Happy Puzzles: Puzzle Games for Visualization Task Abstraction

Task abstraction is fundamental in visualization research. It aids in describing and reasoning about analytical goals. While existing approaches provide rich and well-established frameworks, they are primarily text-based and challenging to engage with in practice. In this work, we explore a complementary, game-based approach to task abstraction using a puzzle metaphor to represent and construct analytical tasks. We design a set of interactive games in which participants construct and reconstruct tasks using these pieces, encouraging hands-on engagement and reflection. By framing task abstraction as an interactive and playful activity, our approach aims to support accessibility and foster a deeper understanding of visualization tasks while remaining grounded in established theory. Printable parts of the game as well as instructions are available through OSF.