In Jason Wu's logic puzzle game Boxes, an "accident" at the box factory leaves you in charge of assembling the machinery along the conveyor belt that automatically sorts boxes for customers. Click to place pieces on the field, using the [WASD] or [arrow] keys to rotate them, and tap the [spacebar] when you think you have everything laid out to turn the machine on. Hit [spacebar] again to stop, right-click on a piece to delete it, and use the buttons on the left to clear the field if you need to stop over. Though initially your only tiles are for simple movement, others will let you change the value of boxes to meet specific requirements, including gates that detect box properties, and so forth. If all this sounds sort of familiar, it's because a lot of Boxes echoes Manufactoria in concept, though Boxes mostly struggles with clarity when it comes to communicating what it wants or how things work due to some strange wording. Despite that, if you love programming puzzles, then Boxes, with its plethora of pieces and props, will scratch that itch in a satisfying way.
Okay. I am totally lost on the "multiply by 2" level, even with the hint. How do you control how many times you add 1, when you can only sort by 0, +, or -? I'm missing something here.
Allison, is there another way to mathematically express "multiply by two" using the operations available?
addition
add the value of the box to the box
make a copy of the box, and add 1 to the original for every 1 you subtract from the copy.
Anybody got a hint for the first challenge level?
The first challenge level:
It is probably meant to be unsolvable. You can click "skip" in the lower left corner to proceed to the next.
Man that difficulty surely escalated fast :)
My solution to multiply by 2:
Very likely not the most efficient one.
I found it easiest for my brain to divide the cases positive/negative from start.
H@C?AHB@BBAGD@ACAHB@BCAHA@B?AHA@D@AGC@DBAGC@D@AGDBC@ABCBD?AABBA?AAABB@AFBBDAAA@BDAAACBDAADBBA@AAABDAAAABC?ADCBD@AADBDAAADBA?AADBDAAA>BDDAECBD>AABBDCAABBDDAABBCBAAABA>ACABCDABABCCAAABACADCBBBAFBBC>AECBABACCBCCAADBDBAADBDAAA?
I love programming games. I had to stop at the level where you have to multiply by to until it's larger than 10 or something like that because it's 6:30 in the morning! these games totally put me in a state of trance.
Actually, the first challenge level is not unsolvable. A friend pointed out that, in the leaderboards was a "Completed You shall not pass!". Then I got it. It's a very interesting puzzle, that's for sure.
When referring to this game I like to think of it as LogicBox's "sign", "increment" and "decrement", mixed with Great Permutator's timing elements.
Loving this so far, it definitely has some nice logic chalenges going on.
However, I'm currently stuck on the black box level (20)... Am I overthinking it? Is it really just an excersise in organically growing your setup to accomodate the new test cases as you go? Any attempts to find some kind of pattern are failing so far.
Furipu: Yeah, that level was very underwhelming.
If you read the hint, there's actually no pattern. Rather anticlimactic :\
How to solve "You shall not pass":
To win, you will have to destroy the box...
...and you will need an oven for that.
Note that when pressing skip you still have the item highlighted that you used to click it.
Skip past the level, highlight the oven, and continue to skip until you get back to the start. Then you can simply place the oven beneath the start.
In case someone just wants to work on the sequence of blackbox:
Sorted by input:
-4 -2
-5 6
0 1
1 2
2 6
5 2
8 4
14 -3
I dont see a pattern.
OK, what does "multiply by 2 until over 10" means? I thought I was supposed to start multiplying by two and as soon as the value goes over 10, stop and deliver. But the hint says I should load up the mult 2 level and add a compare at the end. Should I discard anything that goes over 10?
The wording was ambiguous for me too - do the multiplication before the check.
Does that go for -10 too? What does "five arrows on nothing" means?
OK, I get what the reviewer meant now.
The same guy who introduced me to the game gave me this explanation: if the output would be an integer result, it is a valid input. In other words, you won't find a 0 or a negative number in that puzzle.
For the level 14 '*2 until over 10'
you have to multiple the input until the number get over 10. BUT you have to multiply at least once.
So in other words, you multiply by 2, then check if it's over 10. If so you have your output. If it's not you do the multiplication and the 'check over 10' again.
For those who want, there is a solution for the challenge 'Return the number from 2 tests ago'
L@AEAG=@CAAHB@CAAGA@DFAIF@CCAIF@CAAG@@CDAHF@DAAGD@DDAG?@DEAGBCDAD>BA@AABDAAA=BDAAA?BC@AABBC?AABBCBACEBA@ABEBDAADEBDAAA@BDAAAABDAAABBBEAABCFAA>BDFAABBDFAADBDFAAEBAEAAFBDFAACBC>AABBA>AACBB>AAABAAAFFBC=AABBA=ABABA=ACCBA>AABA
For those who are stuck but want to see the others levels, there are all the solution I found :
Level 1 : Conveyors
FBDAAA@BDAAAABDAAACBDAAABBDAAA?
