For a thousand years, the prairies of Siberia were plagued with saltacoles, the rarest species of mollusk. But now, only a single male remains and it is trying like a crazy person to reproduce. Fortunately, he learns there is a female that exists, and sets out on a journey through 5 terrible caves to be with his love and save the species.
That is the odd and poorly translated story of Saltacol, a beautiful and original Flash game by Voet Cranf.
You are a snail in this story of saving your species, and you must make your way from entrance to exit in each of the 5 cave levels of the game. At the start of each level you drop into the cave from a hole, and you must find your way to the other hole that looks just like it. Problem is, it is initially closed, so you must first find the little switch that opens the exit hatch. Still with me?
(1) Find the switch, (2) trip the switch, (3) get to the exit.
Your only means of movement is by jumping, swimming or rolling. Using the mouse, point to the snail, then click and drag the mouse in the same direction you want to jump, swim or roll. The farther you drag the farther the snail will travel. Let go. Repeat.
Hint: if you hold the mouse button down for a couple of seconds, you will see the path of an arc drawn that the snail will take when you release the mouse button. This helps considerably when judging where and how far to drag the mouse.
Falling doesn't kill you, but enemies will. Fortunately, you are given infinite lives with which to complete the game. Also, at the end of every cave you will receive a password ('el código de la siguiente fase es...'). It will let you go directly to that cave in future sessions.
The enemies are nasty. There are white anemone-like things that will make you start the level over if you even touch them. And you will touch them, a lot. Yet persevere and be rewarded with a remarkable and wonderful Flash game experience.
Wow!! excellent game! Thank you for bringing to my attention. The solution to third stage was brilliant, giggle
I find myself coming back to this game time and time again. The level design is truly brilliant, and the game is a joy to play. =)
Hey! thanks for the review!
I cannot get past the censord-ing 2nd level censord!
Finished it! Many hours well spent. Delightful game, my favorite of the ones that I have found on here so far. The frustrations didn't outweigh the playability.
im at lvl 1 and can not get passed that wig waggy kinda place.
plz hlp me.
greatly appreciated
nabia
I like the minimal art. A one legged snail?..lol
I did not finish the game, difficulty getting over a few humps.
i have been able to play this game maybe twice. it's pretty, with creative gameplay and a pleasantly simple concept- but the sound it makes when the critter gets stuck on the crystals is so squick-inducing that my hand clicks the window closed before my brain has a chance to just turn the sound off.
I'm not good with these reflex-timing games!
By the way, I love the new layout!!
I'm really sorry Jay, but this game really wasn't made for me! I'm SO sorry! But what I do like is the new style is very cool! Do you seem to come up with a new one every holiday? Maybe pink for Valitine's day?
It's ok, Sonic, there are all types of games for all types of people. I really don't expect that you will love everything I recommend.
And thanks about the new style. I do try to keep things fresh around here, though not necessarily always coinciding with a holiday. Think seasonal, and that will be closer to what I think about when coming up with something new.
Cheers!
ARG!! this game is frustrating!!...this may sound stupid but....I CANT GET PAST LVL 1!!
Huggy - there are only 5 levels to this game, therefore it is not a game in which the player just breezes through each level.
In fact, the slower you take each move, the more likely you are to finish.
The levels are all very cleverly designed. It requires careful planning if you are to succeed. =)
no wonder those creatures are facing extinction. cant stop playing though =D
So, I have come back to this game and I see noone has ever posted about how to get past the squiggly place on the first level. I was enjoying this game til I got there. Anyone still looking in here that can help?
Hi Squeedo, I see all the comments posted, so yes, I still look in here. =)
And it's been a while since I played this game, so I don't remember the exact strategy.
What I do remember is that sometimes you have to think 'out-of-the-box' with which way to go.
I'll see if I can give a better hint after I play through it again. I love this game! =)
Ok, back again. ;)
When you refer to the "squiggly place" are you referring to the S-curve shaped area of the first level near the closed exit hatch?
If so,
the level is designed so that you must come DOWN through that section
Thanks Jay!Duh!
I should have seen that.
Anyways.... got to the third level... that was enough for me... not my kinda game.
BTW excellent site! I stop here everyday and peek. My fave is still Nanaca Crash. Dunno why but I need to play that at least once a day.Is there a ver 1.08? I can't read Japanese but, by the looks of the wording it appears that's what it's saying at the top of the game page. I tried to google it to give you a link, but didn't get so far.
