Turning Tables

A puzzle game where you can only rotate the entire puzzle, but gravity is always down. As such, you must pick a new rotation each time that makes the right blocks fall out, and the right blocks stay inside.

Map

An AxB square in the center of the screen. Each square can contain something and have walls.

Theme

Thematically, the square represents a cloud (or “atmosphere”).

The idea is to teach the player about how water management works in clouds.

Input

Tap + drag/slide to rotate the whole square. When released, it snaps to a straight angle. You can’t “not turn”: rotation must be different on subsequent turns.

Gameplay

After each action, stuff falls down (if nothing blocks it). It evaluates each square once from top to bottom, in a fixed and predictable order.

The square can be rotated orthogonally (perfectly horizontal/vertical) or diagonally.

Orthogonal

Orthogonal: simple, as you’d expect.

Diagonal

Diagonal: stuff still falls straight down, which is a diagonal movement in the grid.

To stop it completely, both downward directions must be blocked.
If one direction is open, it will go sideways into that direction.

Objective

“Release” the right things from the cloud, and keep the others inside. (For example, release raindrops and CO2.)

For this, I need a simple, unified objective. (Which stays the same from level 5 onward.)

Perhaps add a “water counter” in the UI.
And then something like: “after X turns, the water counter must be exactly Y” (or not higher/lower than Y)
Thematic explanation: no rain is bad, as nature needs water to survive. Too much rain is also bad, as rivers will overflow

Later on, as we add CO2 and other stuff, several extra counters appear (for temperature and stuff). Although most things will be handled in-game with the special tiles.

UI

Obviously show the square
Show each rounded direction.
- Highlight when it would snap to that.
- Also display queued blocks (that will be re-introduced in the game) here?
Show water counter.
TO DO: Show where evaluation will start*.*** (Even if I make it consistent left->right, this should be useful.)
TO DO: All the icons should be radially symmetric. (So they look identical from each direction. Probably means they become quite abstract …)

Special Blocks

Walls

Here’s a list of ideas for walls. (0 = no wall)

Regular
Only block you when going orthogonal
Only block you when going diagonal
“Open” after you’ve bumped into them
=> opened 4-type
“Close” after one block has passed through
=> closed 6-type

Maybes / Specials

“Maybe” ideas:

(TO DO) Trampoline => reverse travel direction from now on (might be HARD to implement well)
(TO DO) Block disappears => it’s just “sucked up” by the wall?
(TO DO) Teleports? => Nah, probably don’t work. How do you choose where to teleport and in which direction???

Blocks

Here’s a list of ideas for blocks. (0 = no block)

Raindrops. (Make X raindrops leave to win the game.)
OnlyOrthogonal = only falls orthogonally
OnlyDiagonal = only falls diagonally
StayInside = cannot go out of bounds. (They just stop at the edge, clogging everything.)
DieOutside = make you lose immediately when it goes out of bounds.
?? = only moves 1 step, whatever else happens. (Or X steps, give it a random number?)
?? = will (not) move if type A is next to it. (Only orthogonal? Or count how many are next to it?)
?? = will (not) move if type A is above it. (In a sense, it is pressing down on it.)
?? = has opposite gravity (simply always moves up; might be fitting for the gasses)

Tutorial

World 1

Level 1: This is a cloud. Try rotating it with your finger/mouse! (Any rotation will make the raindrop fall down.)

IDEA: Can this be put into wordless icons? Or an animation with a finger swiping across the screen?
Super simple 2x2 square.
Only orthogonal directions

Level 2: After each rotation, everything falls down, unless blocked by a wall.

(Temporary) Objective: make all the raindrops fall out of the square.
Super simple 2x2 square.
Only walls, no other interacting elements yet.

Level 3: Guess what? Raindrops can also block each other!

IDEA: Show a “Blocked!” feedback message when a cell is blocked during evaluation.
Still simple 2x2, now multiple elements and walls
Solution requires several rotations

Level 4: From now on, you get a number of turns in which you need to solve the puzzle. (No solution exists with fewer turns than that.)

Level 5: See that number in the top left? From now on, your objective is to make exactly that many raindrops fall down. (It changes each puzzle.)

Level 6—Level 10: ramp up size and difficulty slowly. Still only orthogonal directions and raindrops + walls.

World 2

Level 1: From now on, you can also rotate diagonally. Still, everything falls straight down.

Simple square to explain it, no walls yet.
You are blocked by items straight below you

Level 2: To block diagonal movement, at least one of its two downward walls must be present.

Level 3: Special block!

If the square below it is blocked (either by another block or two walls), it will try to move to the side of it.
It tries left first, then right.

Level 4—20: introduce many special blocks, ramp up size and difficulty

World 3

Level 1: Introduces the re-introducement queue! (And perhaps growing squares.)

Any time you make something fall down; it is added to the queue.
After each turn, it checks if there is space (at that location), then it adds the square back into the level.
When this happens, the water counter goes down again?

IDEA/PROBLEM: Or only allow them to be added from the top? This keeps step with the everything falls down theme, should be easier to code and to see as a player. (But doesn’t have as many options.)

World 4

More stuff to keep track of, like CO2?

