Difficulty Sweet Spot

[pcad]

This subject has come up occasionally in other threads but I thought it should have its own thread.

Just how difficult should these puzzles be?

There's been a wide range of difficulty with the first version of the Blue Obsession being the easiest and possibly the second version of the HandMade with only 4 puzzles opened being the hardest. Now we have the Lime being called the most difficult Revomaze yet. Is this a sustainable trend? Should each new puzzle be more difficult than the last? When does the difficulty overwhelm the playability of the puzzle?

I know there's a bunch of you out there that would go for the most difficult designs out there and still want something harder. That's fine and good, but as they become more difficult and possibly more complex and expensive isn't the prospective market getting smaller?

I haven't solved all the Revomazes that I own so I can't say that I have first hand knowlage of some of the harder ones. Of the ones I have opened I can say that only the blue puzzles have repeated play value for me. I've enjoyed the Green, Bronze, and both Black designs. I suspect I'll feel the same with the Red and Ti puzzles too. The Silver, Gold, HandMade seem to be at the other extreme where only an elite few have opened them. I think the Orange may be in the Bronze range and we have yet to see how the Lime plays out.

I honestly think that there's a place for more puzzles in the Blue to Bronze range. There may also be room for a maze that's even easier than the Blue. I think of these puzzle as being kin to the old tilting labyrinth toys where a marble is guided through a maze that has holes in it. Of course a Revomaze is like doing a labyrinth in the dark, hence it's intrinsic difficulty.

Of the people I know in person, friends, family and coworkers not one of them have gotten further than a couple of turns with the Blue. I think we forget just how difficult these puzzles are for the vast majority of people. At this point there are only five mazes available, the Blue, Green, Bronze, Orange and Lime not counting the CE sets.

I'm hoping for the next puzzle to be in the lower difficulty range to balance things out. Agree or disagree?

[TheWaddler]

i completely agree. it is nice to get progressively harder puzzles and get that satisfaction after opening them in turn. but once in a while it is nice to map and open an easier one, when you've been stuck in the same place in a harder one for endless hours and are frustrated with it.

this is why i got me the BlObsV2. i knew it would be easier than the Silver (in which im currently stuck in the canyon), but i bought it for that reason had it just over a day and im nearly finished it, but im enjoying it!!

[allardwza]

I honestly think that there's a place for more puzzles in the Blue to Bronze range. There may also be room for a maze that's even easier than the Blue.

I think that several of us tried hard to tell Mister Pitt exactly that, and he didn't listen then, perhaps you'll have more luck convincing him that the tougher he makes them, the more he's limiting his potential market ... and that there's plenty of scope for interesting new mazes at "around that level" ... we also tried to suggest that without a really simple starter Revomaze, you will never get the mass-market hooked on these puzzles... most people give up too soon and never get to experience the kick of solving one, and then want to solve the next one...

But hey, he might just listen to you guys... so tell him what you think! [Maybe Joe will pass on the message? It's been a while since I saw him on here...]

allard

[TheWaddler]

i think the blue is sufficiently easy enough for any keen puzzler, but possibly not for a "normal person" i spose there could be one slightly easier, without the "feature" in the blue, just to get people into it. i think it would pay him to consider it from a business point of view, expanding his market to non-puzzlers, but then again, he is making quite a bit off us addicts

[allardwza]

...but then again, he is making quite a bit off us addicts

[TheWaddler]

Money!! he's made £300 off me just this year (well, when i pay for my Lime)

[allardwza]

I think my point was that a lot of that is going to his suppliers ... I don't think Chris Pitt is getting rich on this... but then I could be entirely wrong... and perhaps I shouldn't speculate.

allard

[TheWaddler]

I think my point was that a lot of that is going to his suppliers ... I don't think Chris Pitt is getting rich on this... but then I could be entirely wrong... and perhaps I shouldn't speculate.

allard

ahh i see. quite possibly. i only meant it as a joke anywho it is not our place to tell him which direction to take his business.

[pcad]

True, but feedback should be valuable too.

[Mr. Tea]

The majority of peoples favorites are bronze or orange, maybe that says something about difficulty people like...

The thing with saying "It's the hardest yet" it may well be technically the most difficult and have complicated things and stuff inside but if the "a-ha" moment comes quickly with alot of people, they can be disappointed due to the hype of it.

I don't know though its difficult, for me stick a revo badge on it and I'll buy it!

I'll let you know next year when lime and maybe silver depending on CE arrival whether I prefer the extra challenge.