Slide ------- Windows Sliding Puzzle Game Version 1.01 (C) 1990 David A. Feinleib Introduction ------------- The object of Slide is to move numbered pieces in a contained area in order to put them in the correct order. A Slide box looks similar to Figure 1. ÚÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ 1 ³ 2 ³ 3 ³ 4 ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄ´ ³ 5 ³ 6 ³ 7 ³ 8 ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄ´ ³ 9 ³ 10 ³ 11 ³ 12 ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄ´ ³ 13 ³ 14 ³ 15 ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÙ Figure 1 Running/Installing Slide ------------------------- Please note that the following directions assume you are using a mouse or other pointing device. If you are not, please refer to your Windows documentation for equivalent keystrokes. 1. Copy WINCLOCK.EXE to your Windows directory or another directory of your choice. 2. Do one of the following: Note: Option D (which combines options B and C) is highly recommended over A, B, and C. A. Click on "File" then "Run..." in the Program Manager menu. Type WINCLOCK.EXE (including the path) in the "Command line" edit box and click "OK". If you use this option, you will have to do this every time you want to run WinClock. B. Click on one of the program groups in the Presentation Manager (the "Accessories" group is suggested). Select "File" then "New..." from the program manager menu. Select "Program Item" and type WINCLOCK.EXE in the "Command line" edit box. For example, you might type: C:\WINDOWS\WINCLOCK.EXE if that was the directory into which you had copied WinClock. When you want to run WinClock, double click on the WinClock icon. C. On the line that says "load=" in your WIN.INI file, add WINCLOCK.EXE (with the appropriate path). For example, if you copied WINCLOCK.EXE to C:\WINDOWS, the line would say: load=C:\WINDOWS\WINCLOCK.EXE This option will automatically run WinClock each time you run Windows. D. Do both B and C, which will automatically run WinClock and allow you to run WinClock easily if you close it. Slide creates a window with a 4x4 game in it. Rules of the Game ------------------ You may click on any number which is next to the space without a number in it. You have solved the puzzle when the numbers are in consecutive order. The solved Slide puzzle will look similar to the one shown in Figure 1 (although it may be a different size or have a different number of numbers in it). Playing Slide -------------- Since the puzzle is originally in order, you should first mix up the pieces. A minimum of twenty moves is suggested. The more you mix up the puzzle, the harder it will be to solve. After you have mixed up the pieces, you should begin to solve the puzzle. You may change the size of the puzzle so that it has fewer or more numbers in it. The larger the size of the puzzle, the greater the challenge in solving it. To change the puzzle size: 1. Click on "Game" in the Slide menu bar and then on "New". 2. A pop-up window will ask you if it is OK to end the current game. To end the current game and begin a new one (and change the size if you want to) click "OK", otherwise click "Cancel." 3. A dialog box will appear. You may click on the puzzle size you would like, from 3x3 to 9x9. The missing number is the number which is missing from the puzzle. The default missing number will appear in the missing number edit box (the default is shown when you click on a puzzle size). To change the missing number to a number other than the default, click on the edit box and then type the number you would like. An invalid number will result in a return to the default. While at the new game dialog box, you may get help by clicking on "Help." When you are finished selecting, click on "OK." If you want to return to the game you were playing, click "Cancel." Opening a Previously Saved Game -------------------------------- You may open a previously saved game. By doing this you may continue a game you saved earlier and you do not have to mix up the pieces. (For information on the saved games that come with Slide, see the section "Saved Games that come with Slide.") To open a saved game, click on "Game" then on "Open." A dialog box will appear in which you may select the game to open. The default extension for Slide games is ".SLD." You may return to the game you were playing by clicking on cancel. Saving Games ------------- To save a game, click on "Game." You may click on "Save" to save a game that has been saved before. If the game has not been saved before, a dialog box will prompt you for the name of the file in which to save the game, otherwise the game will be saved under its current name. If you want to save your game under a different name, click on "Save As." If the file you specify already exists, Slide will ask you if you want to overwrite it, if you want to, click "OK," otherwise click "Cancel." Saving Games in Slide for DOS Format ------------------------------------- Since Slide also comes in a version that runs in DOS instead of MS Windows, you may save games in Slide for