Review

Fold

By Jay | October 17, 2007

Currently 4.4/5
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Rating: 4.4/5 (42 votes)

Platform: Flash

Categories: browser, flash, free, game, jesler, linux, mac, original, physics, platform, puzzle, rating-g, unique, windows

Comments (24) | Views (5,123)

An update to the previously reviewed Manifold, this version is the full, super-fun-happy version, promises Joel Esler, the game's author. Get acquainted with Fold via the "Easy" levels. Then advance to the more frustrating "Uneasy" levels. And when you think you finally have the mechanics mastered, give the "Doubleplus Uneasy" levels a try. A unique and original platform action puzzler just keeps getting better.

Play Fold

24 Comments

orangeall • October 17, 2007 1:39 AM

i like this game...but some lv are so trouble-.-

Suho1004

• October 17, 2007 3:32 AM

I'm glad to see a fuller version of this, because I loved the original, but it gets really hard really quick. I have to say that, for this reason, I didn't enjoy it as much as the original. I know that might not make sense, since the original is part of this one, but this feels more... pressured. Maybe it's the timer, maybe it's the limited lives, maybe it's the quickly increasing difficulty level... I don't know.

The Fred Astaire case is pretty much impossible, at least for me. I just can't move that quickly and consistently.

elvis bling laden • October 17, 2007 4:22 AM

THIS is my favourite! Its a wonderful puzzle, and I am really really glad you got some more levels on this one. I did the first version in one row, but this one is more challenging, so I guess Im stuck with it for a while ;-)

Wonderful work! Props!

Blastoise • October 17, 2007 5:49 AM

Whew!

Hidrobyte • October 17, 2007 7:28 AM

Well Fred Astair is no Problem,

you just have to jump over the blades some time, but you can also do this while you're in a orb,

but what really made me give up is Pole Vault ... I really have no clue where to even start ... well at least for now I gave up ... :-)

p.s. I love this game!

Sidd Finch • October 17, 2007 11:41 AM

I really like this game a lot. I was happy to see more levels than the original "Manifold". Wow! the levels get tough in a hurry though. I was able to finish every level so I can say that is IS possible. but some of them are TOUGH.

If you make it to the last level (U-Turn) here is a hint,

you need one bubble to sling you to the right, 1 bubble to slow you down, and one to sling you to the goal.

reapaninja

• October 17, 2007 12:23 PM

I couldn't get past tyhe level with a large ledge on the right with a sawblade up it...I know that

the trick to finishing it is to walk SLOWLY orb by orb along the left wall and ceiling

but I can't get orbs on the top, I don't have enough room to drag the mouse while staying inside the window :/

Greg

• October 17, 2007 12:26 PM

I must say I'm a little disappointed. I fell in love with the original and I was definitely begging for new levels; however, this is not what I wanted.

The game I played before (easy mode here) was so simplistic it was fun. The joy came more in figuring out the puzzle of how to position everything than racing to finish the level. This game is just so frustrating that it loses its fun. The Fredastaire case for example is a level that really is too frustrating for what its worth. I'm going to turn this off now. I liked the original, but the game is too frustrating and not as addicting as the original.

Seb • October 17, 2007 12:37 PM

It may be the computer I'm using, but when I go to try and play this I find both the little ant-shaped fellow and the exit portal hovering around half a centimetre above the level's floor, the former rotating around his own ankle, a distinct inability to move and no choice about throwing direction (the arrow will only point up) or ability to actually toss a gravity well at all. Anyone know why?

debaser80

• October 17, 2007 12:55 PM

Greg said: "I must say I'm a little disappointed. I fell in love with the original and I was definitely begging for new levels; however, this is not what I wanted."

Ditto. The moving blades make the new levels stressful. It also puts the game into more of the action category as opposed to the puzzler the original one was.

I do have to say that I still really like the look and feel of the game.

Anonymous • October 17, 2007 1:01 PM

love this game, glad that more levels were made was pretty tuff tho and for the pole vault game...

you need to shoot a bubble facing straight upwards that hits the side of the wall about a third of the way up, then jump into it, when you get over either land directly on the portal or use a bubble to slow you down

took me agggges tho, infact quite a few of the levels after only took a few attempts but that one was a biatch.

Greg (the one from Kongregate) • October 17, 2007 1:32 PM

The new level sets indeed ramp up the difficulty quite a bit. I had some serious trouble with double-plus uneasy -- this video helps quite a bit, though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91GZeqZ-zE

I made the "impossible" badge on Kongregate thinking it would take a bit longer than a day for a user to play like that, but I seem to have a reputation for underestimating the ninja spirit of some casual gamers.

