Chip's Challenge/Levels 21-40

This is a continuation of the walkthrough for Chip's Challenge. Levels 21 (ICEBERG) through 40 (FLOORGASBORG) will be discussed here.

Level 21: ICEBERG
To begin with, you can't use the cloned dirtbricks to bridge to the exit "island" — there are invisible barriers. Therefore, move the first block 3R2U from where it's cloned, and follow with a second, then a third, at which point you pause just a tad before following the block on the right turn - otherwise you'll heave the block over the ice turn and drown! Bring a fourth block along, again waiting here, and then move off the ice as such: 6LU10RL2U2R2DLD4RU3RDLUL, and with all the chips, you can take a "back door" to the exit by holding the south key. When you arrive, change to west, and drop into the exit to score 119.

Level 22: FORCED ENTRY
Yikes. ;) You'll hate this one fast. Fortunately, this level is going to be short: only seven seconds for this 293 route. The important factor in this route is that overriding a force floor directly is double your running speed, but overriding by stepping in a perpendicular direction is quadruple your running speed!

This is the route: Hold east, take the chip you reach, and then play as follows: Hold 7D to take the chip, then D5L to reach another chip on the left. The remaining moves are: LDL (chip) D (wait, oppose the west force floor) 5D (slide on the ice) 2D (chip) D2R (chip), hold 5R and slide the ice, 3R to the next chip, L2D to the last, and L2D to be thrown to the exit.

Interestingly, if you press R and just sit back and wait, you reach the exit, although without any chips.

Level 23: BLOBNET
Out of the frying pan and into the fire...This level is a pure monster. There is nothing I can really suggest to you because the higher routes are just way too unlikely to be posted here. I would recommend even-step, however.

The skeleton route is: 2L D U 3R 3D 7R 3U 2L 5R 3D 3R 5D 2U 3L 7D 3R 3D 3L 7D 3R 2U 5D 3L 3D 5L 2R 3U 7L 3D 3L 3U 7L 3D 2R 5L 3U 3L 5U 2D 3R 7U 3L 3U 3R 7U 3L 2D 5U 3R 3U 5R 2L 3D 5R L 3D R L 2D 2U 4L 4D 2R 2L 3D 6R U R 4U 2D 3R D 5U 3R 2D 2U 4R 4D 2L 2R 3D 5L R 3D L 5R 3D 2L 2R 4D 4L 2U 2D 3L 5U D 3L U 5D 3L 2U 2D 4L 4U 2R 2L 3U 6R D 2R 3U exit.

You can, however, start to be a little liberal at the beginning, as it is in this beginning part: 2LD3R2D5R3U2RD3R2D2R, at which point you have many similar choices to the ones made in this route. Be more and more careful as you continue, however. Also, there will be many periods where you can take a detour across a couple spaces of floor instead of staying on the gravel, and if the blob behaves ideally, you can take a shortcut with little or no risk. Additionally, remember that you cannot be killed unless the blob has already been on that space before you make the jump onto the square. If the blob is going to step next to you as you pick up the chip, you'll still be safe, and if it doesn't step, you may be able to procure a no-cost shortcut. The rest, though, is mostly Russian Roulette, and it's not something I can convey in a complete route. There is, however, an existing 433 route that plays out as follows: 2LD3R2D5R3U2RD3R2D3R3DLR2D3L5D2R3D2L7D3R2U5D3L3D3LUD2L3U5L3D3L3U7L3D2R5L3U3L5U2D3R7U3L3U3R7U3L2D5U3L3U5R2L3D5R (new stage) L5D2UR5L5DU2R3D4RUR (wait) 4U2D3RD5U5R2L4D4R2U5D5LR3DL5R3D2L2R4D4L2U2D3L5UD3LU5D3L2U2D4L4U2R2L3U6RD2R3U. However, it's not a unique route either, and it's almost prohibitively unlikely. There's also a 434 route in existence, but I do not know the exact moves, and it's just going to be harder. Even more is easily possible, but what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Not much I can tell you..

Level 24: OORTO GELD
The walls in each room are different, so the goal is to cause the gliders to touch the buttons while you're collecting the chips, but also to do it significantly fast.

This can be achieved as such: 2R2L4U2D3L3U3D2L3D3L2D2RURULR2ULRU3LULD to entrap the first one, then 4RURDRUD 2RUR2URUL. At this point, a button will be pressed every move, so you can just breeze through the room at the top. Continue to circle counterclockwise through each room, leaving the gliders the way they are (on the first room on the left, collect middle, then top and bottom) until the east side, with 12 chips left. Because of the design of the room, move the eastern block on the bottom 2U, then this block all the way east, before collecting the top chip. Knock the block down to the corner and finish this, and end the level with the upper right corner before you return to the exit. The name of the level is "TOGLE DOOR" mixed up - kind of a hint (?) 425 seconds (?).

