Ants - Help
Don't forget to check out the in-game tutorial (available via the Help menu). The following is similar to the in-game help, but provides some additional info:
Intro
The ants need a new home! Help them find their way to their ant hills.
You'll place arrows and tunnels to help guide them, avoiding obstacles such as rocks, water, ant traps, and spiders.
Basics
Ants come in 6 different colors. A colored arrow will only direct those colored ants to move. An uncolored arrow will direct all ants, regardless of color. Tunnels allow ants to move under ground, under rocks, but not under water. Place your arrows and tunnels, then press PLAY to start the ants moving.
Build Mode
You start each level in BUILD mode. During this mode, you'll place arrows and tunnels.
To place an arrow, use the up/down/left/right buttons to move the cursor, then press OK to place the arrow. Press and hold OK to rotate the arrow before releasing, or press * to rotate afterwards. If you have a remote with A/B buttons, you can use those to place arrows pointing down or to the left (as a shortcut). Press the INSTANT REPLAY button to undo your last action. Press the REWIND and FAST FORWARD button to switch between different colored arrows (or tunnel).
To see what colored ants will come out of a spawner, focus a spawner and press and hold the * button.
Play Mode
Once you are ready to try your solution, press the PLAY button. The ants will start their march from their spawners. You can speed up or slow down action using the FAST FORWARD and REWIND buttons. You can also use the PLAY/PAUSE button to pause/resume the ants. Press the INSTANT REPLAY button to start the ants back at the beginning.
If your solution is good, you will see a success dialog and can move on to the next level. If your solution fails, it'll tell you how many ants made it home.
Intro
The ants need a new home! Help them find their way to their ant hills.
You'll place arrows and tunnels to help guide them, avoiding obstacles such as rocks, water, ant traps, and spiders.
Basics
Ants come in 6 different colors. A colored arrow will only direct those colored ants to move. An uncolored arrow will direct all ants, regardless of color. Tunnels allow ants to move under ground, under rocks, but not under water. Place your arrows and tunnels, then press PLAY to start the ants moving.
Build Mode
You start each level in BUILD mode. During this mode, you'll place arrows and tunnels.
To place an arrow, use the up/down/left/right buttons to move the cursor, then press OK to place the arrow. Press and hold OK to rotate the arrow before releasing, or press * to rotate afterwards. If you have a remote with A/B buttons, you can use those to place arrows pointing down or to the left (as a shortcut). Press the INSTANT REPLAY button to undo your last action. Press the REWIND and FAST FORWARD button to switch between different colored arrows (or tunnel).
To see what colored ants will come out of a spawner, focus a spawner and press and hold the * button.
Play Mode
Once you are ready to try your solution, press the PLAY button. The ants will start their march from their spawners. You can speed up or slow down action using the FAST FORWARD and REWIND buttons. You can also use the PLAY/PAUSE button to pause/resume the ants. Press the INSTANT REPLAY button to start the ants back at the beginning.
If your solution is good, you will see a success dialog and can move on to the next level. If your solution fails, it'll tell you how many ants made it home.
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Colors
A colored anthill can only accept ants of that color. Anthills have a maximum capacity. The remaining capacity is displayed in the center of the anthill. Only that many ants can fit in the anthill.
Paint splotches will change the color of ants that pass over them. Ant traps will only allow ants of the specified color through. Ant traps with an X on them will only kill ants of the specified color.
A colored anthill can only accept ants of that color. Anthills have a maximum capacity. The remaining capacity is displayed in the center of the anthill. Only that many ants can fit in the anthill.
Paint splotches will change the color of ants that pass over them. Ant traps will only allow ants of the specified color through. Ant traps with an X on them will only kill ants of the specified color.
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Leaves and Gems
Ants can pick up leaves. A leaf will allow the ant to overcome a leaf/water barrier. All subsequent ants can pass the barrier, as well.
Similarly, ants can pick up gems. The gem will allow an ant to pass over a crater in the ground. All subsequent ants can pass over the crater, as well.