Dr. Pepsi • October 17, 2007 5:18 PM

I really liked the original game.
I hate the moving buzzsaws.
Please create more levels like the orginal.

killerAbeja • October 17, 2007 6:33 PM

Much love!! Don't hate on moving parts, it the next logical step (though admittedly a total b to get past). Practice in ghost and then try for the medals. I would only say keep those levels coming. Perhaps user-defined levels are possible?

Denzel • October 17, 2007 7:59 PM

I don't know how helpful this will be (I found the levels mostly intuitive), but have a partial walkthrough-- right up to Fred-Astairecase, which I knew /how/ to beat but found too frustrating (i'm not used to dodging moving sawblades; must be something wrong with me). Good luck with the rest of the levels.

EASY LEVELS
Level 1. Just collect the anomaly and head to the exit.
2.

Place an anomoly facing UP against the wall you can't jump over.

Place an anomaly facing RIGHT on the ceiling above the rotating gears. It helps if it's closer to you than to the exit.

Place an anomaly facing RIGHT on the wall opposite the gear.

Place an anomaly facing RIGHT on the first 'step' and walk up it. Recollect it and place another anomaly facing RIGHT on the next step.

Place an anomaly facing LEFT on the wall directly across from where the level starts, close to the corner. Jump to it.

Move left, jump over the first gear. Get as close to the next gear as you can and launch an UP anomaly between you and the exit. Jump to it.

Jump into the anomaly. While standing in the middle of it, aim your next anomaly right next to it (facing RIGHT) and jump while releasing the mouse button. This causes the second anomaly to pop up very close to your original spot. You may then collect the first anomaly and continue in this fashion up the wall. I call this LEAPFROGGING.

LEAPFROG up the left wall. Be careful when you switch over to walking on the ceiling. (If you'd like, you can just LEAPFROG up the slanted wall to the exit.)

10.

LEAPFROG up the left wall and ceiling. That's all there is to it.

UNEASY
1.Just run through the moving blades. Careful!
2.

Place a LEFT anomaly against the ledge. Timing is everything.

LEAPFROG on the ceiling over to the gap, then drop down. Timing is everything.

LEAPFROG on the slanted wall opposite the pointed gear and then place a LEFT anomaly right on the edge above the "hallway". Jump to it.

You'll have to LEAPFROG up one of the walls. It helps to place the first two anomalies while you're still on the floor. Your leapfrogging will be often interrupted by having to jump to avoid gears. Stay near the middle of the anomaly bubbles to avoid falling off.

These are only the solutions I found easiest; you guys might have better ones.

Suho1004

• October 17, 2007 10:30 PM

The video that Greg posted above does help a bit.

For example, I never knew that you could place two orbs on top of each other for super-gravity.

Still, it seems to require more quickness on the trigger finger than I have.

Z • October 17, 2007 11:46 PM

Greg, thank you for posting that video. I now realize that I can never, ever pass the hardest levels, because I don't have 3 hands to control the mouse, arrow keys, and space bar all at once.

Seriously, how are you doing this??

Sidd Finch • October 18, 2007 1:48 PM

Z...you can use the WASD keys for movement. if you do that your left thumb is perfectly placed to his the spacebar. no need for 3 hands.

too bad I discovered that after that trip to the local mad scientist....oh well

:-)

Z • October 18, 2007 8:23 PM

Heheh, thanks Sidd! Well, I'm a sure a third arm has other uses, too...

I was about to ask for a new speed run video, with the camera showing both the monitor and the player's hands ;)

Scarybug • October 19, 2007 10:20 AM

Like many physics-based puzzle games, there are multiple ways to beat most levels.

"Pole Vault" for instance:

Make an anomaly pointing left at the very top point of the saw at the top of the spire. Use an upward anomaly to fall up to it. Then you can carefully jump "over" the saw (up is right, down is left, make sure not to jump out of the bubble.) As soon as you have a clear shot of the lower left corner, make an up/left anomaly to slow your fall down/right, just as you would do for the "vaulting" method

? • October 20, 2007 1:25 PM

I've got easy way to solve Fred-Astaire Case:

put the anomaly UP on the right wall so you can reach it. Then place anomaly RIGHT on the top of right wall. Then jump into first anomaly, and aim for the portal.

Easy, Isn't it?

Lars • October 20, 2007 3:17 PM

I finally got through Fred Astaire-case, but it was hard. I imagine some like the challenge, but I agree with the person who said the moving sawblades turned it into more of an action game than a puzzle. There's not necessarily anything wrong with crossing genre boundaries, but to me, having to stop and jump over sawblades ever few seconds was a real annoyance that got in the way of fun puzzle-solving.

Granted, "jumping over" something while pinned to a wall in a sideways gravity field is an interesting twist. But I would rather not be forced to do it over and over under time pressure.

Lars

Dog Child • October 20, 2007 10:23 PM

I like the 1984 reference in the difficulty modes (easy, uneasy, doubleplus uneasy).

Oh yeah, the game is good too.

mac0angel