Magic Pen is a physics-based puzzle playground created by Alejandro Guillen (Spin the Black Circle). It's easy to see the design, from visual style to overall concept, was taken from Crayon Physics, but because Magic Pen is a Flash game, it's much more accessible. Using the mouse, simply draw shapes to create bridges and guide the red ball to the flag. Making shapes and dropping them from the sky will set the ball in motion, and you can also craft structures with hinges (both fixed and movable) for more complex maneuvers.
The shapes you draw are affected by three basic principles: gravity, friction, and inertia. In other words, common sense physics. Drawn shapes will fall to the ground, bump against each other, and sit still unless acted upon by another moving shape. You can draw just about any object you please, but Magic Pen automatically smooths out jagged edges into a more block-like shape. The entire game is mouse-driven, all you have to do is click and start drawing.
Pins and hinges link objects together and allow you to craft more complex machinery to get the ball to the goal. Hold the [S] key and click inside an object to draw a pin, then draw a second object that overlaps the "X" and it will be held in place. For a movable hinge, press and hold the [D] key and start drawing. The shape you create will be affected by gravity and slowly swing around the pivot point towards the bottom of the screen.
There are over two dozen levels in Magic Pen, each one more wickedly devious than the last. There's even a sandbox mode accessible from the in-game menu (press [Q]). The number of shapes you used to complete each puzzle is recorded, and once you beat the game you can submit your scores to see how well you did compared to other Magic Penners.
Analysis: Good-looking, simple, engaging and fun, Magic Pen is exactly what I like to see in a casual online title. The game doesn't try to hide the fact that it's a near-direct clone of Crayon Physics; Alejandro even thanks Petri Purho in the credits. One key difference is you can't do "shape bumping", or drawing overlapping objects so they pop on top of each other. And when Crayon Physics Deluxe is finally released, it will no doubt contain much more content than Magic Pen.
Magic Pen takes place in real-time, meaning once you draw a shape it's immediately set into motion. This really keeps you on your toes, but it can also be frustrating when trying to draw delicate platforms in a pinch. A start/stop mechanism would make it much more of a cerebral puzzle game, whereas the current setup feels like an arcade experience.
A great Flash experience that's fun as a webtoy and challenging as a puzzle game.
Great game, but I have two suggestions:
1) I agree that a start/stop would be nice.
2) Unless it counts towards my score (and I don't see a score anywhere), don't tell me how many objects I used. That makes me feel like I have to minimize the object count, but that count is hardly my fault. With realistic (i.e. unpredictable) physics, I may have to drop more than one weight to get something up a hill, etc.
This is great! I've been wanting an online Crayon Physics type game. Thanks.
Wow this is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Really challenging
i don't know if i like the game when i try to read the instructions the arrows at the bottom of the picture don't work
This is a cool game! Difficult with the touchpad, as always. But otherwise amazing and difficult puzzle.
Is it too late to suggest this as the winner for last year's Ball Physics design competition? :-)
I would disagree about it being entirely mouse-driven. You need to use three keys as well!
Level 10???
Well, if we're being technical, John wrote "the entire game is mouse-driven" not "the game is entirely mouse driven". There's a difference.
It can be true that the game is mouse-driven, even if some keys are used as well.
...never mind
@expired
Level 10:
This level is easier if you remove the red block
The blue piece pivots on its center
Build a bridge once you've got the red block out of the way and the blue piece horizontal
JDB
ethier this game is impossible, or i suck, i cant beat level five. i cant get that ball up a ramp!!!
level 13 is disgusting. I'm so stuck. any hints?
Is it just me, or does this game have absolutely no support for concave figures?
Level 12 is insane. Help?
How the heck are you supposed to do level 12?
Charlie, to get through level 13 remember that hinges let objects you draw pass through whatever they're attached to.
blargney, thanks for the rapid response but i'm not sure i get it... probably me being an idiot! oh well.
That's odd... In one of the levels, instead of the ball, you're supposed to move a block to the flag. I suppose it's guessable, but a little warning would have been nice ;)
Also, the level number is cut off once you get to level 10 , and you just see the level digit.
Apart from this, the game has been pretty cool!
Power of posting- got it! Thanks.
The easy way:
You can solve most levels by making a chain of small links tied to the ball on one end. To the other end, tie a big block which drops off the screen and pulls everything else along, towards the flag.
That said, I think it would be an improvement if the world had no edge, i.e. you couldn't just drop things in infinite abysses.
