StarShine
Ricochet shooting stars across the sky to light the heavens and unlock levels in this dazzling new action puzzler by Hero Interactive. Starshine is a game of rays and angles in which the objective is to light all of the stars to advance to the next level. You have but a single shooting star in your arsenal to fire from anywhere along the outer edge of the circular field of play. The path your shooting star will take depends on the type of stars it comes in contact with.
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Yes, unfortunately, trial and error is the best way to go.
The little arrow(s) is too unprecise, and when different stars get introduced and the number ricochets rises a bit, it's just too hard to work out the solution in your head. It's like playing those laser-mirror games, but without ever being able to see the path of the laser.
I like the relaxing feel of the game, although it seems the author did take his cues of Orisinal. Unfortunately, sound and relaying atmosphere are probably the only redeeming aspects of an otherwise not really too enjoyable puzzle game.
wow, love it, this is one of those relaxing games that can put you to sleep in when you have to be doing homework at 2 in the morning... yawn...
I absolutely love the music, its just enough repitition that you can put it out of mind and focus on the game, but it fits, and is so beautiful that you can enjoy it one note at a time
Author's Comments
Although trial and error is part of the game, clicking and shooting randomly at each star one by one is NOT the way to get far in the game. The arrows are there to remind you what each type of star does, that's all. In later levels, it's up to you to remember.
For some puzzle solving tips, read below:
Alright, although this is in no way the complete end-all strategy guide, hopefully it'll help you. This is my strategy I use to solve puzzles.
Look for patterns! The easiest are the blue stars, because you know that whatever angle you hit them, 2 mini stars will shoot out the sides perpendicularly. So if you see lots of blue stars making right angles with each other, such as boxes, or L's. That's a good pattern that you've found something.
Second easiest thing is the purple stars, because they only shoot to the left 45 degrees. That means that if you see a blue that shoots perpendicular and a purple aiming towards that, the purple can only be hit from one direction to make it hit it's target. This is a good place to start backtracking. Where does the purple star have to be hit from to hit it's target? You trace it back and you'll find another star sure enough. Where does that have to get hit to hit the purple star? Trace back till you can't, then give it a shot.
In my opinion, back tracking is the secret. I find stars that I know are targeting each other, and try to find the stars that are needed to hit them to set them off, and then work my way back to the first star.
Sometimes you have to shoot across from the other side of the circle. Especially consider shooting across the circle if you see red stars, because they only shoot backwards in a V.
I hope that helps a little. All of the puzzles have solutions that can be worked through logically! I promise!
I agree about the little arrow. A line that extended from the arrow to show exactly where the star would go would be nice.
And I very quickly found myself guessing, which doesn't make for a very rewarding game. I keep telling myself that I should like this game, but I'm having a hard time getting excited about it.
It's an interesting enough game, but that "Retry" dialogue box gets me every time. It's not immediately apparent to my walnut-sized brain that "Retry" is a button, since it's large and up at the top with the "Whoops" text, and I always quickly click on the first option under it, out of habit, which happens to take me back to the Main Menu.
For a game like this, which in most cases will require many, many tries for a single level, it seems like it would be good practice to put a "Menu" button down in the corner, retry automatically whenever the player misses, and dispense with that box altogether.
Ditto on retry needing to be automatic. It's harder to adjust trajectory having to go back to click "Retry" every time, even with the dotted outline. It doesn't help anything either that the initial arrows from the first star in the path don't seem to be quite right, as when it seems one is lined up perfectly with a second star, it won't hit.
The graphics and idea are nice (although I'm at work and don't have sound on, so I can't judge that), but it really seems like a timesink. Not so rewarding to get a solution because it seems to be mostly trial and error... I keep finding myself trying to hit all the stars at one point or another from both the closer and further points of the circle.
