If you've ever thought to yourself that casual games have something for everyone, you may now officially add Architects and AutoCad users to your definition of "everyone". Open Doors is a clever puzzle-game by Ozzie Mercado (SoapAintNice), played over a gridded blue-print of a building complete with doors and swinging circles meant to identify hinges. As you move past these contraptions, they slam shut behind you! It's like a house-of-mirrors boiled down to sheer design, and a fun one.
Controls are simple, just use the [arrow] keys to move in the cardinal directions. You're the square, you want to get to the X. Walls and doors cannot be passed through, unless you're pushing on a door in a direction that its hinges don't oppose. Note the circumference of the circles connected to doors, not only do they signify how a door moves when you push it, and what directions they can't be pushed from, but the little white lines determine where the doors will close behind you. Later in the game, you get double and triple jointed doors that fall into Jacob's Ladder like patters, filling out every possible position or coiling against the wall. The results are tricky and briskly rewarding.
Analysis: This is unusual for me, but I have little analysis to offer. It's a simple concept, simply executed and simply presented; as simple as chalk-white lines drawn flawlessly to grid. It's refreshing to see someone take such a short-form position on a single mechanic, and do it right.
To paraphrase Morpheus: I can only Open Doors, you're the one who has to walk through them.
Hm. Nice game, but headache is imminent around level 10 or so.
I like it. Very simple idea, and well executed. Level design is pretty nice aswell.
I personally liked it, it's a fun little mechanic. To some degree, I was hoping that the game would provide a bit more than just the doors... as the later game provided the same door puzzles just strung together into a greater comeplexity, making the experience a wee-bit repetitive.
But I agree... the concept was executed extremely well, and I was refreshed by the visual style. This whole door thing could have been easily overcomplicated by distracting graphics, but the author went the smart route with a fun game that does exactly what it needs to do.
-Jmtb02
Good calls John. This game had great style and fun puzzles, but the concept only worked for so long. Maybe more door types, stairs would add more dimension to the puzzles.
Or I know LASERS, this game needs LASERS and ZOMBIES. (sorry)
Ahhhh.. this is so frustrating! I've been stuck at the last bit of level 11 for a couple of hours now, just going in circles. I can't figure out how to get past it :/
Well, nevermind. My browser finally crashed, and they don't have any sort of feature to return you to the level you were at. There's no way I'm playing through to level 11 again.
Level 11, bottom right. No joy - any clues out there?
Anonymous:
I reached level 12, and found that if I refreshed the page, the game offered to let me continue from where I left off, as shown here. Perhaps your browser crash killed your progress...
I lasted until level 12 then got bored. It was fun while it lasted.
stuck on 15/25 - little options, and I just don't get it. addicted. :P
done it. yay! and then it just comes up with another mode. *argh*
I think my head just exploded into a million pieces at the top of level 13. Medic!
This is great for puzzle lovers like myself. There is something amazingly satisfying about a new puzzle that is really different from other puzzles, requires true logic, and actually works.
Jay, do you know if there is any way to return to a particular level in this game? I have to go to work, but don't want to lose my place!
dsrtrosy - when you exit and come back to it later, this is the screen you'll see:
https://jayisgames.com/images/opendoorscontinue.gif
So, yes, you can continue where you left off, but there is no level select screen.
Woo hoo! You rock. Thanks! I didn't want to close the window if I was going to lose it.
for me, level 13 was the first one that was tricky and required me to restart a couple times. I wish the game had reached that point earlier, maybe cut out half of levels 1-12.
This is a wonderful little puzzler that yes - can be challenging and brain-straining - but eventually after bludgeoning through enough turnstiles and flipping through quadruple doors and whatnot, your subconscious mind seems to absorb some rudimentary "strategy" allowing you to solve some of the later levels without really concentrating. At least that's what my mind did.
Though the game gives the illusion that you can work your way through any level minus having to restart from the beginning, there are several corners you can back yourself into with no hope of getting yourself out without starting over.
how do you pass lvl.2?
