Tech Feed - December 18, 2025
Articles and podcasts from the software engineering world.
Software Engineering Daily
Designing Innovative Puzzle Games with Zach Barth
Here is a 200-word summary of the key points from the podcast episode "Designing Innovative Puzzle Games with Zach Barth":
The main topic is Zach Barth's journey as the founder of the independent game studio Zachtronics, known for creating intricate engineering-focused puzzle games. Barth discusses the origins of the "Zachlike" genre - open-ended puzzle games where players are given a set of tools and criteria to meet, often involving programming or coding challenges.
Key insights and takeaways include:
- Barth's background working at Microsoft and Valve, and how his experience as a programmer with design ambitions shaped the type of games Zachtronics creates
- The challenges of balancing commercial success with creative freedom, and Zachtronics' transition to working with a publisher (Astrological) for their latest game, Kaizen
- Kaizen was designed to be a more approachable "introduction" to the Zachtronics style of puzzle games, sanding off some of the complexity that defined earlier titles like Opus Magnum
Notable tools, technologies and concepts mentioned include:
- The programming languages C++, C#, and Unity used in Zachtronics' games
- The "tessellating" programming mechanic in Opus Magnum that allowed for automated, pipelined assembly processes
- The shift to a cooperative, non-salaried company structure with Coincidence Games after the end of Zachtronics
Overall, the episode provides an insider's perspective on the evolution of Zachtronics' innovative puzzle game design over the course of Barth's career.
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