Why do people like puzzles with multiple solutions!?
I've asked this question before and I still want to talk about it, because I still cringe when people mention it. I frequently notice reviewers and players complaining about puzzles with only one solution, saying they instead want puzzles with multiple solutions. I cannot wrap my head around why , as there are so many drawbacks both from the player's perspective and the designer's perspective. Why would people want this when it only subtracts from the experience? Having multiple solutions can either make a puzzle too easy, or too confusing. For example, the player often thinks that every part of the puzzle has a purpose (this is how our brains naturally work), but with multiple solutions, some parts of a puzzle might never be used for the solution the player uses, leading to confusion - red herrings may be enjoyable in some circumstances, but puzzles are not any of those circumstances. It is also significantly more difficult to design a proper puzzle with multiple sol...