# Fabulous online physics-based game **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 21, 2008, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233 "2008-07-21T05:32:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/1 "2008-07-21T05:32:14Z")
I give you: [Fantastic Contraption](http://fantasticcontraption.com/) Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to transport a little pink object into a goal area. To do this, you build a contraption out of five materials - wheels, either spinning (either direction) or freewheeling, solid sticks, and “water sticks” which can pass through other materials. There’s no limit to the complexity of your machine aside from the space you have to build it in, so while the first level can be solved by simply moving the parcel to the right side of the hill and letting it bounce into the goal, I constructed a ridiculously overdone quasi-catapult device just as an example: [Silliness](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=25940). Oh, and that’s the other thing - you can save your machine and post links to it to amaze your friends. I’ll refrain from posting many examples for the moment to allow you the pleasure of coming up with your own solutions untainted by prior ideas. However, I would encourage the posting of particularly unique, elegant, complicated, or otherwise entertaining solutions. Have fun, and don’t blame me for your total lack of productivity at work. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/2 "2008-07-21T06:52:47Z")
[This one, on the other hand (for Around the Bend)](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=26282) is simplicity itself. As was [this one for Mind the Gap](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=26291) In concept, they’re both simple, actually, but in execution, both took a lot of tweaking to make them actually work. ---
**Author:** ![Omi\_no\_Kami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/3 "2008-07-21T07:02:17Z")
Out of curiosity, has anyone worked out a good solution for the last level? I’ve been having the most success using a clockwise wheel to extend a thin bridge, but I’ve had little luck building a vehicle that can actually traverse the bridge’s high grade. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/4 "2008-07-21T11:26:31Z")
Here’s my solution for [Mind the Gap](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=27237). ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/5 "2008-07-21T11:45:03Z")
And here’s my solution to [Junkyard](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=27320). ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/6 "2008-07-21T12:04:59Z")
[Drive chains are remarkably useful](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=27389). I really should be getting back to work now. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/7 "2008-07-21T12:44:53Z")
[Mission to mars](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=27536) – who needs rockets? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/8 "2008-07-21T13:14:58Z")
[QUOTE=Omi no Kami] Out of curiosity, has anyone worked out a good solution for the last level? I’ve been having the most success using a clockwise wheel to extend a thin bridge, but I’ve had little luck building a vehicle that can actually traverse the bridge’s high grade. [/QUOTE] My solution to Unpossible is a tethered catapult of sorts. It’s not very elegant, though. The dominant strategy appears to be some sort of deploying ramp with a tethered car driving up and swinging in. > **[Fantastic Contraption - Launch Level](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=23684)** > > The classic physics puzzle game from 2008. Build whimsical machines to solve puzzles. Now available on Steam with new updates coming soon! And for your amusement, here’s a brute force solution to Awash. Takes a while, but (usually) gets there. > **[Fantastic Contraption - Launch Level](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=25720)** > > The classic physics puzzle game from 2008. Build whimsical machines to solve puzzles. Now available on Steam with new updates coming soon! ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/9 "2008-07-21T13:44:57Z")
A solution to[On a Roll](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=27832) ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/10 "2008-07-21T13:55:07Z")
A [two-part solution](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=27889) to Fill 'er Up ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/11 "2008-07-21T14:15:45Z")
This is a simple, but not really all that elegant, [solution to Higher.](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=28002) ---
**Author:** ![atomicbadgerrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/12 "2008-07-21T14:27:16Z")
Fun game. Took me about 45 minutes, but I got through it. Unpossible turned out to be one of the simplest, IMO. [QUOTE=Scribble] This is a simple, but not really all that elegant, solution to Higher. [/QUOTE] [My solution](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=28077) wasn’t much less crude. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Omi\_no\_Kami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/13 "2008-07-21T15:01:33Z")
[QUOTE=Gorsnak] My solution to Unpossible is a tethered catapult of sorts. It’s not very elegant, though. The dominant strategy appears to be some sort of deploying ramp with a tethered car driving up and swinging in. > **[Fantastic Contraption - Launch Level](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=23684)** > > The classic physics puzzle game from 2008. Build whimsical machines to solve puzzles. Now available on Steam with new updates coming soon! And for your amusement, here’s a brute force solution to Awash. Takes a while, but (usually) gets there. > **[Fantastic Contraption - Launch Level](http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=25720)** > > The classic physics puzzle game from 2008. Build whimsical machines to solve puzzles. Now available on Steam with new updates coming soon! [/QUOTE] Thanks for the link! It looks like my tethered catapult didn’t work because I put far, far too few wheels on it. 😃 I love the brute force solution to Awash. [My solution](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=28255) always felt a little cheap to me. ---
**Author:** ![Omi\_no\_Kami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/14 "2008-07-21T15:09:46Z")
[QUOTE=atomicbadgerrace] [My solution](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=28077) wasn’t much less crude. 😃 [/QUOTE] I had fun making [mine](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=28310) ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/15 "2008-07-21T16:34:57Z")
I’m pretty proud of [THIS](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=28928) solution. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/16 "2008-07-21T16:51:33Z")
I like [this solution to Full-up](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=29064). Spent a long time trying to get that damn ball to fill that damn hole first. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/17 "2008-07-21T17:13:44Z")
This is fun, and looking at how others solved some levels, I guess I’m more one for the brute force approach… For the ‘Awash’ level, I constructed this little thing: [Conveyordozer](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=29191) ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/18 "2008-07-21T17:14:21Z")
I think this one rightly deserves the title of… [FAIL](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=29282). Huh, strange, it works this time. The last time I tried it, it got almost all the way to the top… a few balls got caught underneath, and it rolled all the way off the map. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/19 "2008-07-21T17:18:14Z")
[THIS ONE](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=29321) took a lot of tinkering. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233/20 "2008-07-21T17:34:13Z")
[QUOTE=Scribble] Here’s my solution for [Mind the Gap](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=27237). [/QUOTE] Heh, that’s clever. I tried a few variants of that, but could never get the proportions right. Here’s my [Mission to Mars](http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=26317) (the 3 at the bottom are just weight, the other three actually drive it). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-online-physics-based-game/457233.md?page=2)