25-Apr-2015, 7:08 AM
Through the miracle of computer mastery, I managed to need to write some of these twice (as I did with the Lynx reviews). It would only be fair if you read some of these twice as well, thank you 
Let's get on with it...
Ram It Down
- Cyberdog
In the first part of this level, a ram is supposed to be used to stop a block in place and make it easier to redirect a glider into a bomb. Later, transperancy is used so that a glider may erase walls and bombs that get in the way. I like the puzzle with the ram, though the ice slide does not need to be so long and I could see more possibilities in exploring several rams in a single puzzle. In the second room, I feel it is too much to require so many of the chips; maybe three would be enough. You could also add an invisible wall in the first alcove so that the player realizes there are hidden things under the floor without easily cooking the level. Finally, there should be some way to know that there are bombs in the water in front of the exit. At the very least, there could be an alternate way to reach the exit that would take a lot of time and the player could feel smart for knowing how to erase the bombs if they are familiar with the area. Overall I like the use of space in the level and did enjoy parts of it, but it lacked some refining and consideration for how playing the level for the first time would feel.
MiSery
- geodave
Yay, block pushing tricks that don't work in Lynx! Here we have the first of the levels that are playable in Lynx but not solvable there. I was surprised to find that some participants found such a situation preferable to what I thought would be more natural, which is to include at least one invalid tile (like exit over exit) to communicate that the level is not meant for Lynx. As I didn't make this a requirement, I don't think I will use it as a basis for judging the entries, but it does remind me that many of us have different views and opinions on level design. The parts I like most in this level are knowing when to take the skates and flicking the blocks, so I guess the level manages to fit the requirements well. The ending and toggle mechanism make more sense to me now that I compare it with its counterpart level in Lynx. Overall, I enjoy the length and difficulty of this level and would gladly play it again.
The Power of Slide Delay Compels You!
- Ihavenoname248
This level is golden. There, I said it. The main mechanism is novel, though I did feel like maybe the cloning could be slowed in some other way too. I personally did not enjoy the amount of boosting required in several parts of the level, though I do see that the designer did not require perfection anywhere. Each of the rooms are interesting and the puzzles are very nice. I like that there are two reasons to push the blocks onto the ff in the first small room (both for the slide delay and uncovering chips). The tank room is very good. The transparency one feels a bit tricky, but is constructed in a way that only works in one way. I could have done with one fewer chip to steal from monsters with boosting. I enjoyed little details that couldn't be done in Lynx like having chip on chip at the start. Overall, I like the design of this level and the individual challenges. I find very few things that could be done differently as I am writing this, and I am afraid I am painting myself into a corner when it comes to ranking all the levels. I'm sure I can make up something though, so don't get your hopes up too high, but in any case this is one of the front-runners.
Deprogression
- chipster1059
Looking in the editor, this is perhaps the prettiest level submitted this year. Does the game play live up? At least the concepts are fleshed out nicely, where Chip has to first avoid pressing a tank button, then revealing hidden thin walls under chips, then make his way through some pop-up walls before finding the exit in the center lake. I think the first half of the level is built well, but would have liked to have seen more care taken with the ending. The red keys make no sense to me, except for the visual oddity, but they could have been used as stepping stones instead of the popups. Overall, this is a pleasant and short level that explores some visually cool MS only stuff.
The Bugs Who Couldn't Think for Themselves
- eric119
This level was a blast! Literally. I have not seen any other puzzle that requires a button to be pressed from a certain direction, so this was a great idea, and exactly what I was hoping this competition would produce. The execution is just right as well, with only one way to make the mechanism work with the tools given. My only complaint is that maybe there could have been a bit more to the level. Perhaps the existing puzzle could have been coupled with something similar because you only managed to wet my appetite with this idea and I would gladly have played another variation. Overall, I loved the concept and just seeing this level made this competition memorable for me.
