Introduction

I, Feneshal XVII, First Scribe to King Fluffy of the Cheese Planet (the Planet Phrohmaj in our native language), have been allowed to write these words to  you.  In this book I describe our planet, our customs, our vacations, and our eating habits.  I do this for you because you have been invited to join the Great Tile Flipping Festival.  This is the greatest of our contests, and it influences the lives of everyone on Phrohmaj.


Game Play

In the purest form of the Great Tile Flipping Festival, there is a 3 by 3 grid filled with tiles, and each of those 9 tiles belongs to at least one space. The tile bases are underneath the tiles.  There is one extra tile that does not belong on the play board.  What you must do is match each tile with its proper space.  All stages of the game will play in much the same way as the Great Tile Flipping Festival, although things will look different and become more complex.


Controls

From within FlipOut! press the escape to get to the control screen.  The control screen is where you save or load a game, get help, or configure the game (sound volume, game difficulty, joystick sensitivity, etc.).


File Menu

New Game

Selecting this option will let you start a new game.

Load Game

If you have a saved game, selecting Load Game will let you load it.  Simply click next to the game that you want to load and press the OK button.

Save Game

This works just like the Load Game option, except you select the game you want to save and press the OK button to save it. You can rename the game by selecting the game's name and typing over it.

Return to Game

When you're done configuring, select return to game to continue playing.

About

To find out more about FlipOut!, select this menu item.

Exit

When real life intrudes, and you are forced to leave the game, select this item.


Difficulty Menu

The options under this menu will change how hard the game is to play.  Under Normal difficulty, all of the tiles match color with the bases to which they belong, and the tiles continually flash when they are in the correct place.  On the Hard mode, tiles still match the bases and they still flash continuously when in the proper place, but you can only see the color of the tile when it is in the air.  On Insane, you can never see the true color of the tile, but it still flashes continuously when it is in the proper place.  On Psychotic, you can't see the proper color of the tile, and it only flashes for a moment when in the proper place.


Configure Menu

Joystick

To configure the sensitivity of your joystick, select this item.

Keyboard

To select which keys you use to move the cursor and flip tiles, select this menu item.

Mouse

Select this item to configure the sensitivity of your mouse.

Help Text

When this option is checked, you will receive informational text at the beginning of each level that will disappear when you start playing.  To turn off the text entirely, uncheck this option.


Scores Menu

Select this item to see the high scores list.


Credits Menu

To see who the geniuses behind the game were, select this item


Uninstall Menu

See the section on uninstalling the game for information on this menu.


Help Menu

Finally, if you want some extra help select this item.


Default Controls

Unless you reconfigure the keyboard, the arrow keys will control the game cursor and the control key will flip tiles.


The Map Screen

The Map Screen will allow you to travel to any stage in your journeys that you have visited already.  For example, if you are at the Zero Gravity Arena, but you decide that you liked Easter Island so much that you wanted to play it again, then you can hit the escape key during game play and click on the icon on the map screen representing Easter Island.  You will automatically be taken back into the game to play on Easter Island.  If  you are already in the control screen, you do not need to press escape.  Simply click on the appropriate icon on the map.


The Vacations

Not content with mere Cheese Bound Pleasures, the Citizens of our planet like to take the occasional break from Planet Phrohmaj and visit your planet.  While we are there we visit places like Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore, and Easter Island.  However, we are beings of habit, and we just feel the need to flip things.

When we visit Yellowstone, our preferred attractions are the geysers.  We will color the area around the geysers to match our skin color in the same way that the tiles in the Great Tile Flipping Festival match the Tile Bases.

When we visit Mount Rushmore, we can not help but take advantage of the natural, flippable nature of the faces on the mountains.  Your task will be to put the faces back into the proper order, but do not drop any of the faces!

Finally, we visit our favorite place, Easter Island.  At this Beautiful Island Paradise, we go back to a more traditional tile feel, but we involve the fascinating Heads that are all around Easter Island.  We put the back row of tiles into the Mouths of the Heads, and we make the Mouths open and close.  The Cursor cannot move directly from Head to Head, nor can the cursor move into or out of a Head unless the mouth is open.


The Dining

When we Citizens of Planet Phrohmaj grow hungry, we visit the Sphorkle Diner.  The cuisine at the Sphorkle Diner is the best of all the Cheese Planet, but the Food has to match the Skin of the Citizen eating the Food, otherwise the Food becomes inedible and rowdy.  Your task will be to match the proper Food to the properly colored Citizens.


