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Rings and Sticks


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Rating: 4.7/5 (108 votes)
Comments (64) | Views (9,052)

zxoRings and SticksEarning an honorable mention in our 2nd Flash game competition is Rings and Sticks, a captivating and original puzzle game from designer Komix and created expressly for the competition. More so than any other entry in the contest, Rings and Sticks took the Grow theme and made it a fundamental element of the gameplay.

At the beginning of each level, you start off as a tiny little treeling and are offered various ways in which to grow: you can grow straight, grow a narrow fork, grow a wide fork, grow left or grow right. Competition honorable mention awardThe objective is to work your way to each of the shiny golden rings spinning above you, suspended in midair. We looooove shiny things!

It can be tricky because each move must be planned carefully. The method you choose (with the exception of grow left and right) applies to all of your branch ends, and you have to be very wary of what is happening at all parts of the tree. The right move for one branch might send another branch too far past the ring it is supposed to catch. Or worse, into one of the pink sparks, setting the entire tree ablaze!

Analysis: What really pulled me into Rings and Sticks was the way it captured the beauty of fractals in a puzzle game—and actually made it fun! Even in the background, you can see some beautiful examples of the types of dendritic trees you can create. There is a very holistic flow to the game as well. You can't focus too much on any one branch without checking on the others to make sure they are still on track. It would be like a symphony conductor who only cued the tubas and left all the other parts to their own devices.

If you do burn up or fail to get all the rings, don't worry. Trial-and-error is a large part of the game, and you can restart as often as you like. On most of the levels, planning is key; there's usually only one way to solve each level, and order matters. Luckily, each pass only takes a few seconds to do, so you can run a lot of trials in a short amount of time.

dancemonkeyRings and Sticks is an elegant puzzler with a very simple gameplay mechanic I really enjoyed. The sounds were simple but complemented the action well, and I think the lack of music was the right choice. A zen-like game of concentration such as this doesn't need music to distract you. My only real complaint is a bug: if you click too fast while growing a branch it may count against your 'stock' without actually growing. A minor bug that is easily avoided.

JohnBSuch a simple premise executed quite elegantly. Rings and Sticks was one of the first competition entries I played and it stuck as one of the most intriguing. The idea is quite basic, but wrapping your head around the concept takes some time. You have to be able to extrapolate the final position of your branches before you start clicking, which, if you think about it, is quite a feat. Later on some of the levels were were more trial-and-error, and I would have liked to see a touch more strategy rather than guesswork. But the concept is solid and can be adapted to all sorts of games. I hope Komix tries the idea out in a few different genres to see what grows out of it!

JayRings and Sticks is just the kind of game we were hoping to see in the competition: a creative and original puzzle game that was built from the ground up with the competition theme in mind. Komix shows how taking a relatively simple idea can blossom into a unique new game that is fun to play. All it takes is a little inspiration and a deadline. An excellent competition entry, and well worthy of its Honorable Mention distinction.

Play Rings and Sticks

Walkthrough Guide


(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)

All Lvls:

Level 1: 111111111111
Level 2: 211111111111111
Level 3: 31111311111111
Level 4: 113322554444
Level 5: 1311311111313111
Level 6: 2113111113111
Level 7: 13311331111
Level 8: 3311133331131111
Level 9: 3111111111111
Level 10: 131133111111113111
Level 11: 1131111311133331113111131111
Level 12: 3113555143311111
Level 13: 222233333333311
Level 14: 3153511311111
Level 15: 3111111134455311111111
Level 16: 1321553131144431111

64 Comments

Gawd, I love the game :D
The gameplay is so simple, but so addicting... right now I'm stuck around level 7, but I'll suffer from withdrawal symptoms when I'll have finished it.

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Hooray! It begins. Looking forward to the rest. More to the point, this game is brilliant. A simple concept, executed brilliantly and with a great difficulty curve.

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cool game. I'm stuck on 11 though.... Can't wait to see what comes out next.

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Regy Rusty February 25, 2007 3:46 PM

Hooray! The competition entries begin at last. I've been looking forward to this.

So far, this game is extremely challenging, but so addictive that I've sat here for quite some time working at it, and neglecting my homework... At the moment I'm stuck on level 13. Curse you 13! Why must you torment me so?

I really like the way the author worked in the "grow" theme. Sometimes, when a level is becoming particularly frustrating, it can be fun to press the buttons randomly and watch the wild images that form as the branches tangle. Can't wait to see what's next in store!

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level 12 is crazy. any help?
use the numbers 1-5 for boxes 1-5 for solutions.

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Unstoppable1 February 25, 2007 4:03 PM

Yeah I'm totally stuck on Level 7 too. Any help would be appreciated. I LOVE the game! So simple yet so complex. Let's hope this is sign of the quality games we are going to see throughout the competition!

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What a clever idea!