Chips' Challenge
- RB3ProKeys
Ok, so here we have a maze that can confuse you because all the walls are made of Chips. I hold a pretty high standard when it comes to mazes. I think they have a place in CC canon, but for me to really like a maze it has to both be confusing and pleasurable at the same time. A lot of this has to do with the topology of the maze. In this case, there are a good mix of intersections where you can easily avoid going the wrong way and ones where you have to go check just to be sure. Is the maze too long? I think it's fine, even with the backtracking to the start. Would the maze benefit from some additional elements? Maybe, but these should enhance the visual confusion. I might have also included a time limit. The choice not to use one works well for some mazes and can avoid frustration, but including the right time limit can also add to the excitement. Overall, I'm glad this level was not so complicated that I had to try it several times, but I also a maze really has to wow me to be considered a great level.
The Second Most Insane Level In All Of Space!
- RB3ProKeys
I am not a fan of 'insane' levels. And what is the name of this level? At least it is very clear from the start that this level is not for me, thanks. One problem I have with levels that use 'advanced coding' is that it is generally unintuitive, I need an editor to really understand it, and I'm not sure if it is working right in Tile World. I'll save my rant for another day, so here I will judge the areas up to the point where I got stuck (the last room). I enjoyed the bug patterns and didn't actually realize while playing that they started on top of each other. However, having two rooms and so much work in the first one, did get a bit annoying when playing the level over. Maybe having some safe spots (particularly by the block which hides a thin wall) would have helped. My least favorite part is the bombs, just because I think it's a lazy bit of design. You need 13 blocks for that area, which adds nothing to the puzzle compared to a quarter of that amount. A similar thing could be said about the toggle + blocks area, but that was manageable. The pink balls were ok, and I liked how the tiles were buried when going to the trap button. Overall, I liked parts of this level but it did not end up being the best experience due to some details (and not being able to solve it in the end).
Mining
- IceyLava108
Here we have a level that uses hidden items under the floor. This is a valid way to require MS, since the only real way to mimic this behavior in Lynx is to hide items under blocks, which is much clunkier. This level feels much more open than any level could that used blocks. It advances naturally from one room to the next. The rooms aren't too long and contain a few nice corners that need to be checked for items. I do wonder about the chips and the socket here. Do you want the player to get trapped behind the appearing socket if they haven't found all the chips and just run to that corner carelessly? That would just make me feel stupid, when I rather would feel smart. I guess the payoff could be to find all three chips, run into the corner carelessly and feel smart that you can still get out, but not sure how often that happens in comparison. As it is, there is no reason to go into the corner (if you know it's empty) and thus even the chips in the previous rooms are redundant. Overall, I think the level was alright but some design choices have me a bit confused.
Suffocate
- IceyLava108
This level fails to work in Lynx because footwear can't be rehidden under blocks. There is also some puzzling involved here with the order of doing things, and that is nice. Not sure what else to say here really. (Sadly, I never did reach the secret hint.) Overall, a fun short level that on the surface doesn't cry out as something that couldn't be converted to Lynx in some way.
Sand Boxes
- Syzygy
Here we have an attempt at using invalid tiles combinations to hide things. These are hard to do and I don't think this really worked. The problem with the concept is that without looking at a map, every wrong step you make, requires you to restart and with a map the concept is almost pointless. There are ways around this and this level touches on some interesting areas, like the yellow key room and the way ff don't work when you first uncover them. Each of the small rooms by themselves in this level are not too bad, but putting them all in the same level and forcing the order they are played in is not fun. Overall, I think this level works as a starting point on what kind of ideas could work and could not work if the concept is explored further.
Serendipity
- Syzygy
Here we have another level that can be played in Lynx but not solved there. The reasons for this are: different boosting on ff, walking through ice corners, turning on a trap, and gliders burning. I think the last half of those could have been done equivalently in Lynx, but the first ones feel unique to MS and were the most interesting to me. Overall the level is a fun mix of dodging and gathering items, and I would gladly play it again.
