Category: Contraption

Missile Madness by Tobvet

1pt11ds | “Missile Madness” by Tobvet | Beginner-Friendly, Contraption, Boss

This is a great example of level design. There is a nice use of varied tiles, backdrop and asymmetry to make it feel like a lived space. Gems and layout are used to guide the player to the first challenge in such a way that it become quickly apparent what needs to be done. The level has multiple varied challenges, but the use of checkpoints keeps it from becoming overwhelming.

In particular I enjoyed how the missiles have the frenemy relationship with you. You need them to progress through the level, but the wrong angle and they will kill you. I found it to be an enjoyable challenge and something silly about trying to guide this huge missile through a tiny cavern. Really well done, Popdonk recommends!

Welcome 2 Ping Bump, Friend! by Egomouse

kss6p3c | “Welcome 2 Ping Bump, Friend!” by Egomouse | Casual, Blasters, Contraption

This level is pure chaos. You have a certain degree of control but you also have a ton of bumpers and blasters, in a level littered with jems. But what do you expect when you are trying to take the crown from KING PING BUMP.

Drawing by egomouse

This definitely feels a lot more like old style pinball games where you have some control, but you totally could get hosed as well. And just like a pinball game you have a limited set of lives. It’s really cool how the creator implemented this. And when you get too close to losing a life at the bottom, you hear explosions that add tension to the game.

It definitely fits the theme well and makes great use of sound effects and music boxes.

I only have two minor recommendations, if you can even call them that. First, it might have been nice to have a couple of player controlled blasters, to give the player a moment to catch their breathe, and a slightly expanded sense of control and agency. But honestly, that’s mostly personal preference.

Secondly, it can be a little bit difficult to see what’s going initially because the level is so littered in jems. I wonder if hiding the jems until the player leaves the starting room might have made it easier to get one’s bearings. Again, more a matter of personal preference.

This level gets the Popdonk Recommends badge for sheer effort.

Dune Factory Blopfush Crush! by ZLDFN101

tw0964s | “Dune Factory Blopfush Crush!” by ZLDFN101 | Beginner-Friendly, Contraption, Clever

Great use of the design pattern of gating the player with a simple task and then escalating. In this level we learn that doors function as DEATH MACHINES. I love it when creators take a clever approach to game mechanics like this. Great use of blopfish on paths to make it challenging because of the varied pace and direction. Good use of terrain and backdrop aesthetically.

Two small recommendations: one the big vacrat got a bit tedious, because the first door would push him back sometimes. Additionally, to open the last ballogs for him also opened his way back. So it took me a number of tried to get him killed.

The other recommendation, and this just personal choice, is it would have been really funny if in the last section the tables were turned and YOU the player had to make your way through timed doors of death. Just some food for thought. Overall, a great design.