January 28, 2026
No hints, just vibes
In a genre where spoilers are devastating, how do we talk about puzzle games?
Players beg for memory wipes while mods whisper safe hints
TLDR: Puzzle games thrive on discovery, so fans are agonizing over how to discuss them without ruining surprises—especially Outer Wilds. The crowd splits between purists demanding “blind runs” and players wanting gentle hints, pushing communities like r/myst and Discord to invent spoiler-safe etiquette while dunking on AI’s clumsy, leak-prone answers.
Puzzle-game talk has turned into spoiler panic, and the community is living for the drama. The flashpoint? Outer Wilds, the mystery-in-space that fans say must be played “blind.” One commenter gasped that even the tiniest detail “is a spoiler,” then dropped the meme-y plea: “wipe my memories so I can replay.” People rallied around the idea that these are information games—you don’t win with fast fingers, you win by discovering secrets—so hearing those secrets early feels like skipping chapters. Cue the spoiler sirens, the “no hints, just vibes” crowd, and a wave of whisper-only etiquette.
Of course, not everyone wants monk-mode mystery. Some begged for gentle nudges when stuck, dragging clumsy walkthroughs and dunking on AI summaries for being “wrong and ruining.” The compromise? Curated communities: r/myst and the Bean and Nothingness Discord got shout-outs for spoiler-safe hint culture. Meanwhile, Outer Wilds sparked a side-brawl over its tricky jetpack: one fan quit, came back, mastered movement, then admitted perfect flying doesn’t matter later—chef’s-kiss chaos. And for ultra-fragile puzzles like Blue Prince, the consensus was clear: don’t Google anything. The jokes kept coming—Men in Black memory zaps, spoiler police memes, and “hint tax” for impatient players.
Key Points
- •The article discusses how puzzle and mystery games rely on discovery, making even minor details potential spoilers.
- •It introduces the concept of “information games,” defined by Tom Francis, where progress depends on uncovering and applying information.
- •Outer Wilds is used to illustrate the tension between marketing disclosures and preserving surprises for players.
- •Walkthroughs often provide overly explicit solutions, while AI-generated overviews can both reveal key elements and be inaccurate.
- •For intricately designed games like Blue Prince, searching for help can undermine the intended experience, and no automated hint solution can fully address this.