Level 2 : Add 3
FBDAAB@BDAABABDAAACBDAABBBDAAA?
Level 3 : Subtract 3
FBDAAC@BDAACABDAAABBDAAACBDAAC?
Level 4 : Compare
FBDBAACBDBABBBDAADCBDAAABBDBAAABCBAA@BDAAA@BDAAAABDAAA?BD@AACBD@AAABD@ACBBA@AA@
Level 5 : Set to 0
FBDAAAABDAADBBDAAACBCBACBBDAAA@BDAAA?BA@ABB
Level 6 : Accept 2
FBDBAEABDAADABDAACBBDAAA@BDAACCBDAAA?BD@AEA
Level 7 : Duplicators
FBABAECBDAAAABDAAABBDAAA@BDAAA?
Level 8 : Powered Parts
F@DCAGC@DAAHABDCAAABDCAABBDCAACBDAAA@BDCAA@BDCAE?BDAAA?
Level 9 : Multiply by 2
H@DAAHA@BCAGCBDAADABDAAA@BA@ACABDAAABBDAAA>BDAAA?BDBACDBCBABABABADCBBBABBBDAAADBAAAFCBBCAEC
Level 10 : Divide by 2
J>A?AHC>CEAGC>CCAGC>A?AHABACABDBBCABCBDDADCBDDAEBBABAAEBACAAEBDDAAEBCEACDBBEACCBDAAACBCAAABBDAAADBAAAFEBD@ABCBC?ADBBC@AABBB@ACABDDAADBC?AAABC?AACBA?AA=BA@AA=BDAAA=BC>AABBD>AACBC>AAABD=AABBD=AAABD=AA?BD=AA@BD=AA>BA>AA=BA=AA=
Level 11 : Accept Divisible by 2
JBCBAABBDBAECBCCAABBDCAADBCDACDBBDACCBDCADCBABAAEBDCAAEBA@AABBA?AABBD?AADBD?AAEBDAADEBC@AAEBA@AECBDAAACBD?ADCBDAAADBDAAA@BDAAAABDAAABBDAAA>BDAAA?BDAAA=BB>ABCBA>ABD
Level 12 : Powered Stoppers
F>ABAGC>ABAHCBACAECBDAAAABDAAA@BDAAA?
Level 13 : Reverse Sign
J>DDAIE>C?AGA>DCAGB>DBAHA>ADAIC>CEAGC>BAAHA>D=AGABABAAEBCEAACBDDAAEBDDAADBBEACBBBDAEABDDADBBDDAACBDCAA@BDCAAABABAAABCBAC@BACAACBDCAA?BDCAA>BCCAA=BCBAA=BBCABBBB?AA@BC@AA@BD?AABBA?ACCBC@AADBD@AAEBC?ADDBA?ABEBCAABBBA@AAABC@AABBCAAA@BAAAAABB@AACBCAAADBAAAFEBDAAA=BA?AAABC>AADBA>AAABD=AACBD=AADBD=AABBACAAEBA=AAA
Level 14 : x2 Until Over 10
J>CDAGD>ACAG>>C?AHC>DCAG?>ABAG?>C>AH?>D>AI@BCCACEBABACABDBAAEBABAADBACADDBADACABCEAC@BCDAC@BBDAEDBDEACABACAE>BDCAD?BDCAC@BACACABADAE?BABAE?BA?ABBBA?ACABB@AABBCAAACBC@AACBC?ADCBAAACABA?ACDBD@AADBAAAFDBA@ACABA?AAEBA@AAEBDAAAEBA?AA=BDAAA=BA@AA=BCCABCBD>AA?BD>AA>BBBAACBD>AA@BA>AAEBA>AFABD>AABBD>AACBB=AABBB=AADBB=AACBA=AAEBB=AA@BB=AAABB=AA?BA>AA=
Level 15 : Add 50
H@DDAID@DDAGC@BBAHB@DBAID@DCAGD@DAAGB@DDAGA@DDAIB@DDAI@@DDAG?BAAAFDBCAABCBABAADBCBAAABDBAABBDAAA@BB@AB@BDDAA@BDAAAABAAABBBA@ABBBDAAA?BB@ABABDDAAABDDAACBDDAADBACAADBCBAACBDDAA?BDDAABBC@ABCBDAAA>BADAE>BA?AB@BD?ABABD?ABBBD?ABC
Level 16 : Multiply by 3
