School 4 2 Rules (both rule sets) - Syzygy

I like this simple level a lot. It has some hidden information, but not enough to be annoying. Particularly the final area is very well built, where you can figure it out on your first time through in either rule set if you just pay attention. I also like the length of the level, and this level is a fine addition to any custom set.


Silhouettes de 101 Apparitions (two versions) - Syzygy
It took a long time for me to get around to playing this level because in the editor it looks pretty daunting! I have played it now, in both MS and Lynx, and again it took quite long to solve. As with some other long levels, I like many of the individual areas, but the combination is very arduous. If each section could just be simplified simplified simplified, I would like this level more. There was a lot of block pushing (back and forth!) at the starting area, the water-hidden-under-water is pretty mean in the ice area and doesn't add to the later area either, and the other parts are also pretty full of stuff (thin walls in many areas feel cramped). As for the comparison between MS and Lynx (since that's what this competition was about), I think there is more to the idea of having separate versions of a level than I first thought. I prefer the Lynx version (less hidden info), but the MS also presents some fun stuff that are similar to Lynx but still different. Maybe there is design space unexplored in this vein, where you have two versions of a level and make them feel the same but work differently. For this level though, I think the right choice would be to make one version that works in both, just because this is so long, or to split it into several smaller levels that explore the rule set differences in smaller chunks. Overall, I am glad I finished this challenge (thanks for sharing it!), but if a set has more than a handful of levels that look like this, I will probably skip the whole set.


Standard Email Attachment Limit (Lynx) - Syzygy
I like this short level as well. Well, I do think the time limit should be increased just to give the player some time to think instead of having to just try stuff if they want to solve it on the first attempt. Though Syzygy originally made this level for Lynx, he withdrew it from the competition because he "found that a blue button made the level solvable in both and will be including it in my next update for the E-Trilogy set." Overall I think the puzzle is nice and the level was fun to play.


Hidden Agenda (MS) - M11k4
I made this level years ago and I was going to include it in my set funfair0 (where it kind of still is, but not one of the main levels), but I didn't quite like that it was only solvable in MS. I was happy to find a fitting place for it here, among other similarly handicapped levels. The level tries to play around with invalid tiles in a confined space, but I don't think the end result is particularly fun. Finding the solution is probably pretty difficult, particularly if you do not look at a map for some of the hidden things. This was the very first level I ever made with the method "just open an editor and start drawing something" and the first version was ready in about three hours. At that moment I told myself that this sort of designing is very inefficient (at least for me) and I have tried to plan out my levels a bit more carefully since then at least half of the time. I would be very interested in hearing if anyone solves this one or how far you get before you think it's time to move on to other levels.


Squared Bonfire (Lynx) - IceyLava108