Web spotlight: Fantastic Contraptions

AbleGamers does not typically cover web-based games, however, every once in awhile something incredibly cool comes along that makes us break the rules.  Recently a friend of mine introduced me to such a game called Fantastic Contraption.

If you have ever played the game called Crazy Machines, then you will be familiar with the concept of Fantastic Contraption.  Relying on the laws of physics to determine the motion of several parts that you are given in a sandbox typesetting, this game allows creativity and fun with just a little bit of learning.  The basic idea starts with a small pink object that must be moved from the area where you build contraptions to a specified goal.

In order to build your contraptions you are given a set of tools that includes: a wheel that rolls forward, a wheel that rolls backward, a wheel that will not roll at all unless pushed, water rods that can be placed to link together any object, and finally wooden rods that hold form better but cannot pass through other objects.

The first basic 20 levels are free for play without even registering.  However, you can register in order to save your designs or send them to your friends.  Of course, you knew there had to be a money catch somewhere, for the low price of $10 via PayPal you can purchase 13 additional bonus levels as well as access to player created levels.  Once you have a licensed login account you can make your own levels and participate in challenges by the player base.

As if they had not invented enough complications, the player base has invented a few qualifiers as different ways to beat the levels.  First is green, which means the use of no powered wheels, and brown, which means not using the wheels at all.  Champion, which means you not only get the object to the goal but you also make it stay in the goal.  Finally, we have boomerang, which means that after getting the object to the goal line you bring it back to where it started.

All and all this is the most fascinating web based game I have played in a long time.  The controls are very easy, click the tool you want and then click on the builder area.  There are no options for speed or controls; however, other than for the visually impaired I believe this game is fully accessible.  I am not an expert on colorblind disorders but I believe the differences in the reds and blues should be sufficient to be able to differentiate the colors.  Moreover, I managed to waste hours of AbleGamers editor-in-chief's time by introducing him to this game, so that means it must be good!

Go check it out now at http://fantasticcontraption.com/

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