--- key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-device-puzzle type: mechanic id: game-mechanics--gm-device-puzzle lang: en title: Device puzzle summary: >- The player changes a device’s connections, positions or settings. The puzzle is solved when the system reaches the required state. updatedAt: '2026-10-22' status: active url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-device-puzzle/ jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-device-puzzle.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-device-puzzle.md aliases: [] tags: - Game design techniques - Obstacles sourceIds: - source-7f672280b12c723f - source-feb8f1a765e7ab86 - source-e731112d2491d01e - source-53393dcd32498f31 - source-05a93056689dc6a1 sources: - id: source-7f672280b12c723f title: 'Game Mechanics: Device puzzle' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle' verifiedAt: null - id: source-feb8f1a765e7ab86 title: Dead Space (2008) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle/game/dead-space' verifiedAt: null - id: source-e731112d2491d01e title: 'Alien: Isolation (2014)' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle/game/alien-isolation' verifiedAt: null - id: source-53393dcd32498f31 title: SOMA (2015) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle/game/soma' verifiedAt: null - id: source-05a93056689dc6a1 title: System Shock (2023) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle/game/system-shock-2023' verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: game-mechanics id: gm-device-puzzle title: Game design techniques url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-device-puzzle' categoryIds: - gm-category-obstacles supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-22' title: Device puzzle description: >- The player changes a device’s connections, positions or settings. The puzzle is solved when the system reaches the required state. image: src: images/mechanics/interaction-device-puzzle.webp width: 1440 height: 810 game: Dead Space sourceUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle' originalUrl: 'https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/dead_space_comm_puzzle.jpg' credit: EA Redwood Shores / Electronic Arts; image via GameMechanics.org rights: >- Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Source host: GameMechanics.org. Visible source watermarks preserved. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. caption: A communications layout on a control panel alt: >- Isaac faces a Communication Control panel containing nodes and connections in Dead Space. markers: - x: 52 'y': 40 label: Device nodes and connections - x: 56 'y': 21 label: A section outside the central connection tips: - Show state changes after each action. - >- Make the rule inferable from the device rather than requiring blind guesses. examples: - title: Dead Space url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle' endsAt: null provenance: >- Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification. license: CC-BY-4.0 codeLicense: MIT attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors catalogKey: catalog/game-mechanics --- # Device puzzle id: game-mechanics--gm-device-puzzle type: mechanic key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-device-puzzle lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-device-puzzle/ The player changes a device’s connections, positions or settings. The puzzle is solved when the system reaches the required state. ## At a glance ![Isaac faces a Communication Control panel containing nodes and connections in Dead Space.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/interaction-device-puzzle.webp) [Dead Space](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle) · Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Source host: GameMechanics.org. Visible source watermarks preserved. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. 1. Device nodes and connections 2. A section outside the central connection - Show state changes after each action. - Make the rule inferable from the device rather than requiring blind guesses. - [Dead Space](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle) ## How it works The player adjusts a device's settings or connections to reach a target state. ## Variants ### How the technique works - The player adjusts a device's settings or connections to reach a target state. ## Context and limits All 199 Game Mechanics entries at the check date: player actions, systems, presentation techniques and contested patterns. Entries are grouped by their first source-card category; all categories appear in their descriptions. Definitions use original wording. References link to game-specific galleries; images and videos remain at the source. ## Connected materials ## Sources and provenance Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification. - [Game Mechanics: Device puzzle](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle) (id: source-7f672280b12c723f) - [Dead Space (2008)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle/game/dead-space) (id: source-feb8f1a765e7ab86) - [Alien: Isolation (2014)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle/game/alien-isolation) (id: source-e731112d2491d01e) - [SOMA (2015)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle/game/soma) (id: source-53393dcd32498f31) - [System Shock (2023)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/device-puzzle/game/system-shock-2023) (id: source-05a93056689dc6a1) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors