in this game.
Score: 5/5

Mikemc's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vidda

This was another simple one, beginning with a fetch quest to collect five plastic flower petals. Upon finding those, you then have to play notes on a piano to reach a correct number. Basic, without much thought required. Relatively forgettable.
Score: 1.5/5

Craze's Economy Sim

Innnnteresting. This is a biiig change from previous maps, and is as the title suggests – an economic simulator. Part strategy, part luck, you select different options in order to raise money and food for ten turns, with a tough quota to reach at the end. Reach the quota, win the level. This ended up frustrating me due to constant near misses, but eventually I succeeded. There are six locations in which to raise resources, and you place a unit of your choice in each location. The units have different skills, so you should be strategic in where you place them to maximize output. Practice makes perfect, and patience is required for this unique puzzle. My only gripe was the luck aspect.
Score: 4.5/5

Relyt's Skeleton Ship

The name for this one didn't pop up on screen, but considering there was a ship in it, and there were skeletons in it, I believe I'm making a safe bet. This was not a puzzle. This was a precision-based game where you had to dodge several billion skeletons in your journey to the staircase. Get hit once, get teleported back to the beginning.

I am an RPG gamer. I am a thinker. I am a strategically minded person. I am not a man of reflexes, nor a man of particularly wonderful timing. As I look to my left, I see three freshly punched holes in my wall. As I look downwards, I see my hand, bleeding profusely.

I hated this map.
Score: 3/5, it was well put-together and would be enjoyable for many gamers but that doesn't mean I myself had any goddamn fun.

GameOverGames Productions' Lazer Zu Doku

With a name like 'GameOverGames', a sense of dread filled me before I began this map. That sense was incorrect, as this was a Sudoku! Sure, it was made with RPGMaker, but really that's all there is to this one. A Sudoku puzzle, which has always been a joy of mine. There are two in this stage, in fact – one considerably more difficult. The puzzles took me a while to complete, but they were enjoyable for me and a great way to end the game - for me. I'm sure roughly 0% of you agree with this, but screw it – I liked the damn thing. I can understand though that placing it at the end wasn't the brightest of ideas, as while I appreciated it, many others wouldn't.
Score: 3/5 – would like to give it more, but being fair, mmmmost people hate it.

Overall

This game is longer, which accommodates for far more fun... aaand far more frustration. In the end this was a better game than its predecessor in the technical sense, with a greater number of well-designed, challenging puzzles. Personally I found it a more enjoyable experience to play through the first, as my game here was stifled and stalled by some of the more time-consuming maps. Overall though, this is a puzzle game, designed to befuddle – so I won't be marking it down for difficulty. For a game created by 13 people, it's ultimately quite brilliant, as only a bare minimum of the maps were dull.
Score: 4.5/5

Posts

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Nice review! Makes me want to do another Bufuddle Quest map...

So did you not like my puzzle, or was it just too easy?
Craze
why would i heal when i could equip a morningstar
15150
Glad you liked my map. =)
Generally with a game I'll review based on it's intentions, meaning a story-driven game will get a high score (not highEST, but high) even with average/below average gameplay and a game focusing on gameplay and strategy will get some leniency with story and characters.

In terms of Befuddle Quest, the main thing I'm scoring on is the effect it had on my mind and whether it engaged me and required me to think. The writing, design and everything else is taken into account, but isn't what makes it. Your map Zeuzio was written well and looked good, was detailed compared to some maps... it just wasn't much of a puzzle, more a 'proceed through dialogue options then make obvious choice.' My main point here is that I'd have been more lenient were it a different style of game, so I hope there's no hard feelings, like... don't print out my display picture and burn it in a symbolic death ritual. :D

And I went from liking yours, Craze, to despising it, then to liking it again. XD Took me time to get a hang of it but the second I did it was rewarding as hell.

(Now I just hope it doesn't take two years for the next review since I'm all self-conscious at being the only damn one.)
Welp, thanks for the review! I am glad that you enjoyed the majority of the puzzles. (I've always felt that BQ2 was one of the best of the BQs, if not the best). Now, however, that I know you aren't much for twitch gaming, I am not sure how much you'll enjoy BQ3...but we'll see! (Hopefully!)
...Oh that's not ominous in the slightest. XD If it's a lot like that, it may be a challenge to go through but I try to avoid letting personal taste touch review scores so I doubt I'll lambast it.
Gibmaker
I hate RPG Maker because of what it has done to me
9274
MUA HA HA HAH A.
Thank you for comments. :3 If you're interested, the table puzzle was based on Kwirk for Gameboy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFAe379Oi08

And if you hate twitch-puzzles you will hate my BQ3 submission.
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