H>ABAIB>BCAGA>CBAG@>CCAHB>B@AHA>D?AIA>CCAG?>CBAGA>BCAG@>B?AH@>CDAG@>CDAGA>B>AHABABAABBABAAABDCAACBC@AA@BCCAE?BB@AACBD?AACBC@AADBD?AADBC@ABBBD?AABBAAAFDBCAAACBDCAADBD?AA?BD@AAABDCAAABDCAD@BBBAB@BDBAACBBDAC@BDCAABBCDAAABA?AA>BA@AA>BD?AA@BDAAA>BD?ADABDBAFDBA>AA@BD>AAABA>ACB
Level 17 : Return Tens Digit
N>CEAGA>CDAGA>DDAIG>D>AGE>D>AID>C>AHCBDDAE@BDCAEABAAAFGBABAAGBACAAGBB@ACEBC@ADFBD@ABGBDDACEBCFACCBBGAACBAFAAABBGAAABBGAABBDFACEBCFAAFBBGAAEBCGAAFBDFACDBBGAADBBEACDBAEACEBADACDBDDACCBCEAAFBDDAAFBDDAAGBCEACCBA?AA;BA@AA;BDAAA;BDDACBBAEAAABD>AA=BD>AAAA;BCAAAFBD>AADBC?AAFBDDADABA=AADBB=ABCBD>AA@BD>AAABD>AABBD>AACBD>AA>BD>AA?BD>AAFBD>AAE
Level 18 : Return Sum of Digits
N>AFAGD>AFAGC>DBAHC>DBAIE>DGAGB>DBAID>DBAGA>DEAIG>BCAG?>D=AIE>C=AHD>D=AIB>C=AH?>D=AGFBCAAE?BCBAE>BAAAFGBD@ABGBB@ACEBC@ADFBCAAAFBC?AAFBA?ACDBDBAA@BDBAAABCCAA@BDEAAGBDEAAFBCEACEBACAAGBDDACEBDDACDBAEAACBADAAGBDBAFGBDBAAFBDBAADBABAACBDBAAEBDCAACBDDACCBBFACABBFAACBBFAC@BBEAABBBGAEBBBFAADBBFADBBAEAC@BA?AA;BA@AA;BDAAA;BDCAABBDDACBBC@ACBBCBACBBCCAAABDDACABADAC@BCAACBBC?ACBBCFAAEBD=AAEBA@ACDBD=AACBD=AADBAAACDBD=AABBD=AAABD=AA>BDBAD?BD=AA?BD=AA@BBCAC?BD=AAFBD=AA=BD=AAACDBB>ACCBB>ACBBC>AAFBA>AA;BB
Level 19 :Count
L>CFAGC>AEAGC>CEAGD>CDAGB>ADAGC>BFAI>>BEAG=>BBAHC>DDAI?>BCAH?>ADAI@>BDAG=>BFAG?>BFAI@>D=AIB>D=AGC>B=AGE>C=AIA>BBADAA>BADAA=BACAB=BAEAA>BBFAA=BBFAA>BBFAA?BAEAA=BCDAA?BDBAA>BDBAA?BDCAA?BA?AAAAEBCDACEBDCADEBD=AADBAAAFFBD=AAEBA>AABA
Level 20 :Black Box
L>AEAG?>ADAHD>BAAG>DFAG=>AEAH?>DBAHF>CFAG>>CFAH>>BEAG>>DEAH=>DAAHE>BDAG>>DFAI?>ADAH?>ADAG?BABAADBACACDBDBABCBCCABCBAAABCBDAAABBCBABBBBCABBBAEACFBADACFBDFACFBACACFBABAAFBAAAFFBABAEEBCAAAEBDFACCBDFAABBDFACDBDAAC@BDAACABCCAAABCDAAABDEACBBDEACCBDEACDBCDADBBDCAC>BACAD=BCCACBDBAB>BDAAABD=AA?BD=AABBD=AAABA=AA
Solution to the challenge "Accept box larger than the previous
L@BEAIF@BDAG?@CDAGB@BEAHE@DEAIB@BDAGA@BFAG?@BDAG@@DEAGC@DAAGF@BFAG@@CAAHC@D?AGC@D@AGC@C>AHA@C=AHCBACAAFBAAAFFBABAAFBDEAABBCFAABBADAABBDEAACBBFAA@BDEAA@BBDAA@BBDAAABDEAAABBFAAABAEAE>BDEAD?BBFAC?BBDAB?BDAAACBDAAADBDAAAABDAAABBDEAAFBDAAA=BDAAA>BDAAA?BDAAA@BC?AACBDEAAEBA?AADBA@AA?BA?AA?BD@AADBDEAADBC@AACBDAAAAD?BADAAFBD>AA@BA>AADBD>AACBD>AAABD>AABBA>AE>BDAAAEBB=AACBA=AADBB=AABBB=ACABA=AE?BA
Thanks Pyro! Still working through these, but I won't be surprised if I end up turning to your solutions for a few hints on the last few.