Could somebody please help me on level 8?
ARGH!!! I'm on level 25 and the last bit just seems impossible, literally impossible. Sorry for everyone asking for help, I can't go back to previous levels and check it out.
LEVEL 15????NEED HELP...??
Could somebody please help me? I'm stuck on level 9:(
It took me awhile to figure out that you COULD open doors that weren't facing the right way by
standing next to the door then stepping over to an adjacent sqaure, as if really opening a door.
Discovered it by mistake.
I find it infuriating that this game tried to send ads for itself to my Facebook profile while I played.
Somebody please help me with level 9.:(
I'm about ready to give up. Level 9 seems impossible.
13 seemed to be the hardest, but it's not impossible
here's a view of the last 3 levels
open door images
Could somebody please tell me what to do on level 9? I'm just about ready to give up.:(
I NEED HELP WITH LEVEL 8 PLEASE HELP
i know it sounds crazy but i need help with level 3
lvl. 8 is driving my CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!
I need a lot of help with lvl 8! I know it seems easy but I don't get it! Please help
I need major help on the bottom of level 11 or the whole level please help
never mind got 11 :D
totally need help on level 9. please help!!!
help with level 8 pleez!
im at lvl. 25 its hard..!!!!! help...
hey..someone PLEASE help me with level 12..i dont even know now how long ive been on it and i just keep going back and forth :[
ok..ive been working on 25 allll night. someone..help?
can someone please post cheats?
mmhmm that game is very good. im addicted to it. i am on level 25 but i cant seem to do it. it seems to be impossible =[ bu the game is great
WOO BEAT THE GAME! God dammit that game is hard as hell.
HOW DO YOU BEAT LEVEL 11!? What do you do!!??!
youtube "open doors walkthrough" if you want spoilers...but it only goes up to level 24
how do you do level 8? i cant figure it out.
Level 8: Go round one way - then go back round the other way!!! easy
yep...level 11 bottom right corner! and i was doing so well!
help please?
thanks.
i am sooooo stuck on level 8. its pissing me off! tell me how to get through it! arggggg!
Hey jay, if you're so good... tell me how to beat level 8.
[Edit: That one is a hard one, but not impossible. Just keep trying different things and you'll eventually get it. :) -Jay]
help on level 6?
stuck on level 9, lol i must be bad at this game...
oops i got it. lol
does ANYONE have a full walkthrough, eg.....
For level 4, go left, then right, up, up, left, etc.?????????????????????????
Also, level 15 sucks. lolz
well i use to beat puzzels in 10 min (like 3D logik 1 and 2) but i can't get pass level 13!!! someone make a spoiler!
oh... never mind
HOW DO YOU BEAT LEVEL 8!?
OK PEOPLE HERE'S A HINT ON HOW TO BEAT LEVEL 25!!!
As you notice when you start, the end is open. You have to keep that door open, if it closes at any point you MUST reset. To get to the finish you have to go all the way to the top and around. So just keep moving everything around until you clear a path up and around everything.
I might try to go back and get a better solution with exact steps later, but this is the best hint to the answer I've ever seen :p
Hint for level 8: it's actually quite easy. If you're stuck, hit reset. This is one of the first levels where you can permanently bar yourself from a win if you do the wrong thing.
i dont know about you guys but this game just brought cursing to a whole new level and the smashing of keyboards too.. headache for the next 5 days. thank god its overrrr
anyone got level 9?
How do you do lvl 22???
I think this game is the so cool!
I think the doors were a very good touch.
Im glad he didnt add anything to it.
Otherwise it would be kind of kid-ish.
Very unique. I never would of thought of that.
I have passed all the levels. After passing all the levels
you have to pass them all again but can only pass it with so many moves.
I am stuck on level 10 right now and keep running out of moves 2 blocks away from the X.
any easy way to finish the bottom of level 11 plz? anyone? anything will help..hopefully/im bout 2 burst!
Update