An unsung strength of digital space is that it can accommodate geometry not normally possible in the real world. This means more than impressive architecture - in digital space multiple objects and areas can overlap, paths can loop in on themselves indefinitely, and geometry can shift and change while the player isn't looking. By taking advantage of these unique capabilities of digital space instead of holding fast to simply copying how the natural world works, a game designer can challenge their player with strange and interesting puzzles.
Examples[]
ANTICHAMBER:
Antichamber contains a multitude of puzzles that explore 'impossible' spaces. Notable moments include a hallway that spirals into itself and back out again, a gallery of cubes that contain self-intersecting spaces, and a pair of staircases that lead only back to themselves. That final example is a puzzle that can only be solved when the player turns around and returns down the hall they entered by - finding after a turn that it now leads into a new space.
These spaces challenge a player's sense of space and logic. A pleasurable confusion sets in as the player grapples with the strange phenomena, and learning how the game works brings a unique sense of mastery.
The Witness[]
The Witness has a number of secret environmental puzzles that require the player to see special designs in the environment, usually at certain angles. They can be present in the clouds, along the water line, or in special spots in buildings and shrubbery.