Level 25: BLINK
It's very easy to get lost in this level because of the number of teleports and their disparity between each other, which makes it very difficult to determine where you're going to come out.

Slide in the given directions to collect the chips, and follow other instructions when given to score 435 in a blink.

U chip D chip U chip DU chip D [move left to chip] U [move all the way up to chip] RL chip R 2chip LR chip L chip R chip LR chip D chip U chip D chip UD [circle around to right side] L chip R chip L chip R chip L chip R chip LR 2chip [circle to bottom side] U 2chip D 2chip. Now, slide one last time UDUDU and continue to hold up to pop directly into the exit.

Level 26: CHCHCHIPS
Chips, chips, and more chips. Did I mention eat some tortilla chips while playing this level? :) Actually, don't; there's some obstacles that will leave you saying caramba. Take the row of chips on the top, then move 3D6L to wipe out another seven, and remove the isolated chunk followed by the four on the top and the next three down. Now, take a diversion to the balls on the right. Take four chips, wait a move, repeat, and then take the treasure and continue to walk down through the toggle wall. Remove all the chips except two from the east passageway, then backtrack to the west and finish this area. Keep taking the chips on the bottom, then release the ball before you finish with the final three. Now, you need to watch what's happening, because teeth monsters will clone! Step 4U2RDLD3R2U5R (wait) 6R to lay waste to the paramecium, remove the remaining chips on the right side with U6L5U3RL3U, and then the remaining chips to the left, and finally the chips on the far left. You can now sneak past the ball to the exit with 254 seconds to spare.

Level 27: GO WITH THE FLOW
At least this level is a lot easier. Take the fire boots first by waiting one move for the tank, and wait exactly ten moves before you can escape and slide south. Take the chip by the button, the chip below that, and hold the left key to reach three more. Slide once again to a bunch of blocks, take the first three blocks in one-by-one, and then move the fourth block U before you circle back around and finish the bridge. Now, start the slide again, but hold to the left and swim to the last chip, then take the last way out and reach the exit again. At this point, you're finished, and have a score of 147.

Level 28: PING PONG
Below the west force floor two spaces to the right is the only entrance to the main level; slide around and pop through, take the first two chips, and move the third block south, followed by the first block U and the second block into the same area, and then the first block into the next water space down. Decamp to the west, take a couple chips, and follow with the last block, and now continue to the east for two more chips, and also one chip on the far right. This allows you to move to the south-east corner, then to the center again, and dodge U to reach the two chips on the left without being hit. Go up another rung of the ladder, take these two chips and the next two on the right side, and emerge with the next two on the next highest rung. Now, you can return to the beginning room and just sneak past the ball moving east to clean out the last room and pick up a score of 239.

Level 29: ARCTICFLOW
This level is not difficult, but there are a significant amount of tricks to it. Watch out for Thor's hammer!

Start by building two bridges of five blocks to the right, then knock the block in the center of the three blocks R and use the upper block, then the bottom block, and now the one on the far right, to build a bridge on the very top - anywhere else and you won't make it. Walk to the next stage of the level: paramecia! Nudge the block in the center L, wait a move, and build another bridge as the paramecium dies. Below are four of the five chips required, but you can't bridge to them with only five blocks, and you wouldn't be able to reach the fifth chip to the west. Instead, use the center block and one of the blocks on the left to reach the fifth chip (this paramecium is not a problem) and walk and slide across the ice to what eventually turns to flippers. The trickiest part of the level is getting back; you can just slide back, holding south to override the up force floor, but it's slower. Just swim and slide instead. The required route is:

L4UL4ULUL2DL2DRDLDLD2L2U3LD2LD5LU2L5U3RUR4U4L4U4RD4R, and now collect the four remaining chips, open the socket in the upper right, and land at the exit with 302 seconds left.