Planets Hoopla and Pigskin

As the seasons pass, the Citizens of the Cheese Planet decide to add some variety to their lives, and so they take the Great Tile Flipping Festivals to different planets for different scenery.  On these planets, the Spectators become more rowdy, and there are even more Competitors to play against.


Enchantment Under The Sea

It is a little known fact that we citizens of Phrohmaj spend 17% of our lives under water.  Due to complex biological processes resulting from a peculiar variant on the theme of natural selection, we need to exist for periods of time in high-pressure environments.  To keep from growing weary in the hydraulic environment, we made a Great Tile Flipping Board out of the natural life under the sea.


Disco Inferno

Receiving 20-year-old broadcasts from the Planet Earth, the citizens of Planet Estrada have dedicated their society to the furtherance of the Disco Life-style.  The greatest structure on the planet is the Discotheque Galactica.  Housed in this mighty shrine of faux-polyester leisure suits is one of the most colorful tile flipping arenas in the known universe, complete with discoball and color-changing tile dance floor!


The Savage Land

While a young lad competing in the Great Tile Flipping Festival, Fluffy went to the Dark Side of Planet Phrohmaj for several seasons.  Nobody knows what happened to Fluffy during this time, but when he returned he became the Greatest Tile Flipper on the Planet.  Fluffy still has a special place in his heart for the savage land, so this new arena was added during Fluffy's reign.

Here in the savage jungle, a New Element of Danger is added.  Six of the tiles float in a Murky River, and three remain on the bank.  Dangerous and wild new encounters await the travelers into the Savage Land.


Flipburbia

Welcome to Flipburbia, where we emphasize Better Living Through Flipping.  Controlled weather, giant robots, and exceptionally mobile homes all await you in this newest addition to the Cheese Planet Planned Lifestyle Communityª.


Gooey Organic Caves

A few hundred miles south of the Savage Lands (and thirty miles deep) are the Organic Caves of the Planet Phrohmaj.  Once a lair for the denizens of evil, a young hero cleared them out decades ago and the Caves are now a site for the Great Tile Flipping Festival.  Discover the Secrets of the Unknown, and Flip Tiles. simultaneously.


Zero-G Arena

This Arena, created in the orbit of the Cheese Planet, is one of the greater challenges of the Great Tile Flipping Festival.  No citizens can view the Zero-Gravity Challenge in person, but with the marvel of Modern Technology, they can still watch from the surface of the Planet.

The play is the same: you must match the tiles to the proper position on the board.  However, there are now three boards and many more tiles that you have to keep track of.


The Fluffy Encounter

No Spectators are allowed into this Final Event.  Here, King Fluffy challenges you to see who is the Master of Tile Flipping.  He will se all of his Knowledge and Experience to keep you from replacing him as not only the Greatest of Tile Flippers, but also as King of Planet Phrohmaj.


Citizens of Planet Phrohmaj

There are several classes of Citizens on Planet Phrohmaj, and their rank in society is based on how well they play in the Great Tile Flipping Festival.  From the Spectators to the Competitors to King Fluffy, all Citizens participate in the Great Tile Flipping Festival.

Most of the Citizens of Phrohmaj who go to the Great Tile Flipping Festival go simply to watch.  These Spectators are wearing green skin during the game for easy identification.  Although they may wander out onto the playing field, they will usually not interrupt the game.  The other class of Citizen, the Competitors, wear reddish skin, and they need to be watched carefully.

Your are actually in the Competitor Class, in the same Social Class as the Red Aliens.  The Competitor Citizens gain status within their rank by causing you to drop a tile.  You gain status within your rank by putting all the tiles in a level into the proper place on the tile board.


The Competitors

You are actually in the Competitor Class, in the same Social Class as the Red Aliens.  The Competitor Citizens gain status within their rank by causing you to drop a tile.  You gain status within your rank by putting all the tiles in a level into the proper place on the tile board.


The Rodeo Rider

On one of his visits to Earth, the Rodeo Rider was accidentally left stranded in Lawton, Oklahoma.  While trying to fit in with the local culture, he got a job at the local rodeo as a Clown.  Quickly tiring of this Hectic Life Style, he decided to try Bull Riding instead.  When the Citizens of Phrohmaj visited Earth again, they picked up the Rodeo Rider, whereupon he entered the Tile Flipping Festival with his new found skills.