Notes

Better names:

“A Cloudy Day”
“Trapped in a Cloud”
“Rain Rotations”
“Rotating in the Rain”
“Cloudy Combinations”

A puzzle game where you can only **rotate the entire puzzle**, but **gravity is always down**. As such, you must pick a new rotation each time that makes the right blocks fall out, and the right blocks stay inside. ## Map An AxB square in the center of the screen. Each square can contain something and have walls. ## Theme Thematically, the square represents a **cloud** (or "atmosphere"). > The idea is to *teach* the player about how water management works in clouds. ## Input Tap + drag/slide to *rotate* the whole square. When released, it snaps to a straight angle. You can't "not turn": rotation must be different on subsequent turns. ## Gameplay After each action, stuff *falls down* (if nothing blocks it). It evaluates each square *once* from top to bottom, in a fixed and predictable order. The square can be rotated orthogonally (perfectly horizontal/vertical) or diagonally. ### Orthogonal **Orthogonal:** simple, as you'd expect. ### Diagonal **Diagonal:** stuff still falls straight down, which is a *diagonal* movement in the grid. - To stop it completely, _both_ downward directions must be blocked. - If one direction is open, it will go sideways into that direction. ## Objective "Release" the right things from the cloud, and keep the others inside. (For example, release raindrops and CO2.) For this, I need a **simple, unified objective**. (Which stays the same from level 5 onward.) - Perhaps add a "water counter" in the UI. - And then something like: **"after X turns, the water counter must be exactly Y"** (or not higher/lower than Y) - Thematic explanation: *no rain* is bad, as nature needs water to survive. *Too much rain* is also bad, as rivers will overflow Later on, as we add **CO2** and other stuff, several extra **counters** appear (for temperature and stuff). Although most things will be handled in-game with the special tiles. ## UI - Obviously show the square - Show each rounded direction. - Highlight when it would snap to that. - *Also* display queued blocks (that will be re-introduced in the game) here? - Show *water counter*. - **TO DO:** Show *where evaluation will start**.*** (Even if I make it consistent left-\>right, this should be useful.) - **TO DO:** All the **icons should be radially symmetric**. (So they look identical from each direction. Probably means they become quite abstract ...) ## Special Blocks ### Walls Here's a list of ideas for **walls.** (0 = no wall) 1. Regular 2. Only block you when going orthogonal 3. Only block you when going diagonal 4. "Open" *after* you've bumped into them 5. => opened 4-type 6. "Close" *after* one block has passed through 7. => closed 6-type ### Maybes / Specials "Maybe" ideas: 1. (TO DO) Trampoline => reverse travel direction from now on (might be HARD to implement well) 2. (TO DO) Block disappears => it's just "sucked up" by the wall? 3. (TO DO) Teleports? => Nah, probably don't work. How do you choose where to teleport and in which direction??? ### Blocks Here's a list of ideas for **blocks**. (0 = no block) 1. *Raindrops*. (Make X raindrops leave to win the game.) 2. *OnlyOrthogonal* = only falls orthogonally 3. *OnlyDiagonal* = only falls diagonally 4. *StayInside =* **cannot** go out of bounds. (They just stop at the edge, clogging everything.) 5. *DieOutside =* make you **lose immediately** when it goes out of bounds. 6. *??* = only moves 1 step, whatever else happens. (Or X steps, give it a random number?) 7. *??* = will (not) move if type A is next to it. (Only orthogonal? Or count how *many* are next to it?) 8. *??* = will (not) move if type A is *above* it. (In a sense, it is *pressing down* on it.) 9. *??* = has *opposite* gravity (simply always moves *up;* might be fitting for the gasses) ## Tutorial ### World 1 **Level 1:** This is a cloud. Try rotating it with your finger/mouse! (**Any rotation will make the raindrop fall down**.) - **IDEA:** Can this be put into wordless icons? Or an animation with a finger swiping across the screen? - Super simple 2x2 square. - Only orthogonal directions **Level 2:** After each rotation, everything *falls down*, unless blocked by a *wall*. - **(Temporary) Objective:** make all the raindrops fall *out* of the square. - Super simple 2x2 square. - Only walls, no other interacting elements yet. **Level 3:** Guess what? Raindrops can also *block each other!* - **IDEA:** Show a "Blocked!" feedback message when a cell is blocked during evaluation. - Still simple 2x2, now multiple elements and walls - Solution requires several rotations **Level 4:** From now on, you get a *number of turns* in which you need to solve the puzzle. (No solution exists with *fewer* turns than that.) **Level 5:** See that number in the top left? From now on, your objective is to make **exactly** that many raindrops fall down. (It changes each puzzle.) **Level 6---Level 10:** ramp up size and difficulty slowly. Still only *orthogonal directions* and *raindrops + walls*. ### World 2 **Level 1:** From now on, you can also **rotate diagonally**. Still, everything falls straight down. - Simple square to explain it, no walls yet. - You are *blocked* by items straight below you **Level 2:** To block diagonal movement, at least one of its **two downward walls** must be present. **Level 3:** Special block! - If the square below it is blocked (either by another block or two walls), it will try to move to the side of it. - It tries left first, then right. **Level 4---20:** introduce many special blocks, ramp up size and difficulty ### World 3 **Level 1:** Introduces the **re-introducement queue!** (And perhaps **growing squares**.) - Any time you make something fall down; it is added to the **queue**. - After each turn, it checks if there is *space* (at that location), then it *adds the square back into the level*. - When this happens, the water counter goes *down* again? **IDEA/PROBLEM:** Or only allow them to be added from the top? This keeps step with the *everything falls down* theme, should be easier to code and to see as a player. (But doesn't have as many options.) ### World 4 More stuff to keep track of, like CO2? ## Notes Better names: - "A Cloudy Day" - "Trapped in a Cloud" - "Rain Rotations" - "Rotating in the Rain" - "Cloudy Combinations"