Skeptic Debunked
- Syzygy
First off, sorry about including this in the wrong place in the initial release of the levels. I was so preoccupied with naming the different versions of the different levels correctly, that this one was not included in the right position in the set. Hopefully not many people missed it just because of this. Anyway, onto the level. I liked it! The time limit is just 100 seconds and this tells me it won't be a long level even if the starting screen looks daunting with ten buttons and precisely positioned other tiles as well. It turns out the time limit is pretty strict, but that is fine in some levels. The main feature that breaks Lynx play is maneuvering a block withing a toggling wall section. This could be annoying, but I enjoyed it (and the optimizer in me smiled at flicking a block off a wall, and grabbing a chip, saving [2] in the route compared to the same room without the toggles). I did have problem with crosschecking, which I feel could be avoided with more careful design. Come to think of it, such a thing is often avoided by using a bit more space and that's what this level could have used. Maybe having just a bit more time and giving the player some more room would make this an even better level, as it would be a bit more elegant and easier to digest. I did also like the glider and trap and block area which but I don't feel I managed to appreciate it fully because my heart was racing and the time was running out. (I guess that's good thing.) Overall, this level was a breath of fresh air between some longer levels that I was playing even though looking at it now in the editor I would like to see some details simplified.
Silhouettes de 101 Apparitions
- Syzygy
Ok, not going to go here. Sorry. Wrong place for this level
Seaweed
- Syzygy
Oh, I hated this level. Sorry. I thought the time limit was too tight. I don't enjoy the boosting. Basically the only thing that makes it not work in Lynx is boosting right after a teleport, which I don't personally enjoy. I don't like that all the chips are required and you can't return to the start. Even the glider part at the end is visually annoying (which could be the intention). Overall, I felt someone else might enjoy this level but it wasn't my cup of tea.
And with that uplifting commentary, we move on in life! I have now given comments on all the levels but haven't ranked them or the participants. I hope to get those results up soon, but have some other things planned here too. Stay tuned! Hope to also see some comments from the rest of you
-Miika
Let's get on with it...Ram It Down
- Cyberdog
In the first part of this level, a ram is supposed to be used to stop a block in place and make it easier to redirect a glider into a bomb. Later, transperancy is used so that a glider may erase walls and bombs that get in the way. I like the puzzle with the ram, though the ice slide does not need to be so long and I could see more possibilities in exploring several rams in a single puzzle. In the second room, I feel it is too much to require so many of the chips; maybe three would be enough. You could also add an invisible wall in the first alcove so that the player realizes there are hidden things under the floor without easily cooking the level. Finally, there should be some way to know that there are bombs in the water in front of the exit. At the very least, there could be an alternate way to reach the exit that would take a lot of time and the player could feel smart for knowing how to erase the bombs if they are familiar with the area. Overall I like the use of space in the level and did enjoy parts of it, but it lacked some refining and consideration for how playing the level for the first time would feel.
MiSery
- geodave
Yay, block pushing tricks that don't work in Lynx! Here we have the first of the levels that are playable in Lynx but not solvable there. I was surprised to find that some participants found such a situation preferable to what I thought would be more natural, which is to include at least one invalid tile (like exit over exit) to communicate that the level is not meant for Lynx. As I didn't make this a requirement, I don't think I will use it as a basis for judging the entries, but it does remind me that many of us have different views and opinions on level design. The parts I like most in this level are knowing when to take the skates and flicking the blocks, so I guess the level manages to fit the requirements well. The ending and toggle mechanism make more sense to me now that I compare it with its counterpart level in Lynx. Overall, I enjoy the length and difficulty of this level and would gladly play it again.
The Power of Slide Delay Compels You!
