# Puzzle Dungeon Design: Themes & Gimmicks

**URL:** https://discourse.rpgcauldron.com/t/puzzle-dungeon-design-themes-gimmicks/3296
**Category:** Blogs
**Tags:** design
**Created:** [October 6, 2025, 1:46pm UTC](https://discourse.rpgcauldron.com/t/puzzle-dungeon-design-themes-gimmicks/3296 "2025-10-06T13:46:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![directsun](https://discourse.rpgcauldron.com/user_avatar/discourse.rpgcauldron.com/directsun/32/643_2.png) [@directsun](https://discourse.rpgcauldron.com/u/directsun)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2025, 1:46pm UTC](https://discourse.rpgcauldron.com/t/puzzle-dungeon-design-themes-gimmicks/3296/1 "2025-10-06T13:46:53Z")

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> **[Puzzle Dungeon Design: Themes & Gimmicks](https://puzzledungeon.com/puzzle-dungeon-design-themes-and-gimmicks/)**
>
> Here are a couple of formalized steps for crafting puzzle dungeons that feel at home at the table—and are actually fun.

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### Author: ![mondave](https://discourse.rpgcauldron.com/user_avatar/discourse.rpgcauldron.com/mondave/32/1003_2.png) [@mondave](https://discourse.rpgcauldron.com/u/mondave)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://discourse.rpgcauldron.com/t/puzzle-dungeon-design-themes-gimmicks/3296/2 "2025-10-06T17:36:22Z")

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What a fantastic article! I’ve been wanting to get better at puzzles in my dungeons. I think the way you laid out themes as the focal point of the dungeon helps frame puzzles in adventure games as more like an additional mechanic of the game rather than a lock and key. Which my brain both prefers to play with and also create. Killer work!