In the meantime, here's a simpler solution I found for Level 13:
J@DCAH?@D?AH?@BCAGCBC@AB?BA@AA>BA?AA>BB?AA?BDAAA>BDAAA?BDAAA=BD@AB@BA?AA@BDAAACBDAAADBAAAFEBDAAABBDAAAABDAAD@BABAAEBBBABDBDCAAEBDCADDBBCAECBBDACDBCDAAEBDBAC@BCCAA@BABAC?BCBAA>BBCAA?BCCAA>
Another solution for level 15 (I like the symmetry):
H>ABAID@DCAID@B@AGB@DDAID@DAAHB@ADAIC@ABAIC@ABAIB@ACAIC@ACAGBBAAAFDBC?ABDBD?ABCBDAAB>BA?AABBABAADBC@ABDBA>ABCBDDAADBD>ABDBACAADBB@ABCBA@AABBCAABCBBAAABBDAAAABDAAA@BDAAA?BCDAACBDBAACBABAABBCCAACBACAEB
Would anyone have a moment to look over my attempt at level 18? I'm probably overcomplicating it a bit (and I couldn't get Pyro's string for that one to work), but that's not the problem. The problem is that it's failing with a box collision on the third testcase (15). I don't want to call this a game bug until I'm certain, but I've been staring at it for the better part of an hour and just can't see where this collision is supposed to be happening. It occurs one tick after my first "remainder" box has been disposed of, just as my first "tens counter" block hits the stopper in the very center of the machine. I don't see any boxes anywhere near any other boxes at that moment. Any ideas?
NAACBD>AAEBD>AADBD>AA@BD>AABBD>AAABD>AA?BD>AA>BD>AAAA=BA>AA;BD>AAFBD>AAGBBFACCBBGAAFBAFADFBCFACDBAGAEEBAFAAEBDBADBBDAAABBCCACBBC@AB?BC@AB@BB?AA@BC?AA?BDAAAABA@AAABA?AAABA@AA;BDAAA;BA?AA;BDAAA=BA@ABBCAAA
Umm... your input string does not seem to work for me. Says it's corrupt, and I removed the space at the end.
Thats my lvl 18 solution:
N:DBAIG:CAAHC:DAAID:DAAGE>BEAG?>BDAGD>BDAGF>CDAG@>BCAGE>BCAGF>CEAGA>BDAGE>BFAG?>D@AHCBDAAABBBBAAABDAAA;BDAAA<BDAAA?BDAAA=BDAAA>BCDAE@BCEAD@BCEAEABAEAC?BCCAA>BBBAA>BCEAA>BBBAA?BACABBBADABBBCDAA>BABAAGBACACGBCBACFBBDAEFBBEABCBBEABDBBDAADBBBAACBDCABCBAEABEBDAAAABBDAAEBADACGBAEACGBDAAA@BDAAACBBBAA@BDAAADBBBAABBDAAAEBDGACEBABAADBBCAAEBBCAAFBDGACGBAFACGBAAAFGBACADDBDGACCBA@ABBBCFAA@BDFAAABDGAA?BDGAAABDGAA@BCFAA>BBFAA?BCGAA>BDGACDBDFABDBDGACBBDFABCBDFAABBDGACFBDFABEBA@ABFBDAADFBBEABBBA@AADBB@ABC
Sorry about that...thanks for trying. I'm not sure what happened with that copy and paste, but this should be better.
N8DAAH@AA=BA@ABAAGBD>AAFBD>AABBD>AA@BD>AAABD>AA?BD>AA>BD>AACBD>AAEBA>AA;BD>AADBD>AABDAAA=BAFAAEBAGAEEBAGAEGBBGAAFBCFACDBBFACCBDAAAABA@AAABA?AAABB?AA@BC@AAGBC?AAGBDAAABBCBAEABC?AA?BDAAA?BCAAA@BAEACCBADACCBDCAAGBCDAAGBCBACEBDCAAEBDDACEBCEAAGBAEACFBDDACFBDAADEBAAAFFBABAAFBDCAFFBCAADGBCFAAGBAFADF
Doesn't work either, remember you need to replace all
> with >
and all
< with <
Ah, thanks...and all @ with @ too, apparently, or I get an "email protected" link in the middle of it. But now it overflows the spoiler box when I preview and can't be copied out.
I give up. Wish the developer would have chosen an encoding scheme that's less HTML-unfriendly.
THANK YOU @pyro89!
This is a lovely game BUT it could be so much easier to access as I found it massively infuriating in its instructions and elements of the general interface.
Positive boxes could quite easily be coloured blue to help one's understanding of the process and I frequently didn't connect the yellow bar instructions with what you were meant to do - eventually I understood but it took me a few levels for it to really click.
Again, thank you to @pyr89 for providing all of those examples of how some of the levels were done, it was as enjoyable to set them up and watch what it is that you did to succeed!
But still, a very very promising game!
Just post a link to pastebin.
Update