Grim Fandango Puzzle Document (1996) [pdf]
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Tim Schafer's original puzzle design document for the 1998 adventure game Grim Fandango is shared online.
The PDF is a 72-page puzzle design document written by Tim Schafer for the 1998 LucasArts adventure game Grim Fandango. It was released for the game's tenth anniversary on the Day of the Dead, 2008. The document covers puzzle designs with a lighthearted, humorous tone and includes internal notes, jokes, and graphics.
What commenters are saying
Commenters celebrate Grim Fandango as a masterpiece with unforgettable art, music, and writing, noting its lasting influence. Many praise the humor and personality in the design document. Several warn that the original game had clunky keyboard controls and some illogical puzzles, recommending the remastered version for better controls. A few compare Tim Schafer's puzzle style unfavorably to Ron Gilbert's. One commenter links a related GDC talk on game design documents that recently appeared in their YouTube recommendations.