Anyways,thanks for the site and all the work that you do and Happy Gaming for many years to come!
Squeedo
Thanks, Squeedo. As far as Nanaca Crash is concerned, 1.07 is the most recent version, though 1.08 appears to be in the works.
i cant get past the 2nd level!
Phew! Finally beat the second level. The password is below.
neleb22767
Superb game! the physics have been worked out well and it is fiendishly addictive.
Stuck on level 3 though; just can't work out where to go after I reach the top of the one stack (spring on the right & a slope & lots of crustals to the left)
Ok, I figured out how to get to the exit, but where the hell is the switch?
Excellent game! Thank god there is no lives/health
Nope - still can't find the switch on the 3rd level...
I'm with Spikeyboy . . . I can find my way to the exit on level 3, finally, but have no flippin' idea where the switch is.
Anybody got any hints they wanna sling my way?
Thanks!
Ok, the 3rd one is easy to get to... but perhaps not in the most obvious of places. Here is a hint
Thanks, Jay. Brilliant location (and brilliant hint, by the way).
Yep - cheers fer that, mate.
Is it me, though, or did anyone else find level two easy to understand, but a bit of a git to avoid dying?
Yes, Spikeyboy, I had the exact same experience with level 2. It took me all of about 5 minutes to find everything, but probably 30-40 attempts to finally succeed.
That was one password I put in a safe place. I'd rather take a beating than have to go back to that level.
Also, what did you think of level 5? If not for blind luck, I'd probably still be trying to:
trip the lever, and then fall past that laser zapper without getting zapped. Didn't look to me like there was an easy way to trip the lever without plummeting all the way back down to the bottom.
All in all, I love this game . . . and wish Voet Cranf would come out with either more levels, or more games.
And thank, Jay, for your site, and for posting this game in particular.
You are most certainly welcome, Charles, and it warms my heart to see Saltacol get some much deserved praise and attention. It is still one of my all-time favorite games on this site, and I do hope Voet Cranf decides to make more for us to play. =)
Just like a few other players, I can't pass through level one either! Though I'm getting frustrated with it, but I think this game is cute, especially the bouncy creature!!!
Oh I see....I got it! Some kind of numbers appearing, is that my scores? anyway, I'm in level two right now.
Just a small transcript of me talking to the snail while playing.
"And then we'll just... NONONONonono.. don't go there! I need some walls, couldn't this game have a walls option? Omigod omigod we're alive we're alive... 'kay breath... jump... and going... CRAP! crap! We're maybe alive... maybe... nope. dead. *inarticulate groan*"
My only issue was how long it took for the snail to come back to a stable position sometimes, other than that simple but challenging play.
HELP ME!!! I cannot get past level two!!!
I am seriously going to die.
Thank you for posting this wonderfully frustrating game, Jay!!!
OMG, Veggie! You're playing one of my favorite games of all time! :D
The nice thing about Saltacol is that even if you die, you get to try again. So keep trying, you will find a way!
But if you don't, let me know where you're stuck and I'll help you out, ANYTHING for an excuse to play this one again. ;)
Wow, this must be a love it or hate it game, because most the commenter seem to love it while I hate it. I must be missing something... I'm only on level two, and it seems like I have to just fling myself into parts of the map offscreen, and hope I'm lucky enough to land more or less where I'm aiming for. Even if I do, the springs tend to throw me at least out of position, if not into a instant-death enemy. With enough tries, I could finish the level, but as it would just be a lucky go I can't say I'd garner much satisfaction from it...
_Am_ I missing something? A way to control your snail in mid-air? I way to zoom out and actually _see_ where you're trying to land? Anything?
Nope, you're not missing anything. Perhaps the game is just not your cup of tea?
I particularly enjoyed the constraints of being unable to see the entire board and being unable to control the snail mid-flight. It puts the emphasis on careful planning and discovery, which I find to be a plus.
*shrugs*
My o my o my o my! What a fabulous game this is! Never thought frustration could make me so euphoricly persistent. Never thought I'd come to feel so deeply for a single legged mollusc too... ; )
Just to be on the safe side I'll make the next remark a
Thanks for the hint on the whereabouts of the lever in level three though - without it I would probably still be trying to get higher and higher.
Really, a wonderfull game. Tought me two lessons: springs not exclusively in the air, and home is where the heart is indeed!
thanks, for whoever sent the spoiler for level 3, I was stuck on it forever and had given up on it. Now I am finished with all 5 and waiting for the next round. Hol
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