Have you guys been searching "drawing games" on google too? I found that game yesterday! i got stuck on the the (First?) angled gap level.
In general:
Trebuchets for the win!
It's adorable and fun, but I hate the way it assumes shapes. For example, if you try to draw something shaped like the outline of a T it will round out the bottom instead of going in and down... Sorry if that's not explained well, I'm not sure how to word it.
Wow, level 12 is hard. A square to move? >.
Good game, though, I've been waiting to see a Flash version of Crayon Physics for a while.
Level 12 is actually pretty easy, I did it with only 3 objects. Just build a long span balanced on the orange block, pin it to the red square with a vertical block, then pin something really heavy to the other end so as to swing the red block upwards into the flag.
I haven't had any luck getting enough momentum going in level 13 though.
yay level 16 in an hour lol
Well, I made it to level 24 before giving up. Hard one.
Okay, well, I just solved level 13, but I'm not sure if my solution was actually the intended one, as it required thinking like a game physics programmer.
Consider what happens to two pinned together blocks when the pin is removed. There's a mysterious force! This force can be used in small increments to slowly push the ball up the hill.
This is sweet! Abusable, but sweet.
For hilarity, try stacking balls on top of each other, it works and looks very funny. And then you knock them down!
Level 13 is easier than it looks.
put a hinge in the stationary block above the ball and draw a swinging arm that goes from the corner behind the ball up above the stationary block (thru the hinge).
make a swing arm device (as seen in the tutorial) to hit the top of the swing arm by the ball really freakin hard, and it should roll all the way up
Managed to get to 19th on the high score list, very fun game. :)
A tip for those who have trouble with the square levels:
Hinge + circle = wheel!
What I did for 13 was:
Created a hammer to get the ball as high as possible, and then blocked it from rolling down. Then I built a string of blocks to the starting point. Using the set block and hinges, I created long, skinny upright blocks that tilted left above the static block, and dropped things on top of it, essentially using torque to drive the blocks suspending the ball up the hill more. Think of it like a hammer and a nail. Took a while, but I eventually got it up there.
when there's a square to move
Think about moving boxes
like those big metal ones you see every day
what do you call a circle with a pivot in the middle
Alright, 24 is HARD! :P
Finally, it is done. That took SO long. Really nice game; I found the hand drawn-ness of it and the constantly looping music very relaxing (annoying after a while though!). Now, back to revision...
Nevermind, I got it! Beat heat the game, quite enjoyed all of it. Now I have to write an essay...great distraction! 65th place...I think.
I'm not gonna lie, this is one of the most fun games I've played in a long time. Physics-based games have always been a favorite of mine, and the openness of this one is delightful.
Yay for 13th All-time high! :)
What an awesome game :) I finished it, but I think the ways I finished the later levels were probably not the designers intention. 25 especially I am not proud of! how did others do it?
Randomly Orderly: You can make any shape using pins. Just pin convex shapes together to make complicated stuff.
I love the game, but it's too short! The second time through, I breezed through all the levels. I'd love to see some hideously challenging ones that would require really complex mechanisms. And bigger levels at that ^^
And yes, like blargney said,
Trebuchets win many levels instantly ^^
tymbri: I agree. The game is awesome but some of the levels I completed with sheer brute force.
Level 25:
I drew a triangle on the upper platform and then a chain from the top of the rectangle over the triangle. Then I added weights to the end of the chain on the left until gravity pulled the box up, over and out of the way of the flag.
I'm totally stuck on level 21. HELP!
Labyrinth. there are two easy ways to bet this level.
not cheating:
lay a chain on the ground underneath the hanging chains and connect it to the box on the left and to some huge object on the right that will fall off the screen and drag the box thru the hanging chains to the flag
or cheating
you can erase the hanging chains with the eraser tool
So, stuck on 21. What the heck?
Can't do level 11 because
it won't let me make a pin or hinge on the "in-level" platform
Seems impossible otherwise.
GREAT GREAT GREAT !!! but I lost a lot of time !!!!
@Ezrabbit: To get number 11,
I made a large weight with a hook leading underneath to the flag which the ball could roll along.
