“I was fond of using random generators to create as much of the caves as possible. In Boulder Dash however, Liepa had a different philosphy. Every aspect of the level is carefully planned and layed out. Nearly all games produced, puzzle or no, use specifically designed levels in order to provide the player with a challenge. So a player feels in control (indeed nothing happens unless Rockford moves), and knows that success is possible without fine motor control or quick reflexes.”Īnother possible factor in the game’s incredible longevity and addictive nature could quite possibly be the random way in which the game’s levels were created. The interaction of Rockford with rocks and dirt is easy to understand, has a palpable reality, but leads to `complex yet predictable outcomes. Boulder Dash combines the action and puzzle genres. Peter Liepa, the game’s designer and programmer, has one theory on how the game managed to accomplish this.”It’s probably true that all successful games have to appeal to both our emotions and our intellects. It provides a gameplay experience that somehow superceeds its fundamental elements and draws a player in, slowly but surely. Though this terse description of the game’s mechanics may leave the average gamer wondering what all the fuss is about, Boulder Dash manages to bring it all together in a rather unique and interesting way. This of course forces the player to keep track of not only where they need to go in the planning of their path, but also how to best rid themselves of the map’s enemies - enemies who often hold the gemstones that Rockford must collect in order to open the level’s exit.
Though the game mechanics typically allow the player to easily avoid being crushed, one must be careful to ensure that they avoid hindering their own progress with these boulders because a mistep can often block the player’s required path.The game also does make use of the occasional enemy, which can only be vanquished by way of crushing. The catch twenty-two here, however, is that digging away the earth beneath any of the multitude of boulders will cause the boulders to drop towards the bottom of the screen, crushing anything they happen to fall on. In order to move through these caves, Rockford must dig his way through the earth that fills the player’s screen. The player must guide the game’s treasure hunting protagonist, Rockford, through a series of randomly generated caves filled with gems and the occasional baddie. Much like the concept, the actual gameplay is deceptively simple.
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