Ugh, this got frustrating fast. And not Ball Revamped frustrating... more like needle-in-a-haystack frustrating. More visual cues would have helped. I also think that dividing the perimeter into, say a hundred discrete launching points would be beneficial. That way, if you thought you saw the right solution, you could test it right away instead of having to fiddle around with minute differences.
Yes, this seems like a very good game, but I think the recommendations above would make it a great game!
Give me a pointer to show me exactly which direction I'm firing -- small increments of change make a big difference here!
Please don't make me go through an extra click every time I "fail" the level. I anticipate some levels will take me many trials to figure correctly. Why not halve the number of clicks I'll have to make?
All together, I think it's a terrific game that just needs some user experience attention to make it an outstanding success.
I'm happy to report that Jared is busy working on an update to address these details! I'll post the new version just as soon as he sends it to me. =)
The problem with purple stars is that their way of shooting is kinda unintuitive - they shoot one straight, and one at 45 angle. If it were shooting two rays at 45 angles my brain would probably be able to grasp the path of the trajectory much easier, but this "one straight, one at an angle" just gets in the way.
Also, the way of controlling the "gun" is awkward. On one of the early levels the solution involves shooting the star from "across" the circle, but when I tried to aim, the gun kept following my mouse. Pretty irritating, and keeps me away from exploring further.
A mistake in my last post - the "one straight" is actually only the original one which always goes "through" the stars. An easy thing to miss, though, because the experimenting options are limited by the only-shoot-toward-the-center game mechanic.
Btw, another thing I mind is that the succesful shot often has to be just a little bit too precise. Level 12, for instance, I've found the correct solution but couldn't hit the last star because the angle of the 5th ricochet was slightly off. I tried 15 times and gave up. Afterwards I came back to that level to experiment a little with the stars' behaviour, repeated my last try and unintentionally solved the level. If the game wants me to work out plenty of ricochets in my head AS WELL AS require that level of precision, it's a bit too much.
A new version is now up that addresses some of the issues we noted. Specifically, additional arrows provide better clues as to the path of the star; and pressing [space] will activate 'retry' to help expedite the process. The main menu and more games buttons were moved to the bottom of the screen. You may have to empty your cache to get the new version.
Great coffee break game. Finding just the right angle can be painful- but this help prevents "guessing".
These changes are great. This is one of my new favorites now - reminds me of a mix Chromatron and Bloons.
Can't wait to see "More Starshine"!
While I understand the strategy involved behind the game, it's often difficult to pick a starting place (or an ending place if you work backwards). Level 30 is an example of where it becomes near impossible to figure out without a methodical guessing approach.
About the angles: The small arrows are definitely a couple of degrees off, but they are always counterclockwise from the real trajectory of the stars. You can easily compensate for this discrepancy.
I also agree about getting rid of the retry button, and having the menu and ArmorGames buttons somewhere else on the screen the whole time. Then again, Jared's probably addressing this issue already.
Overall, it's a cool idea for a game, and very well put together, but a majority of the puzzles I found were more prone to methodical searching than strategy.
As a final note, I believe level 42 is impossible. I've been working on it for a couple of hours now, and I'm searching for a solution on a pixel-by-pixel basis. I'm 3/4 of the way around the circle and nothing's worked. Please correct me if there is a valid solution.
anyone know how to do level 7?
Haha, nevermind about level 42. I got it. Using the new version actually helped a lot.
Sine, for 7 you have to
hit the purple star on the bottom right, but you have to do it from across the circle.
Much better Jared, thank you for the improvements! The addition of the spacebar for retry alone is great!
I really appreciate the fact that Jared listened to what people said and took the time to make improvements based on players' comments. That is the sign of a classy gamesman.
I really like the look and feel of this game -- and it's great that the author responded to the comments here to improve the gameplay. It's still a little too much trial and error (lots of errors!) for me, though, even in the new version. After reading the author's spoilers, this may be a color-blindness thing:
there are different colored stars??
Who knew?