I'm not too happy with that one though, and would like to hear how other people have done it.
if you are stuck on level 11, here's my solution
http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll103/axle_2008/?action=view¤t=Picture1.png
lol, 99th
there are some levels which are hard, but all can be solved with a few tactics
You make a chain, doesnt need many links, usually just 3 links at most connected to the ball. make as big a sphere as possible near the edge of the map, add a fixed weight to it internally to start it rolling off the map.
add the chain fast just as the ball starts to fall. that is enough weight to drag the whole chain over just about anything. Why use levers when you can use pulleys and a weight?
of course, that is why I didnt score so well. If I did things the hard way I'd have done better, but at 3am I havent the patience :P
I'm quite a big fan of the humble crane, myself.. Which works particularly well for Level 25:
As you can see in this picture, all that is now required is to attach a large weight to the pivot and the box will neatly be lifted up.. Can be applied to most other levels, too. Whilst the ball / squared being dragged by the chain is usually easiest, it's nice to have a bit of fun with other mechanisms too :)
http://img368.imageshack.us/my.php?image=craneel8.jpg
i cant get level 11 too but i have moved the ball to the far left made the biggest block i could and made a pin and made a small rectangle then made another rectangle down and set another pin and made a long shalf for the flag but when i do this it shakes too much and shakes the ball off... oh well
Finished! Loved every minute of it. Want MORE! Could be more difficult towards the end. Best game played all year. Bravo!
I haven't had this much fun with a flash game in a long time.
Completed. . . But I saw that all time high score is 28!!!
That is simply crazy 0_o
Need help @ level 19! Thank you
Most levels can actually be solved by using only one shape.
See what happens if you first add a pin or a hinge to the ball itself and then draw a shape around both the ball and one or more obstacles, or if you remove the hinge/pin from superimposed shapes (of which the ball can be one).
Really nice game concept. I quit after I almost beat a level, but accidentally erased a bridge and knocked the ball off the screen.
this game is sweet. too bad my comp is about as fast as a hyundai elantra in a snowstorm...
who does the music for this game..i love that song. sounds like someone from an alien workshop skate video.
any clues?
Addictive. Finally managed to get past all the levels except 18.
@Michael: for level 19
A large ball dropped from the top of the screen will give enough speed to let the red ball get to the flag.
help please! Level 15??
19?
Wow, that's cool. I have been waiting for Crayon Physics Deluxe, and now I don't need it. When does the level editor come out?
help on lvl 10 piz
yes i know, wow only lvl 10?
wut a loser!
thx =]
Love this game. A few things that I would like to see in a future version...1. I don't think you should be able to pin or hinge the red ball/square. I got a lot more satisfaction when I had to build an elaborate set of levers than when you could tie a big weight to the ball and throw it off a cliff.
2. It would also be good to have a build area and a non build area so that you could set up devices to project the ball without being able to escort it all the way- like in level 13 where there is not enough space to build everywhere.
3. Also the expansion effect that can be used to propel the ball should be removed- where a hinge can be placed, a shape drawn, hinge removed, shape and ball try and occupy the same space, pushing one away from the other.
@help
Go see a spoiler tag about level 10 near the top, I think it is the 11th comment.
I can't even do level 8...
Something cool...
If you are on a square level (the object is a square, not a circle), you can make it a circle that is slightly larger than normal.
Get your square in the air in a pretty fixed position somehow...
Then put a hinge in the center of the square and draw a circle around the square...
The square should stay in place as the circle pivots around it.
Umm, I think I just suck but could someone tell me how to get past level......5 Please?
Okay so I got past five
Here how I did it
Fist in the annoying boc I drew a hinge (Make sure the ting that bashes the ball is draws almost up right (Oh Don't forget the ramps) Then It will crash down onto the ball sending it up one ramp almost two (If the ball starts to move backward just draw a straight line and a rectangle should appear to stop it)
Next I drew a straight Line strating from the tip of the box down ot the floor of the second floor, then I drew a pretty big ball and boom upi t went ^.^
This is a cool game!
I've made it through this game, improving my score where I can, and can get to a score of about 70. For those of you who have figured out how to score in the 30s, would you at least pass along which levels need only one item to pass them?
Thanks
Great game!
I've made it through, and after trying some levels many times I can get a score of 70.
I have no idea how people can get in the 30s. If any of you who can do that well are reading this, what are the levels you can't get with one block? No need to tell how, just wonder which ones I need to try harder on.
Didnt sleep all night - couldnt stop until I finished it:) GREAT GAME!!!
how do i do level 23? it seems impossible to me. but im not very good at this game. help please
For anyone interested in a complete video walkthrough:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_1JOeiXaaxw
Waw very nice game ;)
When i can find the music ?? She is so good ....
