The Witness

[Landis963]

The Witness, as its name does not imply, is a 1st person puzzler in the grand tradition of Myst, Antichamber, and Portal. Actually, Portal is perhaps the best comparison, despite the lush island environment that The Witness allows you to explore, because all the puzzles have the same basic framework. You have a grid of some description. On this grid are one or more circles, and one or more rounded tabs sticking out. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go from point a to point b using all the cues and clues at your disposal. Sounds simple, but it quickly grows in complexity with each puzzle.

Your thoughts?

[Ogremindes]

I wouldn't have picked Portal as a touchstone, as that implies more of an action aspect that isn't there, but Myst and Antichamber are both apt comparisons, as it's the sort of game where player knowledge is the main gating mechanism. Also I've just been through an area that's totally Channelwood Age.

I've been enjoying the hell out of the game, ATM I'm exploring trying to work out the meaning of a couple of symbols. I need to take another look at what I've found for one of them, I've realized I may have made a bad assumption.

[Landis963]

I wouldn't have picked Portal as a touchstone, as that implies more of an action aspect that isn't there, but Myst and Antichamber are both apt comparisons, as it's the sort of game where player knowledge is the main gating mechanism. Also I've just been through an area that's totally Channelwood Age.

Unlike Myst and Antichamber, though, it's all variations on the same puzzle.


I've been enjoying the hell out of the game, ATM I'm exploring trying to work out the meaning of a couple of symbols. I need to take another look at what I've found for one of them, I've realized I may have made a bad assumption.

Which symbols? I've been having trouble finding the tutorial section for the Tetris pieces.

[Corlindale]

I only had time to play a little so far, but I already like it a lot. I think my favourite thing about it is that you can always just wander off and do something else if you get stuck on any particular puzzle.

[Ogremindes]

Unlike Myst and Antichamber, though, it's all variations on the same puzzle.

There's really only 2 main puzzle mechanics in Antichamber, the block gun and perspective manipulation. The Witness is at least as varied in that regard. And having played the original Myst recently, the puzzles there are mostly simply aquiring and applying information, be it through experimentation or finding clues. Plenty of that here. Actually, The Talos Principle is another good touchstone, with the mix of discrete puzzles, open world puzzles and philosophy.




Which symbols? I've been having trouble finding the tutorial section for the Tetris pieces.

The triangle and the six-pointed star (could be eight points, I didn't count) were what I was looking for, though for the latter it was a different piece of information I was missing that I didn't even know I was looking for. Still have no idea what the triangles mean.

Not looking for help, of course. I'm kinda kicking myself over going to the internet for a "not sure if I'm doing this wrong or just bad" moment. (In that vein the spoilers above aren't very spoily, but could trigger a cognitive leap that you may rather make on your own.)

[huttj509]

I'm in the endgame area. Really enjoying the game. Only looked up a couple of puzzles (one feels like it was placed out of order in the tutorial string, one right after is *much* easier and introduces the necessary rule).

Unfortunately, it's not particularly friendly to people who are colorblind, deaf (or certain frequencies), or well, I'm not sure if the puzzles I'm on could *actually* trigger epilectic fits/migranes or if it just feels like they would (I'm prone to neither, but needed to take a break with my eyes closed after one particular puzzle with blinking high contrast). The first 2, ok, it'd at least be nontrivial to accommodate without cutting out a couple neat puzzle mechanics (though probably doable to some extent). The third, yeah, whoever told Jonathan Blow "yeah, this is a great idea" should be kicked in the shins. I just hope it doesn't keep up much longer.

And that last paragraph is an example of me trying to decide "would this possibly spoil the experience for some people" vs "would not knowing about it possibly spoil the experience or health for some people."

[Ogremindes]

I looked up another spoiler, for the third hedge maze. I feel no shame in that one, even if I knew that was a mechanic I should look for (it hasn't been used before, and I'd be surprised to see it again) I still wouldn't have picked it.

[Re'ozul]

I looked up another spoiler, for the third hedge maze. I feel no shame in that one, even if I knew that was a mechanic I should look for (it hasn't been used before, and I'd be surprised to see it again) I still wouldn't have picked it.

Yeah, I only noticed that maze's trick by coincidence as well.

I've activated all Lasers but haven't activated to mountaintop yet.
I've been looking for all the secondary puzzles. So far I've aczivated 60 (with about 5-7 more I know about, but haven't done yet).
The only area so far that I did not like was the Jungle due to the mechanics in solving involved as I found them annoying. I am also apparently missing ways to go underground as I keep
running into the backs of doors down below.

Also still missing 2 vaults somewhere.

[Ogremindes]

...I'm not sure if the puzzles I'm on could *actually* trigger epilectic fits/migranes or if it just feels like they would (I'm prone to neither, but needed to take a break with my eyes closed after one particular puzzle with blinking high contrast).

Ugh, yeah. Super Happy Rainbow Funtime gave me a headache. And it along with the puzzles leading up to it in the area were some of the weakest in the game, I reckon. At least the puzzles after it have been really cool.

[Landis963]

Ugh, yeah. Super Happy Rainbow Funtime gave me a headache. And it along with the puzzles leading up to it in the area were some of the weakest in the game, I reckon. At least the puzzles after it have been really cool.

The first bridge-building puzzle was cool. That and the one where you need to dodge around a couple statues (although that one was a recipe for frustration if there ever was one).

EDIT: Does anyone else get the feeling that the Town should have been the final area? I found many of the puzzles there to be much more engaging.

[mame]

Unlike Myst and Antichamber, though, it's all variations on the same puzzle.



Which symbols? I've been having trouble finding the tutorial section for the Tetris pieces.
Hi, So do i wondered. But most importantly, is not it?

[Ogremindes]

Hi, So do i wondered. But most importantly, is not it?

There are only two things you can directly interact with in the world: Maze Puzzles and Audio Logs. However, mazes are used as the control mechanisms for other devices in the world for some Myst-esqe enviroment puzzles, and there are also puzzles that involve finding the mazes in the first place, via perspective manipulation. Exploring to world to find new I things is also a major part of the game, with plenty of stuff hidden away.

I have finished the endgame, and I'm currently looking for secrets. I'm missing one vault, and have found no fewer than five doors locked from the other side. I've finished one obelisk. I figure there must be a way into the underground proper that gets me behind those doors.

EDIT

God. Freakin'. Dammit.

One lousy board that I skipped over was the key to everything. In the area I was planning to not come back to until I finished everything else:smallfurious: