Chip's Challenge/Levels 1-20

The first page of this walkthrough covers level 1 (LESSON 1) through level 20 (TOSSED SALAD).

Level 1: LESSON 1
The first eight levels of Chip's Challenge are lessons: they teach the basic workings of the game, and introduce specific tiles in groups.

Lesson 1's lessons:

 * To play the game, Chip must collect all specified computer chips to pass through the socket, which will allow him to exit within the time limit.
 * The locks are opened by their color keys. Each key works only once, but can be stacked; the green key, however, is infinite.
 * The hint is a valuable tool for Chip.

To solve this level, move 2L 2U L, take this key and chips, then swap this for a green key and go in a counterclockwise circle to get the rest of the chips. Your first 83 seconds!

Lesson 2's lessons:

 * The blocks can remove water, which is deadly to Chip if he steps on it (unless he has flippers, introduced later).
 * Dirt blocks the passage of blocks (and monsters), and can be removed by Chip.
 * Monsters are deadly to Chip on contact, forcing him to start the level over. This type of monster is the bug - they follow the left wall until there is no obstacle, then turn west.

Lesson 2 is likely slightly easier than Lesson 1, as it requires less thinking. Take the two chips and then move blocks 2 and 1 over the top part of the water, touching the dirt both times. The bugs can be ignored with this route; take the top, then the bottom chip, and exit to the west. This scores 90.

Lesson 3's lessons:

 * Water, fire, ice and force floors can be passed like normal tiles, with some exceptions in the case of ice, with the use of flippers, fire boots, ice skates and suction boots. The ice corners can be skated over from within the tile (not into the tile) if the move is legal; should there be a floor to the west of the ice corners, Chip could move L off the ice corner. This is not, however, allowed in Lynx.
 * Fire will kill Chip without fire boots; ice will slide anything on it uncontrollably, and force floors will slide objects other than Chip similarly, but Chip can override them by stepping off in any direction.

This level is still simpler; get the flippers, then the ice skates, the fire boots, and then the suction boots and chip below you. To exit, follow in either direction. The best time is 89.

Lesson 4's lessons:

 * Tanks are monsters controlled by the blue button. A tank moves until it hits something and then will not move until a blue button is pressed; then it moves in the opposite direction. More aspects of the tank can be discussed later.
 * Objects can be under blocks, for better or for worse. Chip will immediately be affected by the item under the block.
 * Toggle walls are controlled by the green button, and all toggle walls switch every time one is pressed.

There are three separate rooms in Lesson 4, each introducing the above concepts separately:

West room: Go along the path and switch the tanks to collect the chip.

South: Avoid block 3; move block 2 L and move 2D 2L 2U 2R to take the chips on the other four.

East: The path splits into two paths, which lead to four, and then to a chip apiece. Take the top chips, then the bottom, and then go back to the center and exit. The best time is 116.

Lesson 5's lessons:

 * The clone machine creates a monster (or block) in the direction it is pointed, whenever the specified red button is pressed. The trap traps anything that steps on it, and is only released when the specified brown button is pressed.
 * The fireball runs and turns right when it runs into an obstacle. Fire does not affect it. The glider turns left instead, and water does not affect it. All other monsters die in fire and water, with two exceptions. The pink ball bounces back and forth every time it hits an obstacle.
 * The bomb destroys any object that touches it. Monsters and blocks are erased, and Chip will die!

Lesson 5 is definitely one of the harder lessons in the group. Move to the top, release the pink ball to slow the cloning down, and take the red key. You can now enter the upper room; release the glider into the bomb with the two brown buttons to exit for a time of 85.

Lesson 6's lessons:

 * The invisible wall, shown as a black X in maps, cannot be seen and will never be seen, but acts as a wall. The hidden wall, shown as a white tile with a black border in maps, cannot be seen but will be revealed as a wall when Chip touches it. Other objects will not reveal either of these.
 * The blue wall, shown as a teal tile in play and as a translucent blue tile or blue-tinged wall on the map, can be real or fake, which can only be determined in play if Chip touches it, and is only removable by Chip.
 * There may be extra chips. Collecting more will only keep the counter at zero.