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nice idea!
i like how the few simple buttons can do So many variations--devlish puzzles, lotsa fun--- cant wait to see the rest.
stuck at level seven right now-- cant seem to get the two outer ings without splitting the tree before i snag the inner rings....

thanks Komix!

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Off to a great start. This game really has what Jay was asking for. Cool.

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Level 14 is almost impossible.

Nice idea though, although in implementation, some of the levels that look symmetrical until you'd find that one of your pieces had extended, but the other had barely brushed up against the block that the branch on the other side had missed. Very nice game, though.

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Great game, but I couldn't get past the fourth from last level. This game could be improved with an undo button, but it's still one of the best games I've ever played. I enjoyed it a lot. The grapics were nice, the gameplay was not copycattish, and the overall feel of the game was easy, without being designed for a three-year-old.

Really good game!

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Brilliantly fun! Great job =)

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Arrrgh! I'm stuck on level 11. It's insane...

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Yeesh! Level 15 is HARD!

This is an absolutely delightful game!
A very creative spin on the Grow series.
Well thought out, and with very polished gameplay.

The bar has surely been raised for the next entries!

Reply

Great game, only thing that bothers me is getting used to the left/right branches only.

Also, if you click a left only or right only first nothing happens, and if you click a split in a tight space it just goes straight, which makes some sense i guess, but seems odd.

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i'm stuck on level 15!
can you help me ?
for level 12 :

3-1-1-3-1-1-5-5-3-3-1-1-1-1-1...

:)

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Yay! They're finally coming out with them!

This one is a doozy. I'm stuck at level 6. But it's fun to blow up trees. :o)

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Oooooo! Level 10, this game keeps getting more innovative. This entry is gonna be tough to beat.

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Ugh this game is hard, but fun ^_^ Great job

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this ones a lot of fun! I'm stuck on 7 though. Will come back to it later to give it another shot :)

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Thanks for all the nice reviews :) I am surprised someone got to 15 already. Very well done!

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I'm stuck on level 16...
Can't get the ring on the upper right corner or the one in the middle-left.

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That was more fun than I thought it would be!

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I was up to level 11 or something, but now I have to start over... any way to get back to where I was earlier???

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If anyone is missing any saved games, that's probably because we implemented the script that distributes load to one of 6 different servers. It is likely your saved games can be found by visiting the original link.

Sorry for the inconvenience. I think we finally have things fixed to prevent any further connection issues.

Reply
Robert Bohler February 26, 2007 4:23 AM

Level 14 spoiler:

3-1-1-3-1-1-

-5-3-1-1-1-1

I can't solve the 16th and I can't do the 15th again!

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This is wonderful but I have a few relatively minor implementation comments. Apologies if I missed any facility which is in fact provided and no doubt blindingly obvious :)

* I can't see the level number displayed anywhere (have I missed it?). That would be very useful to note your progress and to easily refer to levels when discussing the game.

* A facility to save your progress would be much appreciated.

* Would a one step undo be useful? Or would that make the game too easy? Part of the challenge is remembering the sequence you're testing. Anyway, you can always make a note using pencil and paper on the more difficult levels.

John

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An undo feature would be good, but there's not so many steps anyway and I usually write them down on the difficult levels. I had to use the spoilers for level 14 (at least the first part), now I'll take a break and see the other entries.

Reply
-Se®pent- February 26, 2007 8:59 AM

Here is level 15 spoiler

3-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3-1-1-3-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

I'm horribly stuck on level 16, anyone can post some hints?

Reply

eventually found 16 ...

1-4-2-1-5...
Next steps later

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Username! good job

rember there can be a diference if there is 1 dn 4 or 5 in a row the order you use them also matters

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Wow, loved it, and this was just the first entry? Then there's a Gateway sequel?! OMG OMG OMG!

Sorry, but seriously, the quality of games is already amazing.

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this is the solution to level 16; I split it up, in case someone just wants a hint.

1-3-2-1-5

5-3-1-3-1

1-4-4-4-3

..and the rest is easy :)

Reply

Oh my 16 was a doozy, took me well over 45mins to get it alone. Nice one Komix.

Level 16

1,3,2,1,5,5,3,1,3,1,4,4,1,4,3,1,1,1,1

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Thank you, janne! Your trial and error beats mine, or whatever method you used.

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I can't get in any of the games >.< tried Gateway II, no dice. tried this, It just won't load the page. refreshed it over 20 times now... I presume its something to do with how many people are loading the page to get on the games? But I wanna go

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oooookay, what I just posted was like 5 times longer... and its just not showing anything past my first dot.

anyway, I was saying about I can't get in any of the competition games, and I presume its something to do with how many people are loading the page? I can't even get into the main competition title thing. anyone having this problem?

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If you're having trouble accessing the competition games, try this link: https://jayisgames.com/cgdc2

We are at the peak period of the day, and traffic is very high right now.