Ants can pick up leaves. A leaf will allow the ant to overcome a leaf/water barrier. All subsequent ants can pass the barrier, as well.
Similarly, ants can pick up gems. The gem will allow an ant to pass over a crater in the ground. All subsequent ants can pass over the crater, as well.
Tunnels
Tunnels allow ants to travel under rocks, but not water. Tunnels are used in pairs. The ants follow these rules (in sequence) until it can exit:
Tunnels cannot go backwards in a tunnel (i.e., exit via a tunnel behind it).
Spiders are scared of tunnels and will turn back when they encounter them.
Path length is not reduced when ants travel in tunnels.
Tunnels allow ants to travel under rocks, but not water. Tunnels are used in pairs. The ants follow these rules (in sequence) until it can exit:
- If an ant enters one tunnel, and there is another tunnel in the same direction, it will exit via that tunnel.
- If there is another tunnel exactly 90 degrees to the right, it will exit via that tunnel.
- If there is another tunnel exactly 90 degrees to the left, then it will exit via that tunnel.
Tunnels cannot go backwards in a tunnel (i.e., exit via a tunnel behind it).
Spiders are scared of tunnels and will turn back when they encounter them.
Path length is not reduced when ants travel in tunnels.
Spiders
Spiders come in two sizes, but either will kill the ants. Spiders are blocked by rocks, water, leaves, tunnels, gems, gem craters, spawners, and ant hills. Spiders are not blocked by ant traps, paint splotches, and gems that have been placed into craters.
Stacked Ants
Ants can stack on top of each other (i.e., occupy the same space at the same time).
If any of the stacked ants has a gem, then they can all pass over a crater. (Similarly for leaves/water.)
Spiders come in two sizes, but either will kill the ants. Spiders are blocked by rocks, water, leaves, tunnels, gems, gem craters, spawners, and ant hills. Spiders are not blocked by ant traps, paint splotches, and gems that have been placed into craters.
Stacked Ants
Ants can stack on top of each other (i.e., occupy the same space at the same time).
If any of the stacked ants has a gem, then they can all pass over a crater. (Similarly for leaves/water.)
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Solutions and Stars
To pass a level, all ants must enter an ant hill. Try to find the solution with the shortest path and the fewest arrows.
If your solution matches the best known solution, you will get 4 stars. That's not to say all best known solutions are the best possible - for some levels it may be possible to find an even better solution. If you do find a better solution, you will get the coveted "New Best Solution!" dialog, and your solution will then become the best known solution that all others will be compared against.
If your solution matches the best length, but uses more arrows, your solution will get 3 stars. Your solution will also get 3 stars if it is close to the best length, and close to the fewest arrows.
Your solution gets 2 stars if it has a reasonable length and number of arrows, or if it is close to the best length (regardless of number of arrows), or if it matches the fewest arrows (regardless of length).
Other solutions get just 1 star.
Sometimes you're just happy to get 1 star, but don't forget to go back later and try to optimize your solution to get more stars. Sometimes that's more satisfying than finding your original solution in the first place!
Good luck!
To pass a level, all ants must enter an ant hill. Try to find the solution with the shortest path and the fewest arrows.
If your solution matches the best known solution, you will get 4 stars. That's not to say all best known solutions are the best possible - for some levels it may be possible to find an even better solution. If you do find a better solution, you will get the coveted "New Best Solution!" dialog, and your solution will then become the best known solution that all others will be compared against.
If your solution matches the best length, but uses more arrows, your solution will get 3 stars. Your solution will also get 3 stars if it is close to the best length, and close to the fewest arrows.
Your solution gets 2 stars if it has a reasonable length and number of arrows, or if it is close to the best length (regardless of number of arrows), or if it matches the fewest arrows (regardless of length).
Other solutions get just 1 star.
Sometimes you're just happy to get 1 star, but don't forget to go back later and try to optimize your solution to get more stars. Sometimes that's more satisfying than finding your original solution in the first place!
Good luck!