Project Terrarium is a puzzle game that is in beta as of writing. The game sees the player trying to unlock terrariums filled with samples of plants and nature, to kindle life on other planets as Earth has perished. This is everything you need to know to develop the right mindset for tackling the puzzles.
Firstly, this is not a cheat guide, it is a means of knowing how the game expects you to interact with it. Bear in mind the game is in beta, so any suggestions or discovered bugs can be easily reported to the developer in-game. I would encourage you to interact with this feature.
What to expect
The free version of Project Terrarium will give you twelve levels to enjoy, divided into three themes. Each puzzle will consist of one TerraBot to unlock by means of a key. All around the TerraBot are puzzles, clearly displayed. Once solved, each puzzle will give you a piece that’s needed to unlock or assist other parts of the puzzle, or even the key itself to unlock the TerraBot and free the samples contained within.
Every puzzle will be clearly displayed on the TerraBot, and there are no puzzles sneakily placed outside or around the TerraBot, either. There are, however, sometimes items that will be stored in an inventory at the bottom of the screen. If you tap on the item, a menu may appear. In this menu, the item will act as a sort of self-contained mini puzzle. This is usually to ‘activate’ the item to use on the TerraBot. Sometimes, items are required to interact with other items to combine or unlock them. Keep this in mind!
Also, every level will have three small spheres to find. These spheres are little audio recordings that will help you uncover the story of the game, but these are not vital. The puzzles are purely based on your vision, so you can turn the sound off and still play accordingly. The puzzles are pure logic or pattern puzzles.
Types of interaction
The puzzles in Project Terrarium are the same as most other mobile puzzle games, so no new tricks. You will mostly be swiping, tapping, and turning. If you are unsure of which one to use, then try them all, it can’t hurt, right?
The only times you will be tapping is to activate buttons, or to pick up items. Turning will be needed when you are turning a key in a lock to unlock it, or you are turning a dial, cog, or switch. If you see anything circular, try turning it, by swiping in a circular motion. Swiping is needed when moving a knob or a level, or typically when prying doors or hatches open. Most puzzles will need a combination of interactions to complete, and Project Terrarium leaves it up to you to figure out when each is appropriate.
Signs of mechanisms
The puzzles in Project Terrarium will not always be clear in what they want from you. Cleverly designed, each puzzle may introduce a unique mechanism for you to solve. The only way to really get past and realize what the game wants from you is through cognitive thinking.
Is there a pattern? Then it will most likely be needed. Is there a button? Try pressing it after every alteration of the board.
The game frequently throws new challenges at you, all you can really do is try everything. Occasionally, the game blurs the line between interface and interactable components. to avoid confusion, try interacting with elements you believe to simply be merely displaying information.
There you have it, everything you need to know before you play. Any pointers I’ve missed? You can pop them in the comments. Project Terrarium can be downloaded from Google Play. If you enjoy abstract intelligence games, then my beginner’s guide for Cards, Universe & Everything may interest you. Thanks for reading.
Also Read: Top 10 Popular Mobile Games to Play In 2022
