The blue brainteaser

February 16, 2006 9:26 AM

Blueprint... Guide the ball to the target by making a path for it to follow. Fourteen levels of perplexity! (Flash)
posted by crunchland (35 comments total)

I was enjoying this a lot more before I noticed the Tries Left countdown.

Sometimes it's just fun to play with a toy. Is it really necessary to turn everything into an intense challenge? Or is this something that only bothers me?
posted by Simon! at 9:32 AM on February 16, 2006

Tea Games is consistently on par. I'm almost certain that site has been linked before. I don't really care though. Kudos.
posted by cloeburner at 9:40 AM on February 16, 2006

that gets insanely hard near the end. wow.
posted by dougunderscorenelso at 9:57 AM on February 16, 2006

Simon!: Nope. Bugs me, too.
posted by cribcage at 9:58 AM on February 16, 2006

That's cute and fun, small physics games are always more interesting to me than most other flash implementations (find the pixel, dodge the blocks, etc).

Sometimes it's just fun to play with a toy. Is it really necessary to turn everything into an intense challenge? Or is this something that only bothers me?

Well, to be fair, the counter resets at 12 tries for each puzzle. Also, you can never forget the number one game design-axiom: It can't be a game unless you have the possibility of losing, repeatedly and in the most frustrating fashion.
posted by prostyle at 10:02 AM on February 16, 2006

It would be nice if you could link to individual levels. I couldn't get past the one with the three halfpipes and the up-pusher.
posted by delmoi at 10:20 AM on February 16, 2006

I could get the last one, but none of the five before it.
posted by jenovus at 10:21 AM on February 16, 2006

Reminds me of whizball.
posted by quam at 10:30 AM on February 16, 2006

How do you do the three halfpipes & the up-pusher one? I've been stuck on that level for a few days now.
posted by riffola at 10:31 AM on February 16, 2006

Yeah. What riffola asked.
posted by squarehead at 10:37 AM on February 16, 2006

riffola, in rot 13:

ohvyq n frzv-pvepyr, tbvat pybpxjvfr nobir gur onyy naq chg gur hc-chfure orybj gur onyy'f fgnegvat cbvag.

Gur onyy snyyf ba gur hc-chfure, tbrf nyy gur jnl nebhaq gur unyscvcrf, gura obhaprf bss vg ntnva, vagb gur gnetrg.
posted by driveler at 10:42 AM on February 16, 2006

Ditto. Hintzor!
posted by Plutor at 10:42 AM on February 16, 2006

driveler, you're the best.
posted by Plutor at 10:48 AM on February 16, 2006

The ball moves too slowly! I feel like I am watching a ball fall through water, not air.
posted by Lord Kinbote at 10:52 AM on February 16, 2006

driveler, I tried that. I guess I'm not doing something right. It doesn't work! Please help!
posted by riffola at 10:53 AM on February 16, 2006

riffola - clockwise and coutner clockwise are different. I know that, and you know that, but I had it backwards for some crazy reason after reading the clue and you might as well.
posted by willnot at 11:04 AM on February 16, 2006

this is a basically a flash version of the game called "The Incredible Machine" (pops).

The PC game was really fun.. more animated with monkeys on bikes and jack-in-the-boxes.
posted by pez_LPhiE at 11:08 AM on February 16, 2006

That was the hardest level I got by the way. Since there are no hints on the site, it might be cool if people post them in this thread, with spoiler warnings.
posted by driveler at 11:08 AM on February 16, 2006

willnot, yeah I made sure it was in the right direction, the problem is after it goes through the pipe, it won't fall back onto the pusher.
posted by riffola at 11:10 AM on February 16, 2006

V jnf hfvat bayl gjb bs gur guerr cvcrf, V tbg vg abj.

Thanks driveler & willnot!
posted by riffola at 11:15 AM on February 16, 2006

just got all of them. now back to work....
posted by pmbuko at 11:16 AM on February 16, 2006

Thanks driveler... that was a tough one!
posted by anomie at 1:01 PM on February 16, 2006

I can't get the one with two half-pipe ramps, a pusher-upper, and a treadmill (#8). Help?
posted by gleuschk at 1:20 PM on February 16, 2006

gleuschk, here's my solution.
posted by zsazsa at 2:27 PM on February 16, 2006

Thanks, zsazsa.
posted by gleuschk at 3:32 PM on February 16, 2006

Hints:

#9 - Two treadmills, two curves, one pusher. Guebj gur onyy qhr rnfg, ebhaq gur ybbc 180 qrterrf fb gung vg pbzrf onpx jrfg naq uvture, uvg gur chfure nf vg qebcf naq obhapr vg hc gb gur gnetrg.

