OVERVIEW
404 Not Found is an experimental puzzle game that reinterprets the word search format through meta-narrative design and rule-breaking gameplay. The game is self-aware and believes it is not a good game, so it tries to improve by imitating others. Its self-awareness appears at the beginning and end of each level, offering hints about the current mechanic. It begins as a classic word search, then each level experiments with familiar game elements such as narrative, game feel, and meta design. However, these attempts are clumsy and distorted, guiding players to reflect on what makes a game “good”.
LEVEL DESIGN
This is the game's starting screen, but there is no start button.
The player needs to find the word "START".
Once selected, it turns into a button that can be clicked to enter the next level.
The first level is a traditional word puzzle, so I designed it with a newspaper-like look under warm yellow lighting. The player needs to find the prompted words and then drag them to the submission area on the right to clear the level.
In this level, the game's self-awareness uses implicit hints, though in a slightly misleading way.
The player tears off the sticky note to reveal a request to find a word describing the game.
Different adjectives can be chosen, leading to different dialogues, and the selection will be remembered for later.
The game tries to rewrite its code but runs into a bug, turning all text into ASCII.
Players can switch the language back to English.
Or, they can try to decode it directly—once they find DEBUG, they can move on.
In this level, the game removes the “APPLE” on purpose, trying to add a “system”.
The player needs to find the words Seed, Water, and Sunshine, then drag them onto the field to make something grow.
The player eventually grows an apple and places it into the answer box.
In this level, the game removes the target word again, this time trying to add a sense of “game feel”.
The player can't directly find “BREAK”, but can discover “HAMMER.”
They use the hammer to hit letters and form the word. The screen shakes with a loud sound.
This level adds a meta element. The target word reverses the system time. If it is evening, it shows “Morning”.
The player must change their computer’s system time to make the correct word appear.
Once the time is set correctly, the right word appears in the grid.
| LEVEL 7 - Narrative | Explore the connection between word puzzles and storytelling. Instead of finding a fixed word, players piece words together to form a story. |
| LEVEL 8 - UI | Turn the user interface into part of the gameplay. Players pull words from the UI elements to progress, blurring the line between game and interface. |
| LEVEL 9 - Challenge | This level adds a challenge where letters move chaotically, and players must use the pause button to stop them and find the word. |
| ENDING | In the final level, the game asks the player which level they liked the most. If the player chooses the first and most traditional level, the game reacts with surprise. It begins to realize that what the player values may be a certain feeling that existed at the beginning. The game ends with reflection, questioning what truly makes a good game. |
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
Word Puzzle
This is a general-purpose word puzzle component. I can adjust different parameters to control the puzzle layout, defining specific words to appear at fixed positions while the rest of the grid is automatically filled. The visual style is also flexible: each level can use different letter sprites, allowing for variety in appearance. The highlight color is customizable, allowing the word selection effect to match each level's design.
Line Printer
This is an editable line printer system, designed to support the game's self-awareness. Since the game contains many different levels, each level can have customized dialogue lines. Within a level, the system can deliver different lines depending on the player's stage of progress, and it can also react differently to the player's choices. The text is displayed with a typewriter-style printing effect.
GALLERY