Puzzle types in adventure games

1. Abstract puzzles are checkpoints where you are made to solve math problems, translate encoded messages by frequency analysis, sort knights from knaves, repeat musical sequences and play built-in minigames. Such a puzzle is fully divorced from the game, its mechanics and plot, and is of the sort you can easily pose to a person in real life.

2. Exploration means recording the information the game provides and supplying it where necessary: remember the name of a fairy king mentioned in passing by a madman, translate words spoken in a foreign language with a previously supplied translation key, draw a map of the game world to find unexplored rooms, try every dialogue option and every item to discover lucky coincidences and unexpected allies. Exploration puzzles are solved by diligence and a good memory.

3. Real-life "physics" requires players to plan their mundane actions ahead, thus forcing a deeper involvement in the game world than exploration alone could provide. Use rubber gloves to mess with the engine, remember to lock the door on your way out, put a bullet in the gun before shooting, oil the hinges to open doors unnoticed.

4. Source material familiarity is invoked whenever a game borrows from a well-knows source or parodies it. Play a tune to access the wall behind the cartoonish living flowers ("wall-flowers" - I was immensely proud of my knowledge of English when I easily solved this one). Realize that a cake baked by a prisoner's relatives holds equipment to assist an escape attempt.

5. In-world logic puzzles define the actual plot and move the story forward. These require the player to be familiar with the overarching plot and make educated guesses on what is preferable to do next. Put a tracking chip into a museum relic you suspect is going to be "borrowed" to follow the criminals. Realize that you don't have to take the dangerous route over water and chase the villains on land instead by using a minimum of actions (a map helps to plot the route). Notice that a reasonably modern city park copies an ancient temple's layout. Play on your enemies' lack of trust for you and each other to avoid being used as a guinea pig in a fatal experiment.