What is the tittle ?
Thx
Holy crap! I had no idea that you could actually attach shapes to the ball or block. I found out after I had already beaten the game and googled to this page. If I had known that, it would have been a heck of a lot easier.
If you want a real challenge, do what I (accidentally) did -- try beating the game without attaching anything to the ball/block. It just took me 3 hours and change.
I am so addicted to this game and I really am not that good at it (physics are not my strong point), but I just have to figure out a way to solve each level- I still have a lot of levels to go though! I have been playing for HOURS at a time!!!!
I beat the entire game without ever pinning anything to the ball or the square. Didn't realize I could. The mechanism I built to capture the ball or square were tedious. i wish I had known. Try it for a challenge. That also goes for the obstacle blocks. The one with the square and the rotating propeller side by side I actually built a mechanism to punch the ball through the small hole the first time through. Just as I was rolling it to the bottom flag I hit the space bar by mistake. I literally screamed.
some hints, if someone likes, just for the 24 last levels...
I strongly recommend not to watch that until you spent 3 full days searching your own way. This vids can kill you imagination... and this delightful game really deserves efforts !
soon will come the ud-to-date vid with 3 shapes less
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=V1yggbnW5tc
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=xjYclk2BAuw
Hints:
The only levels I can't yet do in one shape are
6 - using 2
8 - using 4
14 - using 2
Using odd shapes:
You can create odd shapes that can pull the ball or square thru objects. Example: level 11, place a pin in the ball start your line just above the left side of the ball, go under the pin on the ball and and loop around the support to below the ball and let go of the mouse
Pinning and unpinning:
Level 7 is a good example: Place a pin in the ball and create a ramp that goes thru the ball and over the gap but leaves space at the top. Then delete the pin, the abll will pop up and roll down the ramp.
Thank you aaatchoummm
i can't do 6,8,10,13,14,17 in one shape. please help me with some hints.
Level 13 in one shape:
Pin the Bar above ball on left side, start your crayon at lower left corner, up and over pin to inside space, keep to the top of each space going right to the top right then come down just short of ramp and let go of mouse.
Level 10 in one shape
Pin the ball, start at above left of ball, draw to left and down around to bottom, up and over see-saw, down to level with upper flag up an over wall to right side up to top right corner, continue slowly across top watching your crayon meter at the bottom, when meter is almost out, release mouse.
Level 17 in one shape
Pin the ball, start drawing top left of ball, down and across shelf, between boxes and down to bottom of shelf with flag on it then up a bit and let go. takes a few tries but you'll get it.
Thanks Kevin
Wow! great game !
but is there a way to select level ?
i'm only on 16 and already afraid won't restart from beginning...
i did level 12 with 1 piece.
I like this game. But I can't get in. I clicked "play" and then the preloader and ad disappeared. The game froze on a blue screen with snowflakes. What do I do? On Mofunzone I could rickt-click and press play. But I want to play free play. What do I do?
Try updating your Flash Player. The game is working fine.
Level 15 is pretty easy, I did it with 2 shapes. All you have to do is:
Put a hinge in the floating square in the middle, put a pin on the box, draw a long thin rectangle going through both and out to the right side as far as you can go, then drop a huge circle on the right side to spin it around.
please help level 15!
I'm stuck.... :(
great game!
loved it..
ellesse
All in one shape, except for 6, 8 , 14 and 19. This last one is really bugging me, since I know it's solvable. Anybody that can give me a hint on how you drew it to solve it in one shape? I know the drill, just can't seem to get it right this time!
Level 19 in 1
pin ball on lower left corner, start drawing on side of smaller tree about halfway up, draw srtaight to pin and turn right across shelf, follow shelf down to bottom and turn right again across bottom, continue right and go under tall shelf until under flag. Let go of mouse, let shape lift ball and create ramp to flag. Now delete the pin, ball will shoot out on to ramp and voila!
tnx kevin! the magic pin guru! :)
Unfortunately, I'm restricted to dial-up on my home computer, and I can't get the game to fully load. (Or, it loads on the snowman page, but when I press 'play', it goes to a blank 'paper' screen, and nothing else shows up (except the side ads and top game squares banner). I have NoScript on my Firefox, but even allowing all scripts didn't change anything.
Is there a download for this game? Or any other ideas for playing it on dial-up?
(I did manage to play at work, on a faster connection, and it's pretty awesome.)
level 5???????