Level 30: MISHMESH
Again, this level is not difficult, once you realize the patterns in which blocks are real or not. But if you don't have a map, this level is going to be another monster! To start off with, go D R 2D 3L 2D (A) 9R 4D 2L 2D 2R 2D 2R 2L 2U 4L 4U 4D 3L 2D 2L 5R. Go back to A. 2L 4D 5R 2U 3L 3R 2D 3L 2U 2L 2U 2L 4D 4L 4D 2L 2R 2U 2R 2D 2R 2L 2U 2L 2U 4R 4U 2L 2D 4L 4R 2U 4R 2U 2R 5U 2R 3D 3U 2L 4U 2R 2D 4U 3R 2U 3L 3R 2D 3L 2D 6L 2D 2U 2L 4D 2R 3D 3U 2L 3D 2L 2U 2L 3U 3D 2R 5U 2L 4U 4D 2R 2U 2R 2U 2L 2U 2L 4U 4D 2R 2D 2R 2U 4R 2U 2L 2U 2D 2R 4D 2R 2D 4L 2U 2D 4R 6U 4R 2D 3R 2D 2U 3L 2U R 2U 3L 3R 2D 4R 6D 2R 2U 4R 4U 4L 2U 4L 4R 2D 4R 4D 4L 2D 2L 2D 4R 2D 4U 2R 4D 4R 2L 2U 2R 4U 2L 6U 4L 4R 4D 2R 4U 4D 2L 2D 2R 4D 2L 2D 2L 4U 2L 2D 4L 2D (B) 2R 3D 2R U 2R 5D 2L 2U 2D 2R 2U 2R 3U 2R 3D 3U 2L 5D 2R 2D 2L 2D 2R 2D 2L 2D 2R 2D 4L 2U 2L 4U. Go back to B. 3D 2L 3U 3D 2R 2D 2R 2D 4L 2U. Return to B again. 4U 2L 2D 3L 2D R 2D exit. You have mashed your way to 454 seconds.

Level 31: KNOT
There's only twenty-nine seconds allotted in this level, so you have to be careful. When I played this level for the first time, I was walking along and I ran out of time! Then I looked at the time limit...Oh, no.

Fortunately, the level isn't hard. Start with 2R and work URDLDRURURDL2DLU2RU at each turn, and above is the exit, which will leave you with six seconds.

Level 32: SCAVENGER HUNT
This level is another classic maze hunt, and there are seven places where you're trying to reach: the three chips, the boot that will allow you to access each one, and the exit. At each successive intersection (even ones with obvious dead ends) go: DLR2DU, then follow the path to the fire boots and return, following with LUDR and get the suction boots. Backtrack all the way to the start, take the other way, and then RD to reach the chip behind the force floor. Backtrack to the last intersection and continue ULUR to the chip behind the fire, and from that intersection DLDUL to the flippers. Once again, return to the previous intersection, and move 2D (the exit is right there) RD to the last chip behind the water. With this free, go back to the exit. Don't get lost and you will get 379.

Level 33: ON THE ROCKS
A relaxing break: take as much time as you need to make bridges out of the unlimited supply of dirt blocks you have. However, I'll provide you with the fastest route known through this level:

Build six blocks down, then one east from the chip, and stuff a block into that open space (9DR, counting the ice as one space), followed by removing the water underneath it and thus allowing you to do both at once. Add a fourth floor space on top of the east row, move another block 9DR, and take another block 8D, followed by moving R4D2U2LUR and stuffing another block 10DRD, right in the outcropping. Fill in the water above, put another block 9DR, and then move a third block all the way down, followed with 2RL6U. Shove another block 9DR and move another block 9D, then maneuver R2D2LUR2D3R, take the chip, and remove another water space going up. Follow with two more spaces and slide two blocks onto the ice, causing the second to rebound back up. Meanwhile, step R, fill in the water with L, and take another block and move it R while removing the dirt. Now, move the other block 2R while you move the other one L, the first block 2L while the other one R, and then 3L to take the chip, and 4R to expose the island.

Build two spaces down from this island to free a chip, then move the block into the next island and shove it north to the water. Continue until you can reach the next cloner, then build DR (without stepping on it) and stuff two blocks 3D and 2D respectively. Now, step 2RU2L3U3DL, take the freed chip, and build all the way east to the next chip (seven spaces with the ice boost). Move an eighth block where the chip was and U, then a ninth where it was and R, and finally a tenth where it was, followed with U3RL3DULU, the replacement of the two blocks in the center row, and the repetition of this cycle two more times, to leave one block and one water space at the top, ready to exit when necessary, and now reaching another cloner. Build 14D4L, collecting all three chips in the process, and now move the single block at the top to reach the exit. This will yield a score of 683 with a theoretical 999 time limit,

Level 34: CYPHER
Well, this level really isn't a challenge at all; just walk through the rooms, avoid the bugs if they're there, and take the chips. Only two special situations arise: In the "J", with seven chips left, there's a chip in the lower left corner (everywhere else, you can see the chip as you're coming towards it), and at the exit area, you can sneak past the bug to the left if you haven't made any mistakes. The "J" is not a unique letter; you walk through twelve letters which spell out passwords to later levels: "llio" (across the top), "hppx" (middle), and "jhen" (bottom).

Level 35: LEMMINGS
As the title suggests, you need to shift the fireballs into the water. However, the solution I'm going to give was probably not intended.

Step 3D12RDR6URU3LDL2U to interfere with the lemmings, and continue to move the block 2U11L (not a typo! You can do it!), and then wait one move before you continue with LR2D2L2ULR2ULR (wait) 2R2U. You are now free for the most part, so collect the chips from bottom to top, followed by left to right, and watch as the fireballs start to pile into the spaces left behind. Walk all the way to the socket, open it up, and move 2RULD and dive into the exit! You get 576 seconds for your trouble.