#10 - Four pushers, two triangles. Rnfl. Gur onyy uvgf chfure, gevnatyr, chfure, chfure, gevnatyr, chfure, gnetrg - nyy pyvzovat hcjneqf gb gur evtug.

#11 - 3 halfpipes, one nudger, one treadmill, one slope. Rnfl bapr V ernyvmrq gur gernqzvyy vf tbvat yrsg, abg evtug. Gur svany fubg vf ahqtre naq gernqzvyy guebhtu gur guerr cvcrf - gur fybcr znxrf fher gur onyy uvgf gur ahqtre vafgrnq bs gur gernqzvyy.

#12 - New piece is a right ramp. Cerggl uneq. Zl fbyhgvba jnf irel varyrtnag. qebc qbja vagb oyhr enzc naq terra enzc, onyyf ybsgf vagb zvqqyr bs fperra. Uvg hc chfure, onyy ybsgf vagb evtug fvqr bs fperra. Bgure oyhr enzc naq yrsg ahqtr ner frg hc ng obggbz. Onyy trgf ynhapurq hc naq yrsg, irel uvtu ohg zvqqyr bs gur fperra. Uvgf evtug chfure, ynhapu evtug naq bire gur terl oybpx gb uvg gur gnetrg.

#13 - Two left treadmills, one up pusher and one right pusher. Gevpxl. Nppryrengr gur onyy yrsg vagb gur evtug chfure. Abgvpr ubj gur onyy obhaprf hcjneqf? Jung vs vg ynaqrq ba gur hc chfure jura vg qvq...

#14 - Long pink slope. Guebj gur onyy EVTUG jvgu gur ahqtre, ynhapu vg hc, obhapr bs gur evtug jnyy, pngpu vg ba gur gernqzvyy, qbja gur cvax enzc naq vagb gur hc chfure, obhapr hc vagb gnetrg.
posted by jellicle at 3:53 PM on February 16, 2006

i can get them all except for the one with two left belts and one up pusher and one right pusher i think its the second from the last help!
posted by stilgar at 4:03 PM on February 16, 2006

thanks
posted by stilgar at 4:04 PM on February 16, 2006

I can't even figure out level 6, with the two right pushers & the three half-pipes. I must be some kinda dumb.
posted by jonson at 4:50 PM on February 16, 2006

dang. never mind, I just got it. Stupid game, making me feel all dumb!!
posted by jonson at 4:51 PM on February 16, 2006

My solution for #12 is a bit tighter: bar unys-cvcr evtug haqre gur onyy jvgu gur hcjneq ahqtr evtug ng gur raq bs vg. Bar fcnpr bire naq bar fcnpr ybjre, gur bgure unys-cvcr, jvgu gur evtug ahqtr whfg ng gur gbc naq gur yrsg ahqtr ng gur raq. Gur onyy ebyyf qbja gur svefg unys-cvcr naq vf ahqtrq bire gur evtug ahqtr bagb gur frpbaq unys-cvcr, trgf ebyyrq onpx hc gung cvcr ol gur yrsg ahqtr naq evtug ahqtrq bss ng fcrrq gb gur evtug, fb whfg zbir gur evtug enzc nebhaq gvyy vg guebjf gur onyy hc bire gur terl.
posted by nicwolff at 12:04 AM on February 17, 2006

Ya The incredible machine and it's sequel are awesome games, about 150 levels of this kind of stuff. I never could get them to run under XP but now that I what VM Ware I'll have to set up a Win9X VM and install it again.
posted by Mitheral at 7:17 AM on February 17, 2006

Someday, when Rot13 goes offline, this thread is going to look pretty damn weird.
posted by cribcage at 10:21 PM on February 17, 2006

The thing I like about this game is that there are multiple solutions that work.. except for levels 1, 3, 4, 8 & 13 (I think).
posted by mhh5 at 12:08 AM on February 18, 2006

oops. ok, nevermind. all the levels have multiple solutions, except 1, 4 & 11. -- But that may change as I play with this addictive little game some more..
posted by mhh5 at 1:41 AM on February 18, 2006