With so many stars on the board, with so many different behaviors, it's virtually impossible to predict the paths the light trails will take. Trial and error is the only way to play this game. Even still, an enjoyable diversion (especially with the updated game play). Level 47 is quite maddening :P
Hint: Usually the worst possible choice will create a chain-reaction to clear the board.
Strange as it sounds, certain levels are unsolvable depending on your quality settings. On medium graphic settings, I got stuck on 14 and 33 for nearly an hour each. The same levels, and same positions, worked out after switching quality to high. If you find your stars just barely missing each other, try a different quality setting.
Ha, yehman, I had never considered that the quality settings might change how the stars might shoot, but indeed you may be right. I'm pretty sure we only bothered testing the game on the high quality setting here, but likely aliasing and whatnot may factor into how the star positions are rounded each move. It'd be very hard, but with so many stars and 50 levels, maybe possible...
ok i have been stuck on level 50 for about 2hrs and i really cant solve it
i need some help from anyone who has beat it. It is the last level and im so eager to beat it. HELP!!
level 50 hint...
aim for the top left most purple star at the 10'clock position.
Here's help on level 50:
You have to be at an 11 o'clock position roughly, and just barely knick the purple star in front of you on the top. Basically find the first part where the arrows show and shoot. That should do it!
Really enjoyed this game.
Few sticky levels but found leaving the game alone for a while then coming back to it was a good way to get a result.
This game needs too much precision. I can get the answer from backtracking, like the creator suggested, but then I can't tell if my solution is wrong because my solution is actually wrong, or if I was off by a degree or something. The stars that are shot out need to be bigger, or at least make the collisions have to be less precise to occur.
Also, many times when the arrows show up on a star and I click, the star doesn't hit it. Again, the stars need to be bigger/collisions less precise.
Help on lvl 23
need help on 10 please
>Ha, yehman, I had never considered that the quality settings might change how the stars might shoot, but indeed you may be right. I'm pretty sure we only bothered testing the game on the high quality setting here, but likely aliasing and whatnot may factor into how the star positions are rounded each move. It'd be very hard, but with so many stars and 50 levels, maybe possible...
I know for certain that the same solution for level 14 on high does not work for medium. I called it unsolvable because after 3 bounces, the stars lose any minute angle differences that you could've imparted from your initial hit. This made the missing star uncontrollable by the user, as it always followed the exact same path, regardless of your tiny adjustments on the first hit. After realizing this and switching to high quality, I finished all 50 levels in a breeze.
I just checked again to make sure I'm not hallucinating, and indeed quality setting makes a difference. On level 14, the solution for high(~one 'O clock) doesn't work for either medium or low. In fact, it appears that the missing star shoots at a different angle on each quality setting, although all the other stars behave normally.
I tried a LOT of angles on level 42 but i still can't seem to pull it off!
Some help please?
The new version is improved, but it's still tedious to play. And it makes my RSI flare up too. something to do with having to rememeber to press space sometimes and click other times.
Please please enable both space and mouse click to have the same action, then people can choose which they prefer.
I.e.
- To retry a level, press space OR click mouse.
- To fire a star, press space OR click mouse.
Also, as after completing a level by trial and error, I have no idea what exact path my star took, and all the stars turn gold, making it impossible to retrace my path.
I find myself having to go back to the main menu all the time, and restart the level I just completed, just so that I can see what colour the stars were and retrace the path that completed the level. After 5 times of waiting through the main screen animation, it gets tiring quickely. Could the main menu come up instantly?
Please give an option to keep the star colours intact on successful level completion. Maybe just a gold outline around each star on completion. (and maybe a dotted line showing the paths takes by the successful missile (up to you tho))
This would help me to learn how the game works faster, as by definition, when I'm using trial and error, I'm missing a clue about how the game works and am in need of learning something new.
I can not get past lvl 47. Any help please
i cant beat lvl 10!!
i'm about to throw my mouse at the screen!!!
help please???!!
man am I stupid! I need help on level 8
For 8:
Position around 11:30 so that the arrow on the center purple star points to the star south east of it.