11 in one shape
put a pin in the ball and make a big bottom-heavy circle around it, the shape falls through the bottom
I beat the whole game with 46 shapes.
What is the background song used on this game? It's really nice. I'd love to know who does it.
Thanks.
one of the most genius games ever. Played the whole game three times in an afternoon. Really want more levels. Or allow us to create custom levels.
hey i got a cool solution to level 26... it's simple. you pin the square and draw an uncompleted shape (it will complete it for you) around the box above the ditch. dont do anything else and it will catch the flag. i hope no one else figured this out
How do you move the wooden thing on level 14?
I have a total blast playing this game. After I finished it, there still fun available as you can make the earlier easier level complicated. I even created a kart that delivers the circles/squares to the flags.
Tips guys, its a physics game so get ready to built ramps, cranes, levers, etc.
For some help on bringing the red object up:
One method that has helped me tons is a weighted sling shot over a tall pole. (you know, chains leading from the red object to the other side over a pole and add a weight to the opposite side). To help, you need to make the block going over the pole a long rectangle (make it so it is like a T), and that block will have two hinges and two pegs, one on each end. DO NOT CONNECT IT TO THE POLE if it is possible.
From the left to the right of the block you have: end of block, hinge, pin, pole, pin, hinge, end of block. On the pins, you attach a long block that will be running alongside the pole. You start on these first after drawing the rectangle and putting on a pin. Repeat on other side. These are important BECAUSE they are needed to keep your block
Second, you add the hinges, and then make a chain, and connect the final block to the red object.
A note: if the top rectangle object is starting to tip over by alot, then you have to add some weight to the opposite side. (red object side goes down, Flag side goes up, add weight to the flag side until block is level, then you just continue on.)
Step 3, when you have added plenty of weight to the opposite side of the pole, then you must add some more weight so as to make sure it tips over on that side. Then you just erase the blocks connected to the top block by the pegs. Those blocks are the reason your work did not fall over ahead of time. Now, all you have to do is add more and more weight on the Flag side until it goes up and over the pole (or until you get the flag and complete the level whichever comes first.
If the weights on the flag side land on the ground, just keep on adding weights on the links that arn't touching the ground. Warning: this method takes ALOT of block to do it.
how do I turn off the music?
I've tried forever and cant seem to be able to pin or hinge the circle! I'm using a MacBook...any helpful hints??
Same for me : impossible to put a pin or a hinge in the red "thing" (square or circle), it's driving me crazy ...
Can you please tell me a place where I can download this flash game for my hard disk? Please tell me
[Edit: If you're playing this in a browser, then the file already exists on your hard drive. You'll need to locate it within your browser's cache. If you're using Firefox or Camino, then typing "about:cache" in the address bar gets you to an interface where you can browse what's in there. Then list cache entries on the "disk cache device". Search through the list for "magic pen" or similar for the .swf file. Click it, and then on the next screen, right-click and save as to your desktop. -Jay]
how do you put a pin or a hinge inside of the red ball
How do you do the 5th level? Please help. Thank you
I'm stuck on level 10, and it appears that some people can hinge or pin the red ball. I have seen video of this being done but am unable to do this, I have tried multiple browsers. Was this a bug and now its fixed? Only items I can hinge or pin are ones that I make which makes it much more difficult... any help is appreciated
game is very frustrating, i play magic pen 2 and i stuck on level 5. any help?
[Edit: This is the discussion page for Magic Pen 1. Please leave your comments for Magic Pen 2 on the review page for that game. https://jayisgames.com/archives/2009/03/magic_pen_2.php Thank you! -Jay]
Haha, while some people are asking to turn off the music, I think the backing music is phenomenal. Who wrote it? Where can I find other stuff from the composer/artist?
Solid game as well...
Can't get the game to load, even after watching the ads twice. Sad.
I am a teacher and work with educational technology. Many schools use MAC format and some now are going to linux. Your system is very narrow by using windows only. More and more of the world is finding other operating systems are more dependable.
[Magic Pen is a Flash game and as such is available to play on all platforms, Windows, Mac and Linux. That being said, I'm a Mac user myself, I absolutely despise Windows, and I prefer to play all my games on the Mac. So, you're preaching to the choir, as they say. ;) Trouble is, while the world may be changing its ways (it's about time!), most new download game releases are still targeted to the Windows platform first and foremost considering the dominant platform that it still is. It's not our "system", as you make it out to be. It's the way the games industry is at present, unfortunately. -Jay]
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