Fantastic Contraption - Fun Online Game & Shareable Creations

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the online game "Fantastic Contraption," where players create devices to move objects from one area to another. Participants share their experiences, strategies, and specific designs they have created within the game, exploring various challenges and solutions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants share links to their contraptions, highlighting different approaches to solving the game's challenges.
  • There are discussions about the complexity of certain levels, with some players expressing frustration and others sharing successful designs.
  • Participants mention similar games and compare their experiences, suggesting that the mechanics may vary across different platforms.
  • Some players explore the concept of dynamic versus static equilibrium in their designs, discussing the implications of each in gameplay.
  • There are observations about the unpredictability of physics in the game, with some participants noting unexpected outcomes from their designs.
  • Several players express enjoyment in the creative aspect of building contraptions, emphasizing the fun of trial and error.
  • Some participants reflect on the elegance of other players' designs, contrasting them with their own approaches.
  • There are mentions of specific design strategies, such as connecting parts in stages rather than all at once.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share a common enjoyment of the game, but there are multiple competing views on the best strategies and design approaches. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the most effective methods for solving specific challenges.

Contextual Notes

Some designs and strategies mentioned may depend on individual player experiences and interpretations of the game's physics, leading to varied outcomes that are not universally applicable.

Who May Find This Useful

Players interested in creative problem-solving, game design enthusiasts, and those exploring physics concepts through interactive media may find this discussion engaging.

Janus
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I found a fun little internet game called "Fantastic Contraption".

The goal is to get one or more objects from one area of the playing area to another by a contraption that you make from selected components.

A simple example:

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=535704
(hit Play, then continue and then start.

The object here is to get both of the small objects in the goal area at the same time.

You are limited to building you contraption in the gray construction area.

The challenges get harder as you go up the levels.

If you register, you can save your contraption and will get a link that you can share with others.

Here's a couple of examples of contraptions I've created:

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=542147

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=550685

Have some fun, and share your creations.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
There's similar one on miniclip.

I loved both!
 
Andre said:
My first attempt (without checking others)

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=602920
Wow! That's an incredibly complicated solution. Isn't it easier to just build a long cart that will span the gap.

Has anyone played: The Incredible Machine?
 
Here's one another similar game

http://www.miniclip.com/games/magic-pen/en/

I stumbled upon it but realizing that I am wasting tons of time on Stumble and this, I deleted it from bookmarks :(
 
  • #10
Well, there's two hours of sleeptime I'll never get back...
 
  • #11
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #13
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #14
  • #19
But dynamic equilibrium is more fun than static equilibrium!
 
  • #20
Agreed, I'll try and work on a dynamic equilibrium with the erratic triangular ball kicker.
 
  • #21
I made this guy, who climbs stairs OK, but really has a hard time against rolling on balls. I like how it's almost there, then close to die, then gets back up, and falls again, and finally makes it. This is a whole story :smile:

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=667894
 
  • #22
He didn't make it when I just played it. He fell off into the eternal abyss.

Edit: But he makes it if you remove wheels #2 and #5.
 
  • #24
Gokul43201 said:
He didn't make it when I just played it. He fell off into the eternal abyss.
Now that's really strange ! That means, each player might have his/her own initial random seed !?
Edit: But he makes it if you remove wheels #2 and #5.
I have lost quite some time trying to make silly design work by tuning them. Usually, I try a bunch of different designs, some of them work quite easily, other don't, but I really like to try to fix those who don't. For a physicist, it seems that fine tuned structure is really ugly. I love the "story aspect".

One can prevent the fall into abyss by adding some other structure, like in
http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=667894

Example of design which I lost quite some time on :
http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=670942
Obviously, this is the wrong approach. But I just like it :redface:
 
  • #27
NeoDevin said:
I chose to race the big ball in that one.
That's also the first solution I managed to make work.
 
  • #29
Wow, I just accidently clicked on the "other players designs" link. I thought you had to pay for that option. Some of these solutions are so elegant. Completely different than anything I could have ever come up with.
 

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