Twisty Little Passages Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• How to Play
  • Stats and Inventory
  • Solving Puzzles
• Items
  • Equipment
• Enemies
  • How the Damage Table is Calculated
  • Special Effects

How to Play

Each level is a puzzle to solve. Puzzles start simple and ramp up in difficulty as you progress in your quest. The elements of each level are laid out on the page as follows:

Stats and Inventory

Keep track of player stats and inventory in the highlighted section at the top of each level map. Starting values are displayed under each icon. Only stats relevant to that level are included.

Common stats and inventory are shown here:

• ATK (attack)
• DEF (defense)
• KEYS
• HP (life)

Solving Puzzles

1. Begin at the point marked START.
2. At any time, you may move anywhere there is an unobstructed path.
3. Pick up accessible equipment at any time. Do so by circling it on the map, indicating you've collected it, and applying its effect to your stats or inventory.
4. Where obstacles are in the way, you must follow the rules for interacting with them (see "Items" section for common examples).
5. Where enemies block a path, you must first defeat them in combat to continue along that route (see "Enemies" section). Following successful combat, mark your defeated foe off the map. This pathway is now open.
6. If your life points drop to zero or below, or you become stuck without any other play options, you lose. Restart the puzzle by clearing the map, resetting your stats, and trying again from the beginning. Apply the knowledge you gained on your previous attempt to do better this time.
7. If you reach the point marked GOAL with life points remaining, congratulations – you have solved the puzzle!

Surplus inventory, e.g., extra keys, is not carried over to the next puzzle.

Items

Whenever you have an open path to an icon indicated on the map, you may choose to interact with it. Items may be collected by marking them off and immediately updating your character stats or inventory. Obstacles and enemies block paths and must be overcome to continue along that path.

Elixir: A magical restorative that rapidly acts to heal any manner of wound.

Add the indicated number of points to your life. Mark off the elixir on the map.

For example, in the illustration, acquiring an elixir marked 5 increases your life points from 3 to 8.

Area key: Acquire keys that can be used exactly once to force open any locked portal in the area.

Add one key to your inventory. Mark off the key on the map.

Locked portal: Represents a door that is locked shut. This path is currently blocked and you may not pass. Spend a key to open the door and continue beyond.

Requires a key to open. Subtract one key from your inventory to open the locked door. Cross off the door on the map. This pathway is now unblocked.

Equipment

In most areas, you will have opportunities to obtain equipment that raises your attack (ATK) and defense (DEF) attributes for the duration of the puzzle. Improved ATK and DEF values reduce the damage taken from enemy encounters (see "Enemies").

Being sufficiently prepared for enemy encounters means the difference between life and death. Though there are exceptions, as a rule of thumb, seek to collect equipment as quickly as possible.

When acquiring equipment, mark it collected on the map and raise the indicated player stat by the displayed amount. (For example, a sword marked +1 ATK raises ATK from 0 to 1.)

Enemies

Wherever an enemy icon is marked on the map, you must defeat the enemy to progress further along that path.

A damage table is shown for each enemy type. The table indicates the total amount of life points you will lose to defeat this type of enemy. When you choose to engage an enemy, find the row and column in the enemy's damage table corresponding to your current ATK and DEF values. For example, given the table shown below, with 1 ATK and 1 DEF, you would lose a total of 4 life points to defeat the enemy. With 2 ATK and 1 DEF, you would lose 2 life points in all. With 2 ATK and 2 DEF, you would lose only 1 life point, and so on.

Subtract the indicated damage value from your life points and cross off the enemy on the map.

If your life points drop to zero or below, you lose and must restart the puzzle.

Player ATK	Hits Received	Life lost @0 DEF	Life lost @1 DEF	Life lost @2 DEF
1	2	6	4	2
2	1	3	2	1

How the Damage Table is Calculated

There are simple rules by which the damage values in each enemy's damage table are determined, based on the ATK and DEF values of you and the enemy. Understanding these rules will assist you in optimizing your stats to receive minimal damage, which is crucial to solve more advanced puzzles.

How damage table values are determined:

1. You get to surprise most foes and strike first.
2. The damage you inflict is determined by how much greater your ATK is than the enemy's DEF. Damage to enemy = Your ATK – Enemy DEF Subtract the damage you inflict from the enemy's life points. If an enemy has DEF equal to or greater than your ATK, you cannot harm it (and the path cannot be unblocked).
3. After your first strike, if the enemy survives with life points greater than zero remaining, it will strike back. The damage inflicted on you is determined in like manner, as the difference between the enemy's ATK and your DEF. Damage to you = Enemy ATK – Your DEF Subtract the damage the enemy inflicts from your life points. If you have DEF equal to or greater than the enemy ATK, the enemy strikes you but does no damage.
4. You and the enemy will continue to trade blows (repeating steps 2 and 3) until the enemy's life points are reduced to zero.

The "Hits Received" column indicates the number of times the enemy strikes you until you defeat it.

Collect equipment to raise your ATK and DEF stats to reduce hits received and the damage taken each hit.

The trick to solving most puzzles is discovering how to defeat enemies while taking the least damage possible while also determining which enemies can be avoided altogether.

Special Effects

Certain enemies add extra effects to combat. When special effects are indicated, follow these rules as stated.

Boss enemy

Most areas have an especially challenging boss enemy at the end of the map, indicated by a skull icon. Defeat it to complete the level. When faced with such a foe, expect to survive the encounter only by the skin of your teeth. Do everything in your power to prepare for the battle!

(If you manage to complete any area with more than one life point remaining, it means you have found a better solution than the designers were able to come up with. Congratulate yourself on being especially clever!)