The Rodeo Rider will grab onto a tile and prevent the tile from flipping into the air.  In order to buck him off, you must try to flip the tile he is on several times until he loses his grip.

.


The Rodeo Rider's Story

We landed in an area of the earth relatively clear of humans.  In the Wichita Mountains, only the prarie dogs witnessed our arrival.  We had heard of a place in these mountains that sells food, something called a "Meers Burger," we were led to understand.  We didn't know what kind of plant or animal a Meer was, but the others had told us that it was a delicacy unknown in other parts of the galaxy.

The four members of our party slipped into our peach skins and Lifelike Terran Human Endoskeletons(TM) and began the quest.  The prarie dogs, alas, were almost no help to us.  Although they offered several useful tips on how to con pieces of bread out of tourists and ways of avoiding sub-terranian predators, they could not identify a meer.  There knowledge of terran chemistry was so rudimentary that they could hardly give us any information with which to calibrate our sensors.

After taking our leave of the hospitable prarie dogs, we traveled down a road hoping to find some humans that would be more knowledgable about these Meer Burgers.  Sinzu Jone, our Linguist, says to me, "It is possible that 'meer' does not refer to a life form at all.  The word 'mere' in English means 'only', 'just', or 'simply'.  Thus the name, 'Mere Burger', to show that the burger is a pure version of the food form.  It is quite common on this planet, especially in the English speaking countries, to use a understatement in an ironic manner to indicate the exact opposite of what it says.  Professor Ntinso at the University always..."

"Very good," I interrupted.  Jone's lectures could last for days if you're not careful.  I heard that, once, someone actually slid out of his skin to avoid starvation.  Jone had no idea.  He kept discussing the effect of Cream Puffs on the Hooplian verb structures and, two hours and a full belly or two later, returned to hear some of the finer points of conjugation and pastry.

"From what I recall of Terran migration habits," I said, "it is likely that people are collecting around the lakes for relaxation and sport.  Lllll, check for any large bodies of water in the area, especially if they are connected to this road."

Whirrs and blips emanated from Lllll's scanner.  Lllll pointed down the road. "To the north, two miles, Commander."

So the four of us set out in search of this protein source.  As we neared the water, we saw more and more terrans in their..."Sinzu, what do the humans refer to their vehicles as?"

"In this dialect they are called 'cars'.  More formally automobiles.  Apparently they work on some kind of combustion system.  Like the Pigskilly Land Skulkers, but quieter."

I shifted my attention to our fourth member, Vice Duke Weutjjn.  Obviously part of the DIVU, he actually had enough money to pay for the trip as a vacation.  The rest of us have to work during the mission, bringing back cultural information and trinkets for the government.  I also know he's a competitor in the Great Tile Flipping Festival.  Not one of the best, but certainly one of the more interesting, which is sometimes even more important.

"Duke Weutjjn," I asked, "how did you get into the Festival?"

Weutjjn waited for a while before answering.  Being both high-born into the old Democratic order as well as a successful Competitor, he was hesitant to talk to someone of lower stature.  However, because of my rank in the Extra-Planetary Research Corps, he eventually decided to be civil.

"It was not easy.  I could talk about the endless hours of practice, the paperwork, the development of a special ability, the innoculat..."

"What do you mean, develop..." I started, but he fixed me with a cold, almost angry gaze.  I then realized that it was because of my interruption.  Citizens who interrupt DIVU tend not to live productive lives.  Even if the old order doesn't have much power, they still demand respect.

Weutjjn's glare softened, however.  "I'm sorry, Commander," he said, "I sometimes forget that I'm not at Court anymore.  Please, continue."

I raised an eye at him in curiosity, but did ask my original question.  "I was wondering what you meant about 'development of a special ability'.  You haven't always been able to shape shift?  I thought that was a hereditary trait."

"Well, it is, but the Festival Engineers have found a way of giving Citizens new inborn abilities without violating Article 7.  Most of the competitors just use their inborn traits, but if you can afford it, a special ability is very useful."

Before we could continue, Lllll spotted a group of Terran Humans approaching.  We quickly went into our tourist act.  "Howdy," I said, being in Oklahoma and all, "how're you folks?"