- Ihavenoname248
This level is golden. There, I said it. The main mechanism is novel, though I did feel like maybe the cloning could be slowed in some other way too. I personally did not enjoy the amount of boosting required in several parts of the level, though I do see that the designer did not require perfection anywhere. Each of the rooms are interesting and the puzzles are very nice. I like that there are two reasons to push the blocks onto the ff in the first small room (both for the slide delay and uncovering chips). The tank room is very good. The transparency one feels a bit tricky, but is constructed in a way that only works in one way. I could have done with one fewer chip to steal from monsters with boosting. I enjoyed little details that couldn't be done in Lynx like having chip on chip at the start. Overall, I like the design of this level and the individual challenges. I find very few things that could be done differently as I am writing this, and I am afraid I am painting myself into a corner when it comes to ranking all the levels. I'm sure I can make up something though, so don't get your hopes up too high, but in any case this is one of the front-runners.
Deprogression
- chipster1059
Looking in the editor, this is perhaps the prettiest level submitted this year. Does the game play live up? At least the concepts are fleshed out nicely, where Chip has to first avoid pressing a tank button, then revealing hidden thin walls under chips, then make his way through some pop-up walls before finding the exit in the center lake. I think the first half of the level is built well, but would have liked to have seen more care taken with the ending. The red keys make no sense to me, except for the visual oddity, but they could have been used as stepping stones instead of the popups. Overall, this is a pleasant and short level that explores some visually cool MS only stuff.
The Bugs Who Couldn't Think for Themselves
- eric119
This level was a blast! Literally. I have not seen any other puzzle that requires a button to be pressed from a certain direction, so this was a great idea, and exactly what I was hoping this competition would produce. The execution is just right as well, with only one way to make the mechanism work with the tools given. My only complaint is that maybe there could have been a bit more to the level. Perhaps the existing puzzle could have been coupled with something similar because you only managed to wet my appetite with this idea and I would gladly have played another variation. Overall, I loved the concept and just seeing this level made this competition memorable for me.
Chips' Challenge
- RB3ProKeys
Ok, so here we have a maze that can confuse you because all the walls are made of Chips. I hold a pretty high standard when it comes to mazes. I think they have a place in CC canon, but for me to really like a maze it has to both be confusing and pleasurable at the same time. A lot of this has to do with the topology of the maze. In this case, there are a good mix of intersections where you can easily avoid going the wrong way and ones where you have to go check just to be sure. Is the maze too long? I think it's fine, even with the backtracking to the start. Would the maze benefit from some additional elements? Maybe, but these should enhance the visual confusion. I might have also included a time limit. The choice not to use one works well for some mazes and can avoid frustration, but including the right time limit can also add to the excitement. Overall, I'm glad this level was not so complicated that I had to try it several times, but I also a maze really has to wow me to be considered a great level.
The Second Most Insane Level In All Of Space!
- RB3ProKeys
I am not a fan of 'insane' levels. And what is the name of this level? At least it is very clear from the start that this level is not for me, thanks. One problem I have with levels that use 'advanced coding' is that it is generally unintuitive, I need an editor to really understand it, and I'm not sure if it is working right in Tile World. I'll save my rant for another day, so here I will judge the areas up to the point where I got stuck (the last room). I enjoyed the bug patterns and didn't actually realize while playing that they started on top of each other. However, having two rooms and so much work in the first one, did get a bit annoying when playing the level over. Maybe having some safe spots (particularly by the block which hides a thin wall) would have helped. My least favorite part is the bombs, just because I think it's a lazy bit of design. You need 13 blocks for that area, which adds nothing to the puzzle compared to a quarter of that amount. A similar thing could be said about the toggle + blocks area, but that was manageable. The pink balls were ok, and I liked how the tiles were buried when going to the trap button. Overall, I liked parts of this level but it did not end up being the best experience due to some details (and not being able to solve it in the end).
