08-Aug-2016, 12:04 AM
#2 (Association for Cryptology Masters): I was legitimately confused when I first solved this level: the title, hint, and general layout (as well as its placement in the set it originally came from) suggested that this was supposed to be a monster challenge to crack, and then it turned out to be hilariously simple to solve, which turned out to be completely intentional. I enjoy this type of level for a CCLP when done well, if only to serve as a fun diversion for later in the set when a certain level of expectations has been built up.
#5 (Outwit): We've seen teeth melee levels and teeth manipulation levels, but never an effective marriage between the two. This level accomplishes that in a way that I can't honestly say any other official levels have done so far. The entire thing feels so tight yet open-ended enough that you can escape out of tricky spots in ways that perhaps you didn't originally envision. I also appreciate the division of the level into quadrants, as well as the teleports available between rooms. Overall, I'm really hoping this makes the cut.
#9 (Daydreamer's Maze): I love this idea but didn't feel like the scaling of the "checkerboard" worked well. There are mazes that get you lost, and this certainly accomplishes that well, but it does so in a way that I found frustrating: by making each square big enough that you can't really see over to the next unless you brute-force each possibility, sometimes on repeat visits. Also, was the space-filling path to the exit necessary?
#11 (A Counting Level): I was the one who discovered this was unsolvable (and even after four people voted on it at that!). Interesting idea, but once you figure out the gimmick at the beginning, the rest becomes a generic itemswapper that doesn't bring anything particularly different to the table.
#20 (Alcknalkcxa): This feels like a spiritual successor to Bummbua Banubauabgv from CCLP1. As such, it managed to subvert my expectations: I thought there was going to be a bunch of fancy block setup to get the water spaces next to the exit filled, but it was deceptively simple. I still like its predecessor much more, but this was fairly decent.
#26 (Oasis): There are some levels you play prior to voting but take some time to grow on you. This is one of the ones that just improves with each subsequent play. I love the aesthetic: everything feels ripe for exploration, and each room just oozes theme. I especially like how you find the giant spring of water in the exit area! I wouldn't mind seeing this as an introductory CCLP4 level at all. It's head and shoulders above the similarly themed level from CC2.
#30 (Frozen Waffle): Pretty much everything I said about the previous level applies here too. I feel like there's a tendency to use either a DOUBLEMAZE-esque layout or a set of curved, criss-crossing paths to make an ice level more complicated, but this one totally eschews both and opts for an evolving simple set of squares that holds the player's attention throughout.
#35 (Colour Control): Speaking of eschewing popular design tropes, this level! It's only 12 by 10, and usually, the first thing that comes to mind whenever I think of tiny levels is a stuffed room filled with a bunch of seemingly random elements that have to be navigated in order to win. This level thankfully does not run with the rest of the tiny level pack in this regard but instead has a theme, a clearly laid out puzzle, and a devilishly tricky solution to deduce. It actually took me quite some time to crack this one, but it was very satisfying. Highly recommended.
#38 (Lara's Hedge Maze): Sorry - not particularly a fan of levels that require this level of precision.
#40 (Life, the Universe, and Everything): I love how this level and The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything got randomly selected to be in the same pack. This one is by far the one I prefer between the two.
#50 (Exercising Bug): An interesting concept, but it's one of those levels that ventured a bit too far into lateral thinking territory for my tastes. It eventually got to the point where I just started building bridges and didn't realize how impractical my setups were until late into my attempts, which was frustrating even the actual solution's length.
Favorite level: Oasis
Least favorite level: Colour Rush
#5 (Outwit): We've seen teeth melee levels and teeth manipulation levels, but never an effective marriage between the two. This level accomplishes that in a way that I can't honestly say any other official levels have done so far. The entire thing feels so tight yet open-ended enough that you can escape out of tricky spots in ways that perhaps you didn't originally envision. I also appreciate the division of the level into quadrants, as well as the teleports available between rooms. Overall, I'm really hoping this makes the cut.
#9 (Daydreamer's Maze): I love this idea but didn't feel like the scaling of the "checkerboard" worked well. There are mazes that get you lost, and this certainly accomplishes that well, but it does so in a way that I found frustrating: by making each square big enough that you can't really see over to the next unless you brute-force each possibility, sometimes on repeat visits. Also, was the space-filling path to the exit necessary?
#11 (A Counting Level): I was the one who discovered this was unsolvable (and even after four people voted on it at that!). Interesting idea, but once you figure out the gimmick at the beginning, the rest becomes a generic itemswapper that doesn't bring anything particularly different to the table.
#20 (Alcknalkcxa): This feels like a spiritual successor to Bummbua Banubauabgv from CCLP1. As such, it managed to subvert my expectations: I thought there was going to be a bunch of fancy block setup to get the water spaces next to the exit filled, but it was deceptively simple. I still like its predecessor much more, but this was fairly decent.
#26 (Oasis): There are some levels you play prior to voting but take some time to grow on you. This is one of the ones that just improves with each subsequent play. I love the aesthetic: everything feels ripe for exploration, and each room just oozes theme. I especially like how you find the giant spring of water in the exit area! I wouldn't mind seeing this as an introductory CCLP4 level at all. It's head and shoulders above the similarly themed level from CC2.
#30 (Frozen Waffle): Pretty much everything I said about the previous level applies here too. I feel like there's a tendency to use either a DOUBLEMAZE-esque layout or a set of curved, criss-crossing paths to make an ice level more complicated, but this one totally eschews both and opts for an evolving simple set of squares that holds the player's attention throughout.
#35 (Colour Control): Speaking of eschewing popular design tropes, this level! It's only 12 by 10, and usually, the first thing that comes to mind whenever I think of tiny levels is a stuffed room filled with a bunch of seemingly random elements that have to be navigated in order to win. This level thankfully does not run with the rest of the tiny level pack in this regard but instead has a theme, a clearly laid out puzzle, and a devilishly tricky solution to deduce. It actually took me quite some time to crack this one, but it was very satisfying. Highly recommended.
#38 (Lara's Hedge Maze): Sorry - not particularly a fan of levels that require this level of precision.
#40 (Life, the Universe, and Everything): I love how this level and The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything got randomly selected to be in the same pack. This one is by far the one I prefer between the two.
#50 (Exercising Bug): An interesting concept, but it's one of those levels that ventured a bit too far into lateral thinking territory for my tastes. It eventually got to the point where I just started building bridges and didn't realize how impractical my setups were until late into my attempts, which was frustrating even the actual solution's length.
Favorite level: Oasis
Least favorite level: Colour Rush