With a map, Lesson 6 is trivial, but it's uncommonly frustrating in this group otherwise. Move 3L 3U 3L D, collect the chips and then return to the exit. As can be seen in the map, you cannot reach the other four chips, but you have enough already. The best time is 94.

Lesson 7's lessons:

 * The teleport takes any object to the next teleport in reverse reading order: Chip's Challenge reads due west, then moves up a row and continues, starting from the current location and wrapping back to the southeast if required. The object comes out on the opposite side of the new teleport from where it entered the old one, so this move must be legal. If no legal exit is found, the object slides across or bounces back, depending on whether sliding across is legal.
 * The thief takes all boots Chip is holding and blocks other objects.
 * The recessed wall blocks everything but Chip, who can pass through it only once before it turns to wall.

Lesson 7 is most likely the hardest of the seven lessons, as it combines several more advanced concepts and also sets up a devious trap! If both boots are collected, the thief will take both, and Chip cannot reach the other chip.

Slide D through the teleport, take the chip, and U to the flippers. Continue DL, through the water to one of the chips, and then back to the start. Now, you will take the fire boots with RL, then slide U to take the last chip, and teleport into the exit room to win the level for 139.

Lesson 8's lessons:

 * Dirt is usable as a tile, as well as creating it from water; in addition to blocks, it also stops monsters from passing it. Gravel is similar but unremovable, and blocks only monsters.
 * The teeth is introduced; he moves on every other turn, always towards the moving Chip, either horizontally or vertically depending on which is further. If both are tied, the vertical move is always chosen.

Although the teeth is often feared, it is actually a very easy monster to combat. The trickiest part is doing it quick; anti-teeth play is held in high regard. To win Lesson 8, play 4R, U or D, and east to the chip, then further east to the exit.

This solution will require odd step mode at this speed. This basic mechanic determines whether teeth and a later monster known as the blob move on step 2 or step 3, as Chip starts with a free move. Even step is step 3, and odd step is step 2. In even step, wait one additional move, and this will not cost Chip a score of 96.

There is a control in Tile World that allows you to set this feature simply by pressing O; in MS, you'll have to be more interactive. Chip will always begin a session in even step; he can change to odd step by using clock setting after an odd number of seconds. However, if the patch Fullsec is downloaded, Chip is allowed to change modes by simply pressing F5.

For people learning how to deal with teeth, playing around with this level for a while will allow for valuable lessons!

Level 9: NUTS AND BOLTS
Finally, we get to the tougher levels. You might find some beginners already starting to stumble...it's the way to the exit that hangs them up.

Start with the yellow key, bust through its lock, and hold the east key until you stop in front of a block. Move this 2U, then step RDR, use the block, and take the remaining three blocks to the water by themselves. This allows you to open the red lock onto an ice rink; step into it with R, then slide DLULDRULD 2R DLULU. Touch the green button twice, using the force floor as an extra boost on both touches, and then continue to the blue key. Use this to initiate a chain of keys that leads to the red lock; wait half a move to avoid being hit and slide to the next area.

This room contains bugs walking around through an "S"; the top chip is currently open, so move 4U and west. Sneak into the room to the left and collect the chip, then move into the block room to your right. Four blocks are diagonally located from each other; move block 1 R, then use blocks 3 and 4, collect the chip in this room, and use block 2. Now, nick the last block R and get behind it to finish the bombs. Expropriate the three chips, with one being under a block, and head towards the socket, collecting the final chip from the bugs.

In this final area, the fireball is stuck on the trap, and releasing it will simply cause it to circle around again without you being able to reach the exit. An easy way to fix this is to drop the block onto the brown button and then exit the level. Quite a nutty solution! You should have 306.