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What a coincidence. I just went back and beat triachnid yesterday...

Great idea for a game.

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Challenging, and yes, addictive. Incorporates the grow element nicely, both in the tree, which is growing, and the levels, which grow to be frustratingly hard. Each level is short enough that restarting does not set you back large amounts of work, and the game is fun too. A nice start to the competition.

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can someone please post a spoiler to 11!!! :)

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can someone post the spoiler for level 7

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Orange Tree February 28, 2007 2:33 PM

Number 7

3,3,3,1,1,3,1,1,1,1,1,1....

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I feel so stupid, I'm stuck on level 3...

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Please help, I have no idea how to tell what level I'm on but I can tell you that I'm well and truly stuck.I'm on the level with a seed, 5 explosive spots and 7 rings, with one ring directly above the start with an explosive spot in the way.It's driving me insane! Help!!

Reply

Here is a spoiler for level 11:

1,1,3,1,3,1,1,1,1,3,1,1,3,3,1,1,1,3,1,1,3,3,3,3,1,1

Can anyone post a spoiler of level 13 plz?

Reply
Johnnypark March 1, 2007 9:50 PM

How about a spoiler for 8? Or a whole walkthrough?

Reply

Lvl-1

1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1

Lvl-2

2.1.1.1.1.1.1

Lvl-3

3.1.1.1.1.3.1.1.1

Lvl-4

1.1.3.3.5.5.4.4.4.4.1.1

Lvl-5

1.1.3.3.1.1.1.1.1.1.3.3.1.1.1.1.1

Reply

Lvl-6

2.1.1.3.1.1.1.1.1.3.1.1.1

Lvl-7

3.3.3.1.1.3.1.1.1.1.1.1

Lvl-8

3.3.1.1.3.3.3.3.1.3.1.1.1.1

Lvl-9

3.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1

Lvl-10

1.3.1.1.3.3.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.3.1.1.1

Reply

i will post more tomorrow just wait

Reply

All Lvls:

Level 1: 111111111111
Level 2: 211111111111111
Level 3: 31111311111111
Level 4: 113322554444
Level 5: 1311311111313111
Level 6: 2113111113111
Level 7: 13311331111
Level 8: 3311133331131111
Level 9: 3111111111111
Level 10: 131133111111113111
Level 11: 1131111311133331113111131111
Level 12: 3113555143311111
Level 13: 222233333333311
Level 14: 3153511311111
Level 15: 3111111134455311111111
Level 16: 1321553131144431111

Reply

There is a bug in this game; level 16 is unsolvable if you have the quality turned down to LOW. You can't make it past the 7th step.

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Finally went back and played this. Really well done! Level 16 was killer was very satisfying to solve. It's a toss-up for me whether this or Sprout is my favorite of the games so far.

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Eiopqrtuwy March 8, 2007 7:48 PM

Gah so close on 16 and yet nowhere near an actual solution
Not really a

1-3-4-4-4-2-
1-1-1-3-1-3-
5-1-3-1-1-1-

try it out and feel my pain.

Reply
ManlyMan March 9, 2007 6:34 PM

Hey, Da Men, thanks a lot for the solvers. My friend was having so much trouble with some of the levels, and I want to make him angry by telling him how easy it was. I actually got further than he did without lookin it up, but I dont want to actually spend a lot of time playing a flash game on the computer. I have better things to do, like watch television...Anyway, I think his reaction will be funny when i show him the screenshot of all the levels unlocked. Thanks a lot!

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waah! i cant get through level 16!

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A serious game development is expensive.
1000 $ for a lot of game with their own brand inside, nice job !

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Level 16 is not very easy. So if you're stuck on it:

1-3-2-1-5
5-3-1-3-1
1-4-4-4-3-and the rest is easy(11...)

Reply
Never_lasting7 May 8, 2007 4:59 AM

great game. i dont want to use spoilers, but i cant do level 15. just a hint anyone?

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how do you use the spoilers? what do the numbers mean?...i got to level 13 by my self and i cant beat it...how do you use the spoilers?

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anyone spoliers for 15 that work!

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All Lvls:

Level 1: 111111111111
Level 2: 211111111111111
Level 3: 31111311111111
Level 4: 113322554444
Level 5: 1311311111313111
Level 6: 2113111113111
Level 7: 13311331111
Level 8: 3311133331131111
Level 9: 3111111111111
Level 10: 131133111111113111
Level 11: 1131111311133331113111131111
Level 12: 3113555143311111
Level 13: 222233333333311
Level 14: 3153511311111
Level 15: 3111111134455311111111
Level 16: 1321553131144431111

Reply

lvl 13 code is 2222333333333111

Reply

pretty good puzzle game,, but
the sound effect was quite annoying :( the sound of a growling alien ...

Reply

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