As opposed to either killing monsters or character development?

There was a fair bit of "Tricks & Traps" in 1st ed D&D and B/X D&D.  Someone else will need to comment on 2ed, but it's in 3ed as well.

Do you mean systems designed to simulate puzzle-type problem solving?  Such as the player rolling a deduction check to see if their character solves the puzzle?  Or do you mean, an actual puzzle that the players themselves have to figure out?

Quote from: StuartThere was a fair bit of "Tricks & Traps" in 1st ed D&D and B/X D&D.  Someone else will need to comment on 2ed, but it's in 3ed as well.

Do you mean systems designed to simulate puzzle-type problem solving?  Such as the player rolling a deduction check to see if their character solves the puzzle?  Or do you mean, an actual puzzle that the players themselves have to figure out?

No, actual puzzles that the players do, rather than the characters...actually puzzles and/or resource management. An example might be a game where you're more likely to die from staying the night outdoors and not having a tent, than from a monster killing you.

I'm going off my experience of being a player; I've tried to play the character-y way and had problems - a few times I've gotten feedback along the lines of "that was excellent role-playing, don't do it again" - someone actually told me that you're 'meant to' come up with a winning action, then come up with a reason why your character would do it.

Detailed combat would probably interest me if there were actual tactics involved, but most of the time it seems like it has the complexity of a wargame but not the strategy. Yay, we killed the monster ie we rolled several dice and looked stuff up.

I suppose that any system could be used for puzzles, just have an adventure with lots of puzzles in them - but sometimes it seems like there's expectations of what you're 'supposed' to do; or maybe it's more a matter of finding the right players & GM rather than the right system?