Level 10: BRUSHFIRE
It's a big, but not hard, maze of fire, and it's completed with a series of moves: 4D 4R 4U 12R 3D 3L U 7L 7D L 3D 8R U 10R 10D 4R 2U L 3U R 2U L 6U 3R 18D 5L 2U 10L 7U 5R. An additional property of the bug that you can see in Brushfire is that it treats fire as an obstacle; it will therefore move through this maze, but you won't be seeing it with this 51 route. If you go slower, you might see him.

Level 11: TRINITY
The level contains three keys and three different monsters guarding them, three boots and their hazards, and three chips.

Begin with D 3L D, then walk to the extreme west, turn slightly north, and then circle to the west to reach the red key from the fireball. With flawless boosting, Chip can just make it safely. Move back onto the extreme west, go to the southwest corner, and then east to the yellow key. When you pass the start, take the ice skates before you continue east and take the path to the north. This leads to the last key, then down to the southeast corner, and then take the up force floor to a west force floor, and to another west force floor, which brings you back to the start. Now, take the flippers, its chip, the fire boots, its chip, and skate up and west to the third chip. The exit is down the path to the right, which is reached at 211.

Level 12: HUNT
Fortunately, not all the chips are required (there's actually 788 chips in this level). What makes it difficult are the teeth at the bottom of the level! There are many, many solutions to Hunt, even many that lead to 270.

Play as follows: U 12L 4U 3R 2D, all the way east and west, then up another row and 10R, up again and 18L 2D 4L, across to the west, and then collecting the columns of seven on the far west as the teeth escape. As Chip moves 29R across the very top of the level, the teeth will become lodged between a strip of chips and the three-wall sections to the northwest and northeast, due to the matching chips left in one layer to the northwest of the wall section. As all the chips remaining aside from a few, such as the ones in the wall corners and the ones left behind to block the teeth, are below the trapped area, there is little need for further guidance.

Generally, ignore the chips in the four wall corners; they cause a diversion from collecting chips continuously. The only other time Chip will not be collecting chips is when diving into the center to finish the level; this should be done at about 100 to 150 chips remaining, as there are 180 chips in the center.

Level 13: SOUTHPOLE
Southpole is the first untimed level, and in addition the first level where Chip can never die. The hint next to Chip says "What was the name of this level?" This suggests a solution where Chip holds south the entire duration (5D). However, a slightly faster solution, though not enough for an extra second if the level were timed, is RDL 2U 3D. Either route scores a theoretical 982 time under T-Chip rules.

Level 14: TELEBLOCK
When you teleport to the main area, you'll find four block sections, three with another key behind them; teleport LRL and U, then open the top red lock, move the block in, slide R, and push the block to the water on the west. Slide RU back to the area, throw the second block in, and now open the lock to the west, use block 1, slide U and step R, and now use this block and slide UL back. Again, throw the block in and open the south red lock, then slide L and step U, and use the two blocks to the right and the south.

Slide UD, throw the block in and open the east lock, slide D and now use all three blocks, and then slide back LR to throw the last block in. Jump D into the teleport, use the last block, and slide south to exit the level for 203.

Currently, however, the record stands at 204, and I've puzzled away at it with no result. Sometime, we'll find out what it is, since it's not that big.

Level 15: ELEMENTARY
Elementary is a good way to learn how to move through corridors, because even with the 89 seconds remaining in the bold route, you can actually run out of time! Fortunately, there's some useful time-savers which will reduce this possibility.

Use the red key on the left to collect flippers and a blue key, then the blue key to collect suction boots and a red key, and swim through the water, holding to the right, to two chips and a blue key. In the southwest is one more chip; now, come out to the force floors, take the two chips and red key in the east section, then turn south and continue south to one more chip. In this room, Chip can sacrifice the suction boots; however, this loses more time than it saves.