"Hello," they replied.  I briefly wondered if perhaps it were Texas or Wisconsin that had that dialect, but I let it go.  We were tourists, anyways. "Enjoying the weather?"

"Surely.  Do y'all know where we could find a Meers Burger?"

"No.  I think some friends of ours have mentioned it, but we've never been.  Sorry."

"No problem.  Thank'y."

The humans walked towards the lake, and Sinzu turned to me.  "Thank'y?" he asked.

"Ahem," I replied suavely.  Then I realized that I was in for some trouble.  The warning twitches for me needing to spend time under water had started, and we neglected to bring a tank aboard the ship.  Why couldn't the scientists have learned how to predict that by now?

"Lllll, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to put you in charge for the rest of the journey.  It's time for my submergence.  I have a few hours before things become critical, but there's no reason to wait.  Be sure to document everything well.  You can keep in touch through the com pads."

"Affirmative, commander."

Sinzu and Vice Duke Weutjjn looked a bit uneasy, but I assured them that everything would be fine, and so they left.  I quietly went beneath the surface of the nearby lake for my Terran month of submergence.  I spent the first week perusing the literature on new methods of long term forecasting of submergence necessity, but most of them were experimental, dangerous, or of questionable validity.  Sometimes all three.

Then came the beep of the com pad.  "Commander," Lllll's face appeared in the data window.

~Lllll, report.~

"Bad news.  There's been an emergency Festival called for diplomatic purposes on Phrohmaj, and Vice Duke Weutjjn needs to be there.  King Fluffy's staff have put an immediate recall on the mission."

~Blast!  All right, go without me.~

"But, sir..."

~No arguments.  I have at least three more Terran weeks before I can leave, and the facilities on board the ship are not adequate for my needs.  I'll be fine.  Leave me standard supplies for three months, Terran, and hurry back as soon as you've dropped off Weutjjn.~

"I could have Sinzu take the Vice Duke back and wait for you here."

~Don't be foolish.  You know that Sinzu isn't capable of that sort of trip alone, and Vice Duke Weutjjn would be of no help, either.~

"All right, sir.  The supplies will be waiting for you buried near the lake.  I'll return as soon as feasible."

~Great.  See you then.~

So, I was stuck here for quite a while, then.  Perhaps I should have gone into stasis on the ship.  No, that would have been wasteful.  At least this way I'd have some time to spend on earth.

I started monitoring the local broadcasts, getting the extra information about the current culture, and then an idea sparked in my mind.  For the next few weeks I planned, and finally the submergence was over.  When I re-emerged,  went to a pay phone and looked up where a rodeo was.  As I flipped through, I scanned the M section, but there was no mention of any type of Meer.  That would have been embarrassing, but our colleagues had assured us...in any case, I then called for a taxi.  An hour or so later, I was at one of the area's best rodeos, if the sign were to be believed.

I knocked on the door, and pointed to the other sign.  "You need some help?" I asked.

"We could use some," the man behind the desk replied.  "Ever do any rodeo, son?"

"Um, no.  But I've always wanted to be in the rodeo."

"Now, this ain't no public school.  You gotta be able to help around here."

"I'll do whatever I can to help, but I want to learn, as well.  It's not so much for the money."

"I don't know..."

"I can pay," I hinted, handing him $1000.  The survival packs are well stocked.

"You got yerself a deal.  Meet me tomorrow at 7 AM, and wear this."

I examined the clothes.  It looked like the outfit for, "A rodeo clown?"

"Just to see if yer dedicated, son.  It'll just be for a week or so."

"Ah." So with great trepidation I left, and the next morning, at 7:15, I met the Bull.

The Bull was the nickname for a large man who trained all of the rodeo employees.  At least, that's what I was hoping.  No, the bull was a very large mammal with horns and a mean disposition.  I was in a barrel, and he wasn't.

I glanced across the dirt covered ground, staring the Bull straight in the eye.  The bull looked back, unimpressed.  We continued for what seemed like hours.  Me, waiting for imminent death, and the Bull, waiting in boredom.  Finally, with what seemed a malicious glint in his eye, he started to charge.  Apparently bulls don't take to boredom very well.

Leaping into the air, gracefully landing on the bull's back, holding on until the great beast collapsed from exhaustion, these were all the things I did not do as I scrambled from the barrel and climbed the nearest wall.

