Tangled Stones, v1.5.4, documentation

2D puzzle game for Android inspired by various games about tangled webs.

Controls

The stones are moved by the drag-and-drop mechanism using a mouse/touchscreen.

Resetting the game field is done with the @ button.

Gameplay

Description of the Game Field

The game field is represented by a set of square stones. The stones are arranged in the center of the field close to each other in the form of a square grid.

Every two stones except for one (the number of the stones is odd) are connected to each other by a rope. The pairing of the stones is random.

The game field is limited by a barrier. There is a hole in the center of the bottom side of the barrier.

Functioning of the Game Field

The player can move any stone. The other stones and the barrier are obstacles.

By default, all the stones are frozen, i.e. they cannot move. When the player interacts with a stone, it becomes unfrozen. The stone connected to it also becomes unfrozen. All the other stones remain frozen and still cannot move! When the interaction with the stones is over, the stones are frozen again.

The rope connecting the stones is indestructible. Its length can decrease, but it cannot increase. The connected stones cannot be further apart than when they were created, but they can be closer.

If a stone is moved outside the barrier, it is removed from the game field.

Game Goal and Statistics

The game goal is to clear the game field of stones. This is done by moving the stones into the hole in the barrier.

The game keeps statistics by memorizing the minimum number of actions for all game sessions. One action in this case is a continuous movement of a stone (i.e. release the stone — complete the action).