Is this enough for a #game?
• A collection of cloneable blocks, each has exactly one tab A and zero or more slots B, C, D, E, ....
• Tabs and Slots have a "shape" which is not obviously capable of being rendered in graphical form. We could colorize by identical shapes but while identical shapes suffices it is not the only. condition that allows slots to be filled with tabs.
• An oracle which informs the player if their attempt to plug tab A of block 1 into slot X of block 2 was a success or not. The rule may not seem obvious but the oracle never decides the thing in different ways.
• Upon success, you get a potentially new block. Points, achievements, happy noises, and perhaps your name in lights if A) the block is novel (plus your collection of blocks goes up by 1), B) the block is identical to a previously found block but you took less steps to get there, C) the block subsumes a previously found block in that it is superior to it in every way except perhaps in taking more steps to get there and now the blocks are linked by that subsumes relation in the collection (which has gone up by 1), D) The block is (or subsumes) some goals.
• If you get enough goals or enough points you can unlock novel blocks not previously in your collection.
• The system assigns names and colors to new blocks, but you can rename them and recolor them.
• Just like online sudoku, the game will track for you when slot X of block n does not accept tab A of block m because why would you need to track that on your own?
This game, without the imagined game mechanics, has deep roots to 1879 or arguably to the ancient Greek Stoics.
#GameDesign