1 -
Up for a Challenge? Nice medium-ish level to start off the pack. I got the talisman without seeing what it was first, as in a way I mostly still internalize going for a save all whenever possible. This has gotten me into trouble with some levels where you're allowed some losses, but it's not too hard to achieve on this level.
2 -
Crazy Golf A bit harder than the previous level but still nothing very hard. The main difficulty comes from how the skillset is much more restricted and therefore is less open-ended than the first level. I really love the design here, especially with the numbered holes. Also nice ring in the middle level area.
3 -
Beachcombing I actually had to come back to this one, because I was stumped. I couldn't figure out how to make a path for the other lemming after we collected the builder pickup. Turns out that I went for the wrong one and instead didn't realize there's another one on the far left. I think you're already aware, but most in the NL community will tell you to make the builder pickups visible rather than make them hidden in the terrain. The biggest clue that there's a hidden builder pickup is how you start with none in the skillset. Also, it should be obvious that I played the level without ever activating CPM, which explains why I was stuck here far longer than I needed to be
4 -
Full Moon and Busy Paws Looks difficult due to the very restricted skillset, but yay for tunneling underneath as much as possible to get through plenty of the obstacles
5 -
Just Keep on Digging I don't know if this is a bad backroute or if it's still an acceptable solution. Save all FTW
6 -
Giant Leaps for Lemkind Nice open-ended medium-hard level. There were a few things I tried before I successfully found a way to get lemmings to the upper right corner. The rest of the solution kind of fell into place after that.
8 -
Season's Greetings Nice somewhat easy level. Another one where I really like the design, especially with the pre-placed blockers being the Christmas ornaments on the tree.
9 -
Please Keep Your Distance Nice level. The hardest part here was figuring out how to release the crowd. I have a swimmer and climber left, but my solution still finishes under 1 minute. Sounds like my solution isn't anywhere as tight on time as Armani's, so it sounds like he might had overcomplicated it a bit.
10 -
A Silly Place Called Lemlot Ok, I was stuck here when this was originally the first level of the pack and when I agreed to do some pre-testing. Even though I was unsuccessful, it was most definitely way too hard for its position, so it's good to see that it has moved to about the halfway point of the pack. When I finally did get this solved last night, I must say this is an excellent level!
If it's intended, I especially love the stacking and lasering it and the castle pillar simultaneously to delay them to give the platformer enough time to reach the other side. Very clever!
In my first solution, I originally used all the skills, though one of the stackers was simply used to turn everyone back towards the exit when they bounced off the blocker near the exit. The replay I attached spares the stacker, as apparently the laser is quick enough to free the blocker before anyone can turn around and hence would drown if they did.
12 -
Who Wants to Be a Pioneer? The best level of the entire pack IMO!
Very hard level, especially as there's so many possibilities here and appealing distracting red herrings that look like they can work but they don't. For example, I kept thinking to use two lasers to avoid the first rope trap, but then I wouldn't have enough to stop a shimmier near the exit AND to access the exit later. The lightbulb moment for me was to platform twice from the laser tunnel to get the others to the exit later. What's especially clever is that the laser makes a tunnel near the ceiling to turn a shimmier around to do it. This allows the others to avoid the trap by going underneath it and through the laser tunnel when the crowd is released. The rest of the solution came somewhat more easily after that. The turnaround for a shimmier with a laser is used again near the exit. The next hardest part for me was figuring out how to turn someone around to make a splatform for the others near the exit. It wasn't easy to figure out how to do. Also you need to realize that the shimmier who makes a path to the exit with the laser cannot be a glider. This was also hard to figure out, how to get a lemming into position to make the exit accessible. I originally thought the shimmier needed to go to the very far right area and then laser at a spot so that the climber is able to climb up the pillar and get into tunnel, but then you would need to assign the glider at the right time, and that wouldn't work, since one of the other athletes is a climber and therefore would die to the needles trap. There's a lot of things that can catch you off-guard here and a lot to think about, therefore making for a really hard level. As mentioned before, this is one of my absolute favorites!
13 -
Strictly No Swimming Another deceivingly difficult level despite there being only two lemmings. Once again, most here will tell you to make the traps visible, especially as I got taken by complete surprise by both the weasel and evil eyes trap. I think I can understand why they're hidden since the tree looks better this way, but even then hidden traps are pretty much frowned on by the NL community. If my solution is intended, the stacker is very pixel precise. It was very hard to figure out how to get the swimmer pickup while being able to have the skills necessary to solve the level. I originally tried stacking with the first lemming, therefore I can get the swimmer for the second lemming who does slip by the stack. However, this wouldn't solve the level, as then I would need to invest a destructive skill for the stack but then there would be no way to get him to the far right side of the level due to the grass vine trap because I already used the jumper for the first lemming to reach and avoid it. Also, I incorrectly kept thinking to platform up the water gap. Eventually it dawned on me that the level would be solved if I can laser from the far right and then the other lemming fences up to the laser tunnel and therefore stops and can exit. Then I realized the platformer goes near the start and so the remaining problem left was delaying the second lemming long enough for the pickup to be collected and he gets assigned the swimmer skill before he drowns completely. A pretty nice puzzle, just ruined by the use of hidden traps which caused me to not like the level as much as I should. Once again, it should be obvious that I played the level without activating CPM, so really I brought the surprises onto myself
14 -
Have a Blast Not too difficult, just can be hard to wrap one's head around. Some of my earlier attempts had me a jumper short for the lemmings that climb to reach the top of the level, but that's because I originally thought to make 5 jump to reach the exit in the middle. Then I later realized oh wait, I can just have lemmings glide to reach it from the left side instead, therefore resolving the problem of being a jumper short. I let the lemming who pushes the button close to the middle exit splat, but even if I did save him with a jumper I still would save the requirement exactly. Ok level, just the type that happens to be one where you need to repeatedly assign the same skill to a lot of lemmings, which I tend to not be a fan of. Just a personal dislike of mine is all
