I started playing that Professor Layton game, and damn if they didn't take the whole integrate-your-puzzles-into-the-narrative thing and run with it. Well, that's what I get for taking just about 3 years now to work on this Pythagoras game. They've even got an exchanging coins for hints systems like... well, like I was planning on using. I suppose my hook is that the puzzles are actually part of the environment, and not the whole "Hey how's it going dude, solve this puzzle for me and I'll tell you what you want to know" variety.

Here's an example, in the puzzle below, P has got to rotate the bends in this aqueduct to guide the water towards the bottom. Rotating each of the valves rotates four of the nine bends, in each of their respective quadrants, the upper-left valve rotates the upper-left four bends, and so forth. Theoretically you could solve it just by looking at it, but it's more satisfying to actually spin the valves and do it in-game.


Of course, since I'm doing this with an engine that's built for RPG games, It's kind of a one-off hard-scripted scenario, so it takes for-freaking ever. Oh yeah, plus I have a day job. So eat it Professor Layton. Damn good game though.