For 10:
Position about 4:30, aim the arrow towards the top of the group of 3 to the west. I had trouble with this one, too. ;)
please level 42.
What to do on level 22?
Any hints on 40? I had a couple promising places, but I always just miss and the chain brakes. I've even tried going full circle bit by bit and nothing. any clue please? the rest so far I figured out eventually.
BTW great game, I WANT to finish it :-)
how do you get past level 8?
I can't get 10 even with the hint above... any other suggestions?
Help on Lvl 9 pls
Level 36 is driving me nuts! I've already tried almost every possible trajectory. Any hints?
Level 9:
You want to aim for the center star from a little past the 9 o'clock position. The center purple star should send it's beam to hit the blue star to the above right.
Level 10:
You should be hitting the lowest purple star on the right half of the circle. The star should then deflect into the topmost purple star on the left half of the circle.
how do you do level 13?
level 10 impossible misses 3rd star every single time!!
LVL 10:
USE low quality
lvl 22
hit the rightmost orange star so it shoot almost directly up and hits the red star
could i have help for level 15???? im REALLY stuck!
Level 15:
Make the purple star hit the middle red star
lvl 15 -
Shoot the purple star and blue star with your shot so that the purple star hits the center most red star
lvl 27 -
hit the "2nd from the bottom right" blue star and the uppermost purple star at the same time, and make it so the "2nd from the bottom right" blue stars ricochet hits the leftmost orange star
Level 15:
make the purple star hit the middle red star
Level 36:
Hit the red star right down the middle at around 12:00 with the purple star ONLY.
Level 15:
Hit the purple star so it can hit the middle red star.
help on 20
I need help on lvl 50!!!
Spent like 3 hours on it already and its like impossible..I also tried every quality, angle, and every darn pixel I need help please.
im really having trouble on lvl 10
How do you do level 19
How do you beat level 30? I have worked on it for quite some time and still haven't found a solution.
level 12... help please...been on it for ages....
now im stuck on 22 :(
Ughh
This is horrible.
I'm stuck at level 21. I've beaten it before, but I'm redoing it on armour games. I was playing it on addicting and apparently you can't beat 42 on addicting, because they changed the resolution or something.
So I know I can beat it, but I just can't do it. I've tried all the hints (eight on the clock position) and I'm shooting it right (I think) but there's these three stars, in the middle, and they just never get hit.
I've gotten it down to two as well.
I'm doing it on low quality at the moment, but changing to high or medium doesn't work either.
Help, please!
Also I need help with level 42.
Need help on lvl 13
solution to 13
from around 730 shoot across to the far right top corner to hit the two stars in between your original shot
for level 20
i honestly got so frustrated that i began going in circles really fast with my mouse shot and i beat it and i was in low quality
i just beat 22
(low quality) you shoot from around 3:30ish im not 100% sure cause i was in such shock i beat it
solution to 23
just like the solution to 13 around 730 to the pinkish star in the top right corner
solution to 24
shoot from around 630 maybe a little before to hit the purple star closer to the right
on 25
shoot from 9 oclock to hit 2 blue stars and the purple one
for 26
shoot from 9 oclock
i cannot get 12 and its driving me insane(er)
lvl 43.....im stuck =(
Im having trouble with level 10. I can hit all but the top two purple stars on the right hand side.
for 30
hit the bottom left star from the other side
Im stuck on 29. Help?
spoiler for 12, its not nearly as hard as it looks
all you have to do on 12 is start at 3:00-3:20.
I need someone to post a complete walkthrough guide for this game. Anyone want to earn a free t-shirt? It has to be original, in your own words, and not copied from some other website.
heres 20
at about 9-10 o clock, shoot across the map and ull hit a purple hitting a blue
heres a website that has all the answers to end all questions
Darn it, I was just in the middle of capturing all those screens myself to compile a list just like that. Oh well.