Level 36: LADDER
Start climbing up and down...start with the blue key, and climb down the ladder to the left, clean out all sixteen chips, and continue to walk down to another ladder with chips. Wipe out the first five, take the blue key, and then interrupt this area to move into the corridor between the ladders. Open the blue door, which still leaves you with one key, then release the tank and pass into the room to the left. Touch this toggle button twice, then knock the second block onto the trap button, return to the toggle button, and continue to move the blocks onto the buttons and swap the doors until you reach the chip. Now, free yourself by moving the top block onto the button, release another tank, and take care of this section in the exact same manner, except with no more need for toggle doors, escape by touching the toggle button twice instead. Now, free three more tanks to reach a chip at the top, swap the blue key for a red key, and walk all the way to the lower ladder. Take the chips left behind and exit the level past the red door and chip socket. You score up 232 seconds.

Level 37: SEEING STARS
A slightly simpler level — bridge each moat with one block each to get the chips you need. You will have some surplus left over — you need two extra blocks to complete the level.

When you have these remaining blocks, you need to move them down to the + shaped area. Make sure you do not shift these to the outer edge or you will not be able to make use of these blocks.

Push the right block at the bottom down, then the left down one and the right down two. When you do this, it is "taking in pairs." Push the block one left, and take the two to the left in a pair, but don't push them in yet. Push another block above you in position at the top, and go back to the right. Take the blocks in a pair and get the chips. Push the new block left, and push the lower block in the SECOND group to the left down. Get the chips and push the next block left. Take the next two in a pair, pushing the bottom D and the top 2U, and get the block. Push it 2U 2L. Go back and open the top area, getting two chips and another block. Push this the row below the last and push the top block into the top water. Push this block left, up, and left to the edge of the bottom water. Then push the top block 2D and go back for another block from the start. Push it between the other two, and push the bottom block in the water. Push the other block left, down, and left to the edge of the top water. Now push the top block to the edge of the bottom water above you. Bring the next block down to the edge of the single water below the entrance of the lower left area, and go to the top section. Push the right block up and take the left block down. Take it to the top of the SW quadrant. Push each left-behind block into the water to get the chips, until you get to the left side. Push this into the top water at the far left and return to the top. Get the chips at the right and push the right block up at the top. Use the other block to put into position, 3D 2L from the original spot, a bridge to the lower left spoke to get the two chips. Go to the right and upper parts of the wheel (here, you can't take the blocks in a pair) and get the chips. In the west part, take the top block and put it under the right water. Push the lower block to arrive in a new area. Push the lower right block down and the upper right block up. Push this in the water. Prepare the next block, pushing it under the left water, and push the left block on the left down. Take the other block up and get the four chips with the two blocks. Get the chips at the center left with the pushed-down block, and get the remaining chips as you come to them. Return to the wheel and take the other block with you. Push the next block in the upper water for 2 chips. Push the first block down to get two more. Push the right block down and finish the bridge to the left. Take the next block down to the bottom section. Take it to the bottom of the lower left and finish the work done below. You should have all the chips; the exit is back at the start. Whew! I am seeing BLOCKS by now. You see 597 seconds added to your total.

Level 38: SAMPLER
Get the green key and go UDUD through the teleport. Get the suction boots and go U followed by LRLR through the teleport. Get the chip and go L followed by UD through the teleport. Pass the chip socket and get the red key. Go UDUD through the teleport. Unlock the red door and get the blue key. Go UDUD followed by LR through the teleport. Unlock the blue door and get the fire boots. Go RIGHT through the teleport and get the flippers. Go LR followed by DUD through the teleport. Pass the water and hit the toggle button. Hurry back to the teleport to avoid the teeth and go UD followed by R through the teleport. Get the yellow key and go LRLR through the teleport. Pass the yellow door and exit. You earn a free 462-second sample.

Level 39: GLUT
This seemingly impossible level has a trick to it! Go to the nearest cluster of teeth monsters and pick out the chip from the one above the top left exit. You may be chomped; it happens about half the time because teeth monsters move every other turn. But if you can get a sense to their pattern, you can get past them every time. Now move up and left. As the teeth moves right next to you, then go left down, right (the teeth should be above you) right again, and down into the exit. This route takes three seconds (!) leaving you with 17. Or you may go to the tricky exit square right in the middle of the level. (But this costs you about 3 seconds, leaving you with about 14.)

Level 40: FLOORGASBORG
You need to have some fancy control on the force floor. If you push up first until you are over the right force floor, and then down, you will be able to get the fireboots. Get these first, then follow the fire to get the flippers. Go to the left and 2UL through the force floor jumble. Push on any random force floor. Hopefully, you will go down, and you can override the right force floor and exit. The best time is 195.