Armadillo Run

Armadillo Run is a physics-based puzzle game. You have to build structures with the purpose of getting an armadillo to a certain point in space. There is a selection of building materials, each with different properties, which can be combined to form almost anything. The realistic physics simulation gives you the freedom to solve each level in many different ways.

Released: 22 April 2006
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Puzzle
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Side view
Country: United States

About

Armadillo Run is a puzzle video game created by Peter Stock and released for Microsoft Windows in 2006. The aim of the game is to get Armadillo, a yellow basketball-like object (a stylized representation of a rolled-up armadillo) to the blue goal (a "Portal") by creating a structure using various materials that, when activated, will get Armadillo to the goal while keeping within an inconsistently strict budget. Peter Stock cites Bridge Builder and Stair Dismount for the construction and dynamic natures of the game, respectively.

Keywords

abstract
physics puzzles
user generated content
rube goldberg puzzler
armadillo

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The main game has 50 "normal" levels to complete, and several bonus levels if the player has enough money to unlock them.

Every level begins with the Armadillo, the goal, various nodes and, most of the time, some pieces which cannot be moved. The larger nodes are fixed in place; these are indestructible, and are used as mounting points. The player has access to rope, metal bars, metal sheets, cloth, rubber, elastic and rockets as machine building materials. The player can also change the tension of most of the components, as well as setting a timer for some of the components to break.

Reception

The game has been well received by reviewers; Metacritic puts its average review score at 88%. It also earned a Gold Award from Game Tunnel, and an 88% from PC Gamer UK.

It was also nominated for the 2007 Independent Games Festival for both the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and Design Innovation awards.