I hung from the wall for several minutes, waiting for the Bull to calm down.  Finally, the trainer came out and pulled the bull back in.  "That was some fancy runnin' you did there, son.  You got yerself a job."

That was basically it.  During the days I learned how to hold on to a bucking horse, during the evenings I dodged bulls.  It was grueling, but the experience was invaluable.  Finally, Lllll returned.

"I'm glad to see you, sir.  How was your vacation?"

"Exciting, Lllll."

"If you're ready to go, you can tell me about it on the way back."

"Not just yet," I replied, "I want you to see this, first."

So we stayed until that evening.  I performed in the rodeo, holding on to my horse for 7 seconds.  Not a record, by any means, but it was a good start. On the way back to the ship, Lllll apparently noticed that I was acting differently.  "So, what are your plans, sir?"

I sighed.  "I think I'll be leaving the Corps.  It's been great, but I think I can finally become a competitor."

Lllll was silent until after take off.  Finally he said, "Congratulations, sir.  I've been proud to work under you, and you can be sure I'll be cheering for you in the sidelines."


Red Baron

Always a fan of Aviation and old War Movies, the Red Baron has mastered the secrets of short, unaided flight.  He will jump into the Tile Board and act as one of the tiles, forcing you to keep at least two tiles in the air while he is in play.  After a few flights he gets tired and returns to the sidelines, until he is ready to fly again.


Tarzanananabobanana

An escaped zoo keeper hiding in the Savage Land, Tarzanananabobanana will swing over the board, grabbing a tile.  After a few flips, he'll grow dizzy and let go.


Crocodilalien

Residing in the murky depths of the swampy Savage Land is the Terrible Tile Eating Crocodilalien.  This Amphibious Monstrosity would like nothing more than to snatch a few tiles for dinner.  His strategy is to pop out of the water just in front of a tile and clamp its jaws around it.  When the Crocodilalien has its jaws shut, a tile cannot be flipped.  Hitting the Hungry Creature several times will annoy the Crocodilalien and cause him to recede back into its swampy abode, until the Next Feeding.


Space Spider

The sucker-footed space spider is a curious little fellow.  He will walk around the board seeking tiles to ensnare in his web.  He spins his web around the tile, holding it in place for several flips.


Savage Chief

As one of the monarchs of the Savage Land, the chief is invited to join in the festivities.  Traveling by boat, the chief paddles near the tile board, then hops onto the tiles.  Walking around the board, the Chief will flip tiles until he, himself, is flipped several times, at which time he falls into the water.


Tile Eater

A member of the MULU Fraternity and Circus Sideshow on Planet Phrohmaj, the Tile Eater learned how to swallow a variety of objects that are the same size as he is.  When he tired of amusing the Circus crowd, he decided to increase his standing in the community and  become a Competitor.

When the Tile Eater eats a tile, he will then enter play as a tile.  However, because the Tile is covered by the Eater, it will never belong in a space on the board.  Once the Eater is flipped a few times, he will release the tile into play  until he hungers again.


Cursor Decoy

Although the ruling party of the Cheese Planet is based on their competence in the Tile Flipping Festival, the Old Ruling Class, which is a Hereditary Democracy, still exists, but they don't really do much these days other than attend parties and appear in the News.

One member of the Old Ruling Class (which is also known as the DIVU) decided to join the rest of society and enter into the Great Tile Flipping Festival.  This is the Cursor Decoy, and he can turn himself into an almost exact duplicate of a cursor.  Although confusing, he does not pose much of a threat, unless he is ignored for too long.  If he is not flipped off of the board, he will start flipping tiles.


Tile Flipper

A cousin to the Cursor Decoy, the Tile Flipper was not fortunate enough to be born into the DIVU.  Instead he has worked in factories all of his life, until he heard about his cousin's change of career.  Inspired by his High Born Cousin, the Tile Flipper left the factory and went into the Great Tile Flipping Festival.  Although not as talented as his shape-changing cousin, the Tile Flipper's work in the factories built his muscles to the point to where he was able to throw the tiles gracefully into the air.


Boogie "Bob" Fever

The undisputed champion of Disco on Planet Estrada, Boogie Bob often Loses Control when he hears the music and will jump onto the tile board and start boogying.  As great of a dancer as he is, he unfortunately prevents any tile he stands on from being flipped.