Mining
- IceyLava108
Here we have a level that uses hidden items under the floor. This is a valid way to require MS, since the only real way to mimic this behavior in Lynx is to hide items under blocks, which is much clunkier. This level feels much more open than any level could that used blocks. It advances naturally from one room to the next. The rooms aren't too long and contain a few nice corners that need to be checked for items. I do wonder about the chips and the socket here. Do you want the player to get trapped behind the appearing socket if they haven't found all the chips and just run to that corner carelessly? That would just make me feel stupid, when I rather would feel smart. I guess the payoff could be to find all three chips, run into the corner carelessly and feel smart that you can still get out, but not sure how often that happens in comparison. As it is, there is no reason to go into the corner (if you know it's empty) and thus even the chips in the previous rooms are redundant. Overall, I think the level was alright but some design choices have me a bit confused.
Suffocate
- IceyLava108
This level fails to work in Lynx because footwear can't be rehidden under blocks. There is also some puzzling involved here with the order of doing things, and that is nice. Not sure what else to say here really. (Sadly, I never did reach the secret hint.) Overall, a fun short level that on the surface doesn't cry out as something that couldn't be converted to Lynx in some way.
Sand Boxes
- Syzygy
Here we have an attempt at using invalid tiles combinations to hide things. These are hard to do and I don't think this really worked. The problem with the concept is that without looking at a map, every wrong step you make, requires you to restart and with a map the concept is almost pointless. There are ways around this and this level touches on some interesting areas, like the yellow key room and the way ff don't work when you first uncover them. Each of the small rooms by themselves in this level are not too bad, but putting them all in the same level and forcing the order they are played in is not fun. Overall, I think this level works as a starting point on what kind of ideas could work and could not work if the concept is explored further.
Serendipity
- Syzygy
Here we have another level that can be played in Lynx but not solved there. The reasons for this are: different boosting on ff, walking through ice corners, turning on a trap, and gliders burning. I think the last half of those could have been done equivalently in Lynx, but the first ones feel unique to MS and were the most interesting to me. Overall the level is a fun mix of dodging and gathering items, and I would gladly play it again.
Skeptic Debunked
- Syzygy
First off, sorry about including this in the wrong place in the initial release of the levels. I was so preoccupied with naming the different versions of the different levels correctly, that this one was not included in the right position in the set. Hopefully not many people missed it just because of this. Anyway, onto the level. I liked it! The time limit is just 100 seconds and this tells me it won't be a long level even if the starting screen looks daunting with ten buttons and precisely positioned other tiles as well. It turns out the time limit is pretty strict, but that is fine in some levels. The main feature that breaks Lynx play is maneuvering a block withing a toggling wall section. This could be annoying, but I enjoyed it (and the optimizer in me smiled at flicking a block off a wall, and grabbing a chip, saving [2] in the route compared to the same room without the toggles). I did have problem with crosschecking, which I feel could be avoided with more careful design. Come to think of it, such a thing is often avoided by using a bit more space and that's what this level could have used. Maybe having just a bit more time and giving the player some more room would make this an even better level, as it would be a bit more elegant and easier to digest. I did also like the glider and trap and block area which but I don't feel I managed to appreciate it fully because my heart was racing and the time was running out. (I guess that's good thing.) Overall, this level was a breath of fresh air between some longer levels that I was playing even though looking at it now in the editor I would like to see some details simplified.
Silhouettes de 101 Apparitions
- Syzygy
Ok, not going to go here. Sorry. Wrong place for this level
Seaweed
- Syzygy
Oh, I hated this level. Sorry. I thought the time limit was too tight. I don't enjoy the boosting. Basically the only thing that makes it not work in Lynx is boosting right after a teleport, which I don't personally enjoy. I don't like that all the chips are required and you can't return to the start. Even the glider part at the end is visually annoying (which could be the intention). Overall, I felt someone else might enjoy this level but it wasn't my cup of tea.
And with that uplifting commentary, we move on in life! I have now given comments on all the levels but haven't ranked them or the participants. I hope to get those results up soon, but have some other things planned here too. Stay tuned! Hope to also see some comments from the rest of you
-Miika