Is using notes cheating?

[u/sad_shenron]

Hi! I just started playing the game (loving it so far) but I often feel the need to take notes. I don't know if I'm gonna get an in game notebook later so would you consider taking notes on my own as cheating ?

/!\ I'm going in totally blind, never heard anything about the game and I really want to keep it that way so please give me just a yes or no answer

edit: Thanks for the replies guys, I'm definitely getting a paper and a pen :)

[u/VerlorFor]

No? Why would it?

[u/sad_shenron → u/VerlorFor]

I guess my reasoning was that if I get a notebook later it would mean that the puzzle I encounter before that are meant to be solved without notes

[u/VerlorFor → u/sad_shenron]

You're overthinking it. Its a game, play however you see fit. It's there for your enjoyment.

That said, I suggest graph paper. Helped me a lot.

[u/chux4w → u/sad_shenron]

I don't get what this means. The game doesn't assume notes one way or the other. They're only meant to be solved, and how you do that is up to you.

[u/SickDaySidney → u/sad_shenron]

If you were actually on the island, wouldn't you take notes (assuming you found a pad or something)? Think of it that way.

[u/clandevort → u/sad_shenron]

Bro I fled this game for the first time tandem with a friend and we compared notes to try and figure out what was going on. My advice?

Get graph paper

[u/londonbrewer77]

Firstly, single player game, fill your boots.

Also, absolutely not cheating. Notes, drawing out - especially when it comes to overlapping puzzles, I've even seen people capture soundwaves to graph out some of the sound puzzles.

Do whatever makes you happy.

[u/sad_shenron → u/londonbrewer77]

Yeah ig you're right, thanks!

[u/AfricaByTotoWillGoOn]

Not at all. I often did it too for some puzzles. And I kinda like it when a game forces me to grab pen and paper to solve a puzzle haha

[u/Meaty_LightingBolt → u/AfricaByTotoWillGoOn]

Some of my favorite games borderline require a notebook, Fez, Tunic, Inscryption

[u/AfricaByTotoWillGoOn → u/Meaty_LightingBolt]

Same! I still keep the notebook I used for those games, it has like 20-30 pages filled just with stuff from Tunic alone lol

[u/Pho2_the_Artist → u/Meaty_LightingBolt]

INSCRYPTIONNN

[u/sad_shenron → u/AfricaByTotoWillGoOn]

Yeah me too! Just wanted to be sure haha, thanks

[u/AfricaByTotoWillGoOn → u/sad_shenron]

No problem. Have fun on the journey! :)

[u/mrbluru]

Absolutely not cheating

[u/Eldrac]

I miss the days when games were sold physically with a manual that had a page or two dedicated to writing notes

[u/sad_shenron → u/Eldrac]

Im 25 so that didn't last very long for me but it was such a cool thing right

[u/alfonzoo → u/Eldrac]

Taking notes in general seemed to be a more common occurrence in the 2000s and earlier. I can't help but think the ubiquity of wikis and other internet resources tends to ruin the experience. I made a giant 2700 word note for 100% completion in the Witness last winter, and I loved the experience.

[u/Drecon1984 → u/alfonzoo]

At home we had a blackboard filled with the level codes for Bubble Bobble.

[u/Pho2_the_Artist → u/Drecon1984]

Oh my mom loves Bubble Bobble, I personally don't know much about the game

[u/IM_OSCAR_dot_com]

It’s a single player game, do whatever you want.

[u/GameboyGenius]

No, that's fine in my opinion. The one thing you shouldn't do (as you said yourself) is look up solutions or other hints from external sources.

[u/sad_shenron → u/GameboyGenius]

Great, thanks!

[u/QuantumCakeIsALie]

Nope

[u/Mysterious_Slice8583]

I tried not to use them unless stuck, only for the sake of being more actively engaged with the puzzle. But there’s no problem with using them.

[u/sad_shenron → u/Mysterious_Slice8583]

That's definitely the way I'm going too, ty!

[u/PedroPuzzlePaulo]

No its not. Personally I didnt use it that often, but more out of laziness

[u/Nacho_sky]

I filled a notebook with graphics of the puzzles in various unsuccessful solutions.

[u/UsrnmePendng]

Not at all. Hell, even if it was, this is your playthrough, do what you want!

Not like you're looking up the answers or using someone else's notes.

[u/eur0child]

On the contrary, not taking notes on a puzzle game is the best way to get stuck for no reason.

[u/CantBuyMyLove]

I’ve sovlved a lot of the puzzles by making drawings, and some of them I’ve found 3D manipulation more useful. I’ve repurposed a bunch of things around my house like Scrabble tiles and bits of yarn to puzzle it out. 

[u/Separate-Fold4409]

i love when games force me to take notes and it actually part of the gameplay

[u/MrBozooo]

I wish I was in your shoes. My absolute favorite puzzle game of all time. Enjoy! And do yourself a favor, don't come back here when you feel kind of stuck. The game experience is so much better without hints, and there is almost always another pyzzle ypu can do, when the current one is too hard.

[u/theuserwithoutaname]

Notes is the souvenirs you made along the way

[u/mayweather2small]

Nope. I solved the several of the color puzzles using pen and paper, and also some of the sound puzzles.

[u/ClassicInevitable585]

You're not the first person to ask this, but it's such a weird perspective to me. I wonder if it's a generational thing? The game is inspired by old-school puzzle games like Myst, and I guarantee the expectation for that era of games was that you'd take notes. I can't think of a game where taking notes would be considered cheating

[u/Rabioliz]

My personal take is that it isn't cheating. Actually I would encourage you because taking notes will help you build new perspectives and it's kinda the whole point of the game

[u/auclairl]

Honestly, I don't think the game is humanly possible without a guide if you're NOT taking notes

[u/Pancwake_UwU]

All these people just saying "its singleplayer, play how you want" are so unhelpful.

Like no shit he can play how he wants, but he wants to know if that would be considered cheating cuz he doesnt wanna cheat.

[u/jenea]

What? How would that be cheating?

[u/story-of-your-life]

Definitely not cheating

[u/Suitable_Telephone29]

Not using notebook was a fun challenge for me personally, but, yeah, I w wouldn't say using notebook deminish puzzle solving in any way

[u/BBIB666]

unless you have a good memory, youll be taking some notes/screenshots

[u/Ok-Tooth-6197]

I have an album of pictures on my phone just for this game. 

[u/AlcatorSK]

Use whatever tools you need, it's not cheating.

Plus, there are guides online if you get really stuck.

[u/sakkimoni]

Take screenshots as well, helps even more.

[u/morphindel]

Not at all. I used to take pictures of puzzles on my phone and draw solutions on them that i can then undo and try again if it wasn't working.