Oooh, I like what you're doing bmd with that. Finish it and send it to me so I can host it here and I'll send you a t-shirt! =)
I can finish it if you like, but it is all already available at the Hero Interactive site that dumb3478 already linked to.
I don't mind as long as your work is original and it does not copy portions from the Hero Interactive site.
Help on 42!! please!! i need help, i used.. low quality!
I've been stuck here for hours and about to give up
i saw the level 10 walkthrough picture, but i swear it just wont work. any tips
Wow! Thanks for the settings tip for 10. Thanks Glitch. (IT WORKS!)
i beat it wahooooo!!!
can anyone post a walkthrough for # 23? I'm stumped
somebody please help with level 7, golley!
hi
i want to download the melody, its so cute :D can i?
Yea, what are the names of the two songs used on the game? They're really pretty and I want to introduce them to my band instructor. {yes im a band geek lol...flute and piano}
can anyone give me the songs that is played in starshine?
That music makes me want to cry every time I play this game... and sometimes I do. Very odd I suppose...
level 22
medium quality shoot from 10 o'clock
I found the easiest wat to keep your pointer in position without using the mouse is to hit the spacebar for your "retry". Just make sure you dont get your hands confused. I am at level 50! thnks!
i am having terrible trouble trying to get past lvl 50 i've been on it for almost a full day and its starting to piss me off, i've tried all the hints everybody has up already and none of them have worked. does anybody have and clues please!! im begging you i need to finish this game
Thank you!
I'm not sure if it's just me, but i'm finding it literally impossible to pass level 50...
i think that there is a glitch in my game or something. but i can't not, no matter what i do or what hints i use, i can't get it.
it's really agonizing.
Need help with level 40!
I'm stuck on lv 24.
In WT You sugest to fire at 6:30, but it isnt working.
I tried to change an angle a bit but i'm stuck.
Okay seriously lvl 14 is whack. Ive tried every angle and every quality setting. I even looked and timed it perfectly with your exact example jay... sorry but i don't see how you got passed it.
Ok, lol I still don't see how you did it but you put a women in front of a computer and give her a game and she solves it... thanks anyways no need to answer or if you do do it for future questionaires lol.
I can't figure out level 14 either. I've tried following the example but no matter what angle I have it always goes through the two bottom stars.
Ok I cannot get past level 14. I try and try, but on high quality it goes through the bottom two stars leaving the bottom three stars unlit. In low quality, the bottom most star becomes lit but not the other two and the same goes for medium quality. Please Help!
I have tried level 40 but could not do it. I found your walkthrough but still could not complete level 40. What's up with that?
Hi, i have been trying to get level 21 for ages. all the walkthroughs aren't working!!! I really want to get past if for a challenge in Ourworld and yea. thanks
i have been trying to do level 40 forever!!! what do i do? i have already tried the hint but it still doesnt work!
please help how do i get past level 14 its the same everytime the bottom 3 stars dont light up :S
i got stuck with level 12 for what seemed like a week.. just then i zoomed in and got it :D
Can someone please help me?
I've been trying Level 21 for ages and I still can't get through! I've been looking at the cheats and trying them, but it still doesn't work!
Help!
Level 40 walkthrough doesn't work! Help!
In level 40, go to main menu, settings, change quality to low and then walkthrough works.
Help on Level 40
Move the white circle thing to the left and aim to the right side. make it so that its aimed towards two stars on the right-a redish one and the greenish one. make sure you're as high up as you can get while still aiming for both stars (you should see the arrows on both) and you will beat level 40
i can not i mean its impossible to do level 40 ive tried all hints and the visual walkthrough! help!
i passed all levels [:
thanks this workedd
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Walkthrough Guide
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Complete Starshine walkthrough guide
https://jayisgames.com/walkthroughs/starshine/
Posted by: bmd | June 24, 2007 12:43 PM