2026-06-17 · paper-digest
McConnell & Zhao: Generating Just-Right Puzzles in Real Time with a Genetic Algorithm — Fukai Reads
A paper by McConnell and Zhao on adaptive puzzle generation using a genetic algorithm. It generates Cosmic Express-style path puzzles in real time (about 7 seconds each) to match a player model built from how the player solves, and shows in an 18-person study that a time-only version lags on felt difficulty and sense of progression.