With those two removed, go to the right side and unlock the blue lock to take fire boots and a red key, then through the red lock to collect an ice skate and blue door. Move the block L out of the way, then go into the fire and turn first west to two chips, then east to a red key and chip. In the ice section, make the first turn east to one chip, follow the path further and turn south next to a blue key, then move under the thief and collect two chips. In this case, the time spent going to the thief is less than the time saved by sliding, so throw the boots away and slide back!

To finish, push the block L again, open the blue lock and socket to allow Chip to hold down the brown button before opening the red lock to exit. This scores 89 seconds, and it might be elementary to some.

Level 16: CELLBLOCKED


Cellblocked is a maze level, where any wrong turn requires you to restart. While Cellblocked has no deadly obstacles or time limit, unlike Southpole, a mistake is as good as death. However, if a mistake is made, simply move to another level and return to your current level rather than use the restart command, as this preserves your full level score.

Level 17: NICE DAY
You won't get this every time, because this level contains a new monster: the walker. Besides blobs, the walker is usually the most hated monster of any player! It moves like a fireball or glider, but makes a random turn when it hits something. In addition, the walker will also treat fire as an obstacle.

Play 5L, collect the first "eye" 2U R 2D, run east to the other eye and pick it up the same way, and now walk 5L 7D or any route as such depending on the walkers. Continue to take the "smiling" chips all the way west, then exit to the lower left. 83 will result if the toggle walls did not block Chip; because the walkers can hit the green buttons and clash with the pink balls which also hit the buttons, this is not guaranteed.

Level 18: CASTLE MOAT
Looking at the map, you can spot in the upper right corner a pair of flippers, which dramatically decrease the difficulty of Castle Moat.

Go along the only available path until you reach the area with the blocks, and walk alternately east and north to where a block is in the middle of a vertical wall. Knock this 2R 2U, then move the other block to take the flippers. Swim through the moat and there comes 553.

Level 19: DIGGER
Digger is a series of variations on a theme of teeth, and it can get rather annoying. However, this guide is foolproof, and will work every time if you follow the instructions! This guide will assume odd step; it will work in even step with one move dropped at the start.

Follow the chips out to the exit and 8U, then 6L 2D and continue to follow 3U 11R, down, R 5U to give him room, then follow to the next teeth and 5L 5D 8R (teeth) L 7D (teeth) 8L 2U (to shorten the path later) 4D 5L UD 8L D. At this point, a relatively simple path remains, but the teeth are now on your tail!

Escape this teeth monster with U 3R 5U 5L 3U, follow northeast towards the exit, then turn back and collect the remaining chips counterclockwise, and now exit the level and dig up 171 seconds.

Level 20: TOSSED SALAD
Tossed Salad is the first busted level, as when originally designing it, the programmers forgot to include the socket, which means Chip does not have to take any chips! In future versions, including the MS emulation, this bust was preserved.

Run east into the teleport, then D, and Chip is now in a tank/toggle room. In here, the tanks and toggle walls swap alternately every 4 moves. An additional property of the tank which Chip can learn here is when it actually moves after being switched. The rule as it applies here is that if a monster touches a blue button, stationary tanks ahead of it in the monster order (in this case, tanks 2 and 6 that you meet) wait one move, and tanks behind it switch instantly like a pink ball.

Walk to the bottom and across the bottom, turn to the north and wait one move, then proceed to the red key. From this, wait for the tank to switch back, go to the next tank and wait for it to turn back right (as it will switch shortly), and now open the red lock at the top, slide east to a pair of fire boots, and squeeze past the bouncing ball below when it moves to the very far right. Follow the path onto a force floor, west to more force floors, and now R 4D 2R 3D through these tanks to take the yellow key. Wait one move, run all the way north through the tanks, wait two moves and run through the balls, then open the yellow lock to the exit. The result is 340 seconds, and a bunch of mad programmers.