SubText, A Clicking Puzzle Game
- Max Zhang
- Feb 10
- 2 min read
Project Overview
<SubText> is a 2D point-and-click puzzle game developed in 48 hours during Global Game Jam 2026 (Skövde Site) based on the theme "Mask". As the Lead Designer and Programmer in a 4-person team, I oversaw the core mechanics and implementation. The narrative follows a master thief under interrogation, using manipulation and rhetoric to prove his innocence and escape.
Core Concept & Mechanics
Inspired by <Minesweeper> and the classical newspaper crosswords, the game simulates a verbal confrontation where "masking true intent" is key.
Gameplay: Players must select and link characters to form words in a minesweeper-like board within a time limit.
Score System: To score, players must avoid "Mines" and align their word chains with the Police’s "Mind Pattern" to remain undetected.
Specially, The Start Screen functions as an integrated tutorial to introduce these mechanics immediately.
Level Design & Progression
The level design follows a progressive difficulty curve with evolving mechanical twists:
Phase 1: Visible mines and monochromatic words (Mechanic introduction).
Phase 2: Hidden mines (Increasing tension & more practices).
Phase 3: Dual-color mechanics where Green (Truth) and Red (Lies) characters must match specific slots in the Mind Pattern to earn score (The twist).
Development & Iteration
We prioritized gameplay prototyping for rapid validation, which led to two critical iterations:
Thematic Alignment: Initially, the game lacked the "Mind Pattern" constraint. We added this to increase difficulty and better align the mechanics with the "Mask" theme (hiding intent).
GUX & Game Visual Effect: We shifted the input method from "drag-and-drop" to "click-to-connect" and added haptic feedback and combo counters to enhance control responsiveness and impact.
You can download <SubText> in Global Game Jam website:
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