Funky Fogger

This maniacal sweathog reject cannot contend with the growing interest for the disco life style and behavior.  He poses himself as Funky Fogger whose particular area of expertise lies in exterminating disco fever.  His method is unique, but useless.  He creates a sheet of ice with his fogger pack thereby making it unsuitable for boogie bob to dance on.  Boogie Bob, however, manages.  Unfortunately for you, it freezes the tiles to the base.  To release the tiles, you must try to flip the tiles several times.


Eight Track

Even though he's obsolete in your society, on this planet he's a hip-hoppin', flip-floppin' critter.  When he's in The Groove, he's on The Move.  He's always where the action is.  For these reasons, he tends to blindly jump in head first and get in the way during tile flipping.  Other times he's so absorbed by the Beat of the Music that he actually believes that he is a tile.


Gooey

Living in the Phrohmaj Underground, Gooey is one of the stranger-looking Citizens of the Cheese Planet.  With his unique shape and excellent jumping abilities, Gooey can act as a tile in the same way as the Red Baron, but he will not be affected by your Tile Flipping Cursor.  Instead, Gooey will jump up for a few jumps when he sees an opportunity, and after a few jumps Gooey will go back to his place off of the board until he decides to jump in again.


Corky

Corky is a Specialty Competitor that likes Yellowstone National Park.  Born in the Mountains of Phrohmaj, Corky was raised by wild GeyserBeasts, most dangerous of all wild animals on the Cheese Planet.  The beasts, with their lightning quick reflexes and ravenous thirst for Geyser Water, will stick their heads into Geysers and block the Geyser's natural spray, absorbing the nutrients contained within the Water.  Sometime in his adolescent years, he managed to escape from the Dark Side of Planet Phrohmaj in a deep space shuttle.  While in space, he put himself into a stasis field until he was picked up by Vacationing Competitors on Earth, where he decided to make his home.

While at Yellowstone, Corky will interrupt a Geyser's flow and prevent you from flipping the Visiting Citizens.  After a few attempts to flip, Corky will jump back to the side and digest the nutrients that he absorbed.

Graffiti Master and the Janitor

A struggling Art Student, the Graffiti Master found his true calling in the Great Tile Flipping Festival at Mount Rushmore.  The Graffiti Master will spray various tiles with Glopple-Glorb, preventing you from flipping the Graffitied pieces until the Janitor cleans them.


The Kraken

This huggable denizen of the deep will settle himself over one of the shells refusing, for a short period of time, to let the shells open for a player.  He must be flipped several times before he will let go of the tiles.


The Research Sub

The scientific community has taken an interest in the Festival.  Trying to discover the physical properties of the Underwater Tiles, the research sub will pry open the clams in order to get to a tile, although the tile invariably flips out of the clam faster than the sub can catch it.


Sucker Fish

After observing the flipping tiles for a while, the Sucker Fish gets hungry, so he slips into a clam and eats the tiley goodness inside.  While he's on the tile, the tile will not properly belong to any clam, but once the Fish has bee flipped several times, he'll release the swallowed tile.


Graffiti Master and Janitor

A struggling Art Student, the Graffiti Master found his true calling in the Great Tile Flipping Festival at Mount Rushmore.  The Graffiti Master will spray various tiles with Glopple-Glorb, preventing you from flipping the Gratified pieces until the Janitor cleans them.


Weather Bug

Because the light side of Phrohmaj is devoid of weather changes, the citizens felt that they needed some variety.  Therefore, they went to the Institute of Light Science to develop this Weather Bug, instantly giving the suburban dwellers a bit of much-desired weathery action. With his snow-storm abilities he freezes single houses at a time.  Using his tornado power he flips everything that he can.  Finally, he can use his thunder-god like powers to flip single houses with a bolt of lightning.


GRobo

An experiment gone horribly right, the Giant Robot is a first generation effort at artificially generated competitors.  Though not allowed to compete in the main Festival, GRobo will happily join in on the Flipburban activities, where normal competitors would be hard pressed to compete.  GRobo walks around the neighborhood flipping houses merrily as he goes.


Sluggy

The owner of the Sphorkle Diner is too busy with his Restaurant to participate in the Great Tile Flipping Festival, but the Tile Council has permitted him to allow his dog, Sluggy, to participate for him.  While in the Sphorkle Diner, Sluggy will jump onto a Diner's table, preventing you from flipping the food.  Trying to flip Sluggy will only make him stay longer, so it's best just to leave him alone.