DOS format so that you may play them in Slide for DOS. (Games that are saved in Slide for DOS format will automatically be read by Slide for Windows.) To save in Slide for DOS format, click on "Game" then on "Save DOS format." If the game has not been saved before, a dialog box will prompt you for the name of the file in which to save the game, otherwise the game will be saved under its current name. If the file you specify already exists, Slide will ask you if you want to overwrite it. If you want to, click "OK," otherwise click "Cancel." Opening your last game played ------------------------------ When you quit Slide, Slide automatically saves your current game in the current directory so that you may return to the game at a later time. The game is saved in the file "LASTGAME.SLD" so you may also open using the "Game - Open" command. To open your last game, click on "Game" then on "Last game." Slide will automatically bring up your last game. Undoing moves -------------- Unlike other Sliding puzzle games, Slide has the ability to undo all the moves you have made in the puzzle. To undo moves, click on "Undo" in the Slide menu. Slide can save up to 1,000 moves that you can undo. When you save a game (except when you save in Slide for DOS format), Slide saves your moves so that you may undo them when you "Open" the game. Saved games that come with Slide --------------------------------- Included with Slide are several game files that have been mixed up and then saved. These may be opened the same way as any other game files. Below is a list of the included saved games. Filename Description -------- ----------- EVENODD.SLD All even numbers then all odd numbers ODDEVEN.SLD All odd numbers then all even numbers GAME3.SLD A mixed up 3x3 puzzle GAME4.SLD A mixed up 4x4 puzzle Libraries of more mixed up, saved Slide games are available on Bulletin boards and from me (see below under "Libraries"). Moving and Sizing Slide ------------------------ When you start a new game, you may want to make the puzzle bigger. To do this, move to one of the corners of the puzzle and click on the left mouse button. While holding the button down, move the arrow until the puzzle is at the size you want it to be. You can also change the size by clicking on size in the system menu. To move Slide, move the pointer to the caption bar and while holding the left mouse button down, move the puzzle to the desired location. History of Sliding Puzzle Games -------------------------------- The date of the first sliding puzzle game is unknown. Although many sliding block puzzles may be found in stores (and some on computers!) one of the most famous is Sam Loyd's "Fifteen-Fourteen" puzzle in which the numbers were in order except that the numbers 15 and 14 were reversed. In the 1870's, Loyd offered a $1,000 reward to anyone who could solve the puzzle. This is mathematically impossible since in order to solve a puzzle, there must be an even number of exchanges if the numbers are picked up and moved to their proper positions. For more information on Sliding block puzzles, please refer to "Puzzles: Old & New", by Jerry Slocum and Jack Botermans (University of Washington Press, 1986). This book provided much of the information for this short history of sliding block puzzles and has some excellent photographs of old sliding block puzzles. Also refer to Sliding Piece Puzzles, by Edward Hordern (Oxford University Press, 1986). Getting Help ------------- You may get a summary of Slide commands and their meanings by clicking on "Help." Ending Slide ------------- To exit Slide, click on "Game" then "Exit." If you have made any moves since your last save (or if you have not saved), Slide will prompt you if you want to save your game. If you have saved your game, and choose "Yes" your game will be saved and Slide will end. If you have not saved your game and choose "Yes," Slide will prompt you for a filename. If you choose "No" Slide will exit will without saving. Choosing "Cancel" will return you to the current game. Payment/Registration --------------------- Slide is ShareWare. You may make copies of this program and give them to others as long as the documentation is included, both unaltered. If you like this program, a $5 registration fee would be appreciated. If you send $12 or more, you will receive the next version of Slide when it becomes available as well as a 10 game library of mixed up games. Please include your name, address, and current version number. Comments and suggestions (with or without the registration fee) would be greatly appreciated. Send to: David A. Feinleib 1430 Mass. Ave. Suite 306-42 Cambridge, MA 02138 You can send comments and suggestions to me on BIX at "Pgm". Libraries of mixed up, saved Slide games ----------------------------------------- Libraries of mixed up, saved Slide Games are available on Buletin Boards and from ShareWare libraries. If you would like to order directly from me, registered users send $2.00 and unregistered users send $3.00 to me at the above address with your name and address. Please specify disk format.