Codename "MMM": The Puzzles

The toys themselves are, in a way, the puzzles. To some degree, the players themselves create the puzzles throughout the game by the objects they pick up and the clues they leave. The players can find a lot of objects throughout the game, most of which have multiple functions. They can use these objects flexibly and strategically to accomplish their individual goals and solve the puzzles of the game. One player’s goal may be to find a key to gain access to the master bedroom, because he thinks that’s where the killer stashed the evidence. Another player may try to hide possible murder weapons from the killer, reducing the weapons available and thus making it easier to identify the correct weapon after a murder as well as the fingerprints.

Fingerprints are the most obvious clue for solving the main puzzle of who the killer is. The killer may find a handkerchief to wipe away all fingerprints from an item, or wear gloves when picking up items to avoid leaving his own fingerprints on them (this could also be a method to frame other people for the murders, but the killer would have to be careful since other players will notice if he’s wearing gloves).
The killer may have, e.g., a key to a certain room of the house, and stash the murder weapon(s) there so other players will have a hard time locating clues. Some rooms may contain clues or solutions to puzzles, e.g., a painting in the master bedroom depicting the correct combination the player has to touch the ornate statues in the great hall to open a secret passage. If the killer secures the key to the master bedroom first, he alone will know the combination to unlock the secret passage and alone can use it to stash evidence.

Keeping track of how many players are in the vicinity is a useful way of avoiding witnesses to the murders. If a normal player is walking around a considerable distance from other normal players, the killer has a better chance of murdering him, then making a safe escape and disposing of any evidence before others arrive. A skillful killer must know how to use the in-game chat to gain sympathy from other players and alleviate their suspicions. By covering up his crimes through verbal manipulation, he can potentially lie his way to victory. The killer could try to rationalize his holding a weapon by saying, e.g., "I’m keeping this gun so the killer doesn’t find it." If a killer fails a murder attempt, and the intended victim reaches other players and excitedly reveals the killer tried to murder him, he will need to convince the players he did no such thing, and that the intended victim is lying and trying to frame him.

The killer may use other strategies to be a successful murderer. By thinking quickly he can appear guiltless to the other players. Ultimately, a normal player can never be 100% sure a person is truly the killer unless he witnesses a murder or a murder attempt. Keeping the other players from solidifying their own conjectures is crucial to playing the role of the killer.

All the puzzles of MMM must be replayable. Players should not find themselves bored solving the same puzzles each time they play the game. Some methods can be used to enhance puzzle replayability:

1. Random inclusion of puzzles


Not all puzzles need to be in the game each time it is played. When the game is initialized, certain puzzles will be randomly placed in the game, including all the objects, locations, and other puzzles which rely on the parent puzzles.

2. Serendipitous vs. non-serendipitous puzzles

Objects and object locations are randomized each time the game is played, so players will often find things they don't necessarily expect to find. Other times, they will need to find something to solve a puzzle but won’t know where it is or if another player already has it. Ideally, players will most often find things they don't expect to find (e.g., a key to an upstairs bedroom) rather than hunting for objects they need (e.g., a leaf-trimmer to remove a wasp nest outside a second-story window, so they can exit through the window and retrieve an object they see on the roof). The distinction between the serendipitous and non-serendipitous puzzles may be small, but it’s important. In the latter example, the player has a goal in mind (retrieving the object on the roof), but has to hunt for another item first. Players shouldn’t always know what to expect when solving a puzzle. They should feel as if they are constantly exploring the map in each game and uncovering new areas as they travel, rather than hunting everywhere for items they need.

The game falls under the category of survival horror. Survival horror can be an exciting feature of a game, and it normally requires careful thought and planning to achieve the element of surprise, e.g., when deadly creatures appear at the most unexpected moments. In MMM, the players are given enough tools to create their own survival horror atmosphere. The actions of the killer are entirely unpredictable, since it's left up to human intelligence rather than computer control. The players are given mechanisms of defense (e.g., finding and wearing bulletproof armor, locking doors behind them), but cannot actually fight back.

The player's feeling of seclusion is another important factor in survival horror. Players can only communicate with other players if they're in the same room. The intended atmosphere would be compromised if players could communicate with anyone at any time. Plus, giving players the ability to communicate with each other at any time may encourage the undesirable buddy system, i.e., players revealing their locations, following each other around, and revealing their "buddy" to everyone, so that if they die the other players will know the buddy did it.