The Wizard

On Easter Island, the Wizard takes advantage of the excess of magical energy in the area to perform a couple of tricks to make your flipping more challenging.  First, he can freeze tiles in place, forcing you to first break through the ice with several flips before you can flip the tile.  Second, he can paint a tile, so you will not know what color the tile is until you flip that tile.


Space Slime

Near the Cheese Planet is an asteroid belt.  In this belt resides the outer-fringe Citizens of Phrohmaj, the Space Slime.  These Citizens can withstand the lack of temperature and atmosphere associated with Space, and thus are the perfect candidates for Competition in the Zero Gravity Arena.  They will travel along the boards of the arena, flipping tiles as they go, and trying to prevent you from matching the tiles.  They will temporarily disperse into space when you flip them, but they re-form quickly.


Baby Gooey

This sac of slime will hold onto a tile until you flip it a few times.


Tile Hugger

Gaining extra life from the energy radiated by the tiles, the tile hugger grabs onto nearby tiles.


Gooey Gus

Friendly, but Gooey, Gus will spray slime onto the tile board which freezes a tile into place.


King Fluffy

Supreme Ruler of all Phrohmaj, King Fluffy is the Grandmaster of Tile Flipping.  Armed with three devastating magical spells, he is prepared to keep his title as King of Phrohmaj.  In much the same way as the Wizard, King Fluffy can Freeze Tiles and Change their Color.  However, King Fluffy can Freeze and Change Color on a much grander scale than the Wizard can.  In addition, King Fluffy will take advantage of the fact that he can flip the tiles, and he won’t just flip those tiles at the beginning of the game.  You will need all the luck and skill you have to beat King Fluffy at the Great Tile Flipping Festival.


Advanced Technology: Temporary Cloning

Among many other technological advances our Planet has made, one of the most significant is the technique of Temporary Cloning.  This allows Competitor Aliens to make an exact copy of themselves for a limited amount of time in order to advance to higher levels of Society.  Thus you will sometimes see, for example, two Corkys or two Sluggys.


Advanced Evolution: Teleportation

Due to centuries of exposure to cosmic radiation, our people have had an accelerated Period of Evolution.  One of the Primary Benefits of this evolution is the ability to teleport short distances.  Only a select few have this ability, but those who have it are Fierce Competitors in the Festival.


Advanced Play: Difficulty Mode

When you feel you've become good enough at the Great Tile Flipping Festival, you can try for advanced play.  The four Play Modes are Normal, Hard, Insane, and Psychotic.  In the Hard mode, You can only see what color the tile is when the tile is in the air.  In the Insane Mode, the only difference is that the tiles are all colored the same, so you will only know where the tiles go by putting them in the proper place and seeing them flash.  Experimentation will be very important on this difficulty mode.

The most difficult level of play is the Psychotic Mode.  When playing in Psychotic Mode, the tiles are still colored the same, and they will only flash briefly when they are in the proper place.  You will be forced to experiment to get the tiles in the proper place, then remember which tiles are still in the right place and not flip them.  Once you defeat King Fluffy on the Psychotic Difficulty Level, you will truly be the Grandmaster of the Great Tile Flipping Festival and King of the Planet Phrohmaj.  Before that is merely practice.


Citizens

There are several classes of Citizens on Planet Phrohmaj, and their rank in society is based on how well they play in the Great Tile Flipping Festival.  From the Spectators to the Competitors to King Fluffy, all Citizens participate in the Great Tile Flipping Festival.

Most of the Citizens of Phrohmaj who go to the Great Tile Flipping Festival go simply to watch.  These Spectators are wearing green skin during the game for easy identification.  Although they may wander out onto the playing field, they will usually not interrupt the game.  The other class of Citizen, the Competitors, wear reddish skin, and they need to be watched carefully.

You are actually in the Competitor Class, in the same Social Class as the Red Aliens.  The Competitor Citizens gain status within their rank by causing you to drop a tile.  You gain status within your rank by putting all the tiles in a level into the proper place on the tile board.


Controls

From within FlipOut! press the escape to get to the control screen.  The control screen is where you save or load a game, get help, or configure the game (sound volume, game difficulty, joystick sensitivity, etc.).