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src/docs/puzzles/cross-realm-logistics.md

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+# Cross-Realm Logistics Puzzle
+
+## Mechanic Definition
+
+The player must manage items across multiple locations/worlds/states—transporting items between places, combining ingredients from different sources, or ensuring items survive transitions. The puzzle tests spatial and temporal thinking about inventory: what to carry, what to acquire, and when.
+
+"Realms" can be literal (dimensions, afterlife, parallel worlds) or figurative (factions, time periods, game states).
+
+## Information Architecture
+
+**Conveyance Method**: Requirement discovery through exploration
+- Player learns what ingredients are needed through books, dialogue, or failed attempts
+- Player must discover where each ingredient is located across different realms
+- Player must determine how to transport/combine items appropriately
+
+**Player Action Pattern**:
+1. Learn what's needed (through text or failed attempts)
+2. Determine where each component is located
+3. Travel to each location and acquire items
+4. Transport items to combination point
+5. Execute combination → solution achieved
+
+**Core Mechanic**: The puzzle tests forward planning and spatial awareness. Players must remember what they'll need in future locations while managing limited inventory space.
+
+## Design Rationale
+
+- Rewards planning—thinking ahead about future requirements
+- Creates world interconnection—realms feel connected through items flowing between them
+- Adds strategic depth—inventory management becomes meaningful
+- Enables payoff moments—items from early exploration save you later
+
+## Why It's Effective
+
+The satisfaction comes from "just in time" inventory management—having the right item when you need it because you planned ahead. This rewards thorough exploration without punishing missed content.
+
+## Mechanic Variations
+
+| Variation | Realm Type | Logistics Challenge |
+|-----------|-----------|-------------------|
+| Dimensional | Parallel worlds | Items may not exist in all realms |
+| Temporal | Time travel | Items must be retrieved before they're "taken" |
+| Faction-based | Political states | Items must be traded between hostile groups |
+| State-based | Game states | Items only available in certain conditions |
+
+## Generic Example Structure
+
+**Goal**: Complete [Crafting/Activation] requiring [Ingredients]
+
+**Information Flow**:
+- Player learns through text: "The spell requires coal, egg, and hair"
+- Player discovers locations: Coal at [Location A], Egg at [Location B], Hair at [Location C]
+- Player must travel to each location and collect items
+- Player must transport items to [Location D] for combination
+- Player executes combination → spell complete
+
+**The puzzle**: Managing items across locations with limited inventory space and no explicit tracking of what's needed.
+
+## Adventure Game Implementation
+
+The limited action set creates specific challenges:
+- WALK between realms—travel has cost/time
+- Inventory management—limited space forces decisions
+- USE items in correct sequence/location
+- The puzzle rewards players who explore thoroughly early
+
+This puzzle tests: "Can I think spatially about where items are and plan my inventory accordingly?"