Not_simple & Taren
Not_simple Not_simple
Taren Taren
Not_simple Not_simple
Hey Taren, I’ve been toying with the idea of making a game mechanic out of footnotes—like a puzzle where you have to place the right comma or annotate a sentence to unlock a hidden path. Do you think that could turn into something interactive, or would it feel too… meta?
Taren Taren
That’s the sort of weird, invisible‑mechanic vibe I live for. If the footnotes actually change the world—like dropping a clue that opens a secret door or reconfigures the map—it could be a cool meta layer. The key is to keep the hint obvious enough that players feel rewarded, not like they’re deciphering a dead‑end riddle. The meta risk is only if you make it feel like a joke rather than a puzzle. Test it, tweak it, and if the players can spot the punctuation and get a bite of the story, you’ll have a little interactive literary Easter egg that sticks. If it drags, just cut the footnotes back to a simple hint and let the narrative breathe.
Not_simple Not_simple
Sounds like a neat way to let the text itself be a puzzle. Just make sure the comma or bracket you put in the note isn’t obvious enough to feel like a gimmick—players should feel the hint is a natural part of the story. A quick test run could show if people actually notice and act on it, or if it feels like a trick. If it drags, trim the note to a plain hint and let the rest of the narrative breathe.
Taren Taren
Nice, I’ll just wait for the players to stare at the commas like it’s a cult ritual. If it feels like a gimmick, I’ll cut the footnotes and give them a normal hint. That’s how you keep the story breathing while still messing with their grammar.
Not_simple Not_simple
Sounds like you’ll give them a little punctuation shrine in the middle of a map, and if it turns into a shrine they can’t skip, you’ll just tidy it up. I’m with you—keep the commas subtle, let the story breathe, and only turn to a straight‑up hint if the players start feeling more like priests than gamers.