Hi, I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but what, in your opinion, is the best language to write a 2d puzzler in, and the best language for a 3d puzzler. Even the best language for both if you think there is one! Thanks.
The platform would be Windows desktop application
By best, I think easiest, fastest, most effective, and I suppose your favourite.
I don't have a lot of programming experience at all, but I've used HTML and Python, and done some VB.
ActionScript, because you can have graphics easily. Javascript/HTML would also be good for that.
C or Python for OpenGL. Flash for 2D, canvas or svg could also be good with javascript.
Most games are written in C and/or C++. It is not the best language because of its features, but because it is fast (which is a rather important feature for game code).
These might be of interest:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1034458/why-arent-video-games-written-in-java
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/722908/what-programming-language-is-used-for-video-games
More relevant to your revised question:
If you are new to game development and are not overly concerned with performance, you might want to try out the Microsoft XNA platform, its a very easy way to start writing games, and is gaining quite a bit of popularity these days.
Well, quite frankly, it depends on the specifics. Is your game a desktop application or a web application? How much programming experience do you have already? Do you know Java or C? Even then, there is no "best" language to write it in. Each language has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the decision comes down to choosing what is most comfortable for you.
If it's a desktop application, chances are you are going to go with either C, C++, or Java, mainly because they are very fast and there a number of game engines with bindings for them. Take a look at Wikipedia's list of game engines. That might help you choose.
If it's a web application, then you are looking at ActionScript (a.k.a Flash). You could probably make a Java applet as well if you wanted to, but it's more likely whoever is playing the game will have Flash installed on their computer than JRE.
If u are targeting windows or xbox try Microsoft XNA. There are lots of sample code and tutorials and a good community.
For simple non-web multiplatform 2d and basic 3d games, you should
take a look at PyGame.
If you want to build a web game, you should choose between actionscript
or the HTML5 Canvas Element.
That depends on a lot of factors. Do you want it to be on the web, desktop, or a mobile? How graphic-intensive are the effects that you want? What sort of calculations will the game need to do? What types of languages do you like?
But ultimately, I think that if you just want to make a simple puzzle game, it's probably best just to go with your favorite language, because puzzle games don't really need speed and efficiency.
I'd choose Java because
Stick with what you have experience with. Use Python and PyGame.