Very nice series of challenges. Looking forward to the next entry in the series.

Maybe I'll try again some time. I never watch playthrough videos.

@s36e175 I don't know what you were trying to do and how but it probably wasn't the intended solution have you watched the video walk through? I always make sure I don't do what you said, where you can see it but not do it easily.

Unfortunately the short timer and the tight tolerances, bars getting in the way etc take this from really cool to really annoying. Not keen on maps where I can clearly see what to do but the build means it takes 10 tries to get it done.

@Avatar, Thank you for the kind words. I learned a long time ago, I have a unique view on the world. I really don't think like other people. It makes these puzzles unique. I enjoy it when people enjoy them. They take many days, if not months to make. Thank you.

I usually donot comment unless I encounter a puzzle with exceptional design, because I have been playing this game regularly for many years and have seen many many many creations (just look at my game hours and you will know), I just want to say that this map was actually very well made and despite there being no "aha or eureka" moments, it was like walking on thin ice. Very unique design and actually an asset to the community content. well done!

Original puzzle with a neat design.

Yes I did, but I would only use them if I am really stuck and can't think of anything else.

@P75Formula Jr, Thanks for Playing and for commenting. I'm glad you came back and tried it again and had some fun the second time around. I enjoy Unseen Aperture no end as its my first real series. Did you notice the walk-through videos I posted for each map?

The first time I played this level I did not like it , because I could not do anything and did not realize that I could press those buttons that dropped the companion cube and sphere. But I really wanted to play this series and enjoy it so I tried it again this time I figured it out understood how you made it where you had to look at earlier parts. I really liked you puzzles they were obscure but the idea was solid if not hard to come by.

@Calwin, I just posted a Youtube walk-through maybe see how I intended things to go and what was frustrating you.

alright, but even after figuring out what I should do I kept dying. I just kept trying and finally made it without getting zapped.

Please don't stop making maps just because people don't get the difference between "overthinking a puzzle" and "deliberate hypervigilance". Those of us who like the maps should be more proactive about saying so!

As someone who dislikes execution-based maps, I'm pretty sure this isn't one. It didn't seem finicky at all. It does, however, ruthlessly punish goal-oriented thinking, which is exactly why I like it so much. In order to solve it cleanly, the player has to discard any notion of purpose in favor of impersonal structure, but once that's done, the task becomes simple.

@Shinval: Please read my comment again. I never said "bad design." In fact, I praised the design. I simply said that I didn't find playing it enjoyable.

It is odd, though, that you blame the players for "overthinking everything and ever single excruciating little detail." You, as the designer, are the one responsible for requiring that of the players. Your designs take it to that level.

I don't want to discourage you. I am offering what I believe is constructive criticism. You really have skill at map building, But if you want players to enjoy your work more, you might need to shift your emphasis away from so much intricacy. Or, if you just want to have fun designing what you want, go for it, and don't worry about the feedback.

@evac156, you know I'm starting to wonder why I even bother creating maps. I am constantly blamed for a "bad design" when the user is making everything so hard by overthinking everything and every single excruciating little detail. Honestly, I think I'm never gonna make any more maps. It is a huge waste of my time.

I'd have to say: challenging? Sure. Well designed and executed? Sure. Fun? Definitely not. I like a challenge, and non-obvious solutions are often part of that challenge. But this was just a non-stop session of getting tied up and tripped up by finicky little details, ridiculously precise placements, and nearly impossible maneuvers. Reducing the need to be so *exact* with positions and actions, and letting the player focus on the ingenuity, would go a long way toward making this a more enjoyable and fun level.

So yeah, you have great design skills - but use your powers for good, not evil!

@all, you know, come to think of it, I've not seen anyone post a video of my intended solution yet (for the first chamber only), so if you are so inclined and completed the chamber and read this and want to do it, I will tell you if you have done it the way I designed it. Nothing like a challenge!

@a puppy, You don't need to jump at all to get the cube and what you do need to do is extremely simple. .

@Shinval I've been too harsh I just realized I'm sorry. What I'm trying to say is the tests are original and unique, but the design of the chambers don't help the player complete them, that's why there's a lot of people saying the puzzles are impossible, for example in the first one, there's almost no room to do the correct jump (when you are trying to solve it, it feels like you're doing something wrong because the shape of the chamber is not practical)

@a Puppy, why would you say that? I don't expect everyone to love my maps, but attacking their design will get my dander up. I work very hard to make good maps. So whats wrong with it (in your opinion)?

It's not impossible, but it's poorly designed.

@Malachi, like Shinval said, it is possible... without cheating. But it sure ain't easy and takes hours to figure out. See my post below.
The key to the solutions is there's very little that's standard about the solutions. Keep trying.

@Malachi, It is VERY Possible. See other comments.

This is bad, the first level isn't possible i had to noclip and the second wasn't either

You monster! I've never died that much ever in any other Portal level.
I've never seen so many non-standard ways of solving any other Portal puzzles.
And, it's never taken me this long (4 freakin' hours) to get thru any other level. Your tests made me feel like a total noob.
You sir, are a genius! Can't wait to jump into the next one.

@GrottoLava thanks for the walkthrough. Question for you: When you have to get the sphere in the "4" target, how did you do that? I don't have any ability to throw the sphere, only to drop it. I was able to work around it, and get into a position where dropping it was adequate, but I'm intrigued by your ability to throw an object.

Thanks, @LibbyPapa, wouldn't have been able to solve this one without your video.

Wow. Definitely "outside the box" thinking. I'd spent hours in this room without coming up with anything useful. Used the buttons to activate the tractor beam and create the cube, used the tractor beam to push the cube and myself around, searched every possible corner of the room, climbed onto the scaffolding, crawled into the hidden spaces (one of which is inescapable and requires restarting the level), absolutely nothing I could find to do in here would advance me. The only "interesting" thing I was able to do is launch or push myself into the lasers and die.

I had assumed from the titles (both "Unseen Aperture" and "Scratching the Surfaces") that there was something hidden that I would need to uncover, but that turned out not to be the case.

It never occurred to me (although it probably should have) to do a "non-standard lift" maneuver to get at the cube!

weirdest puzzles I've ever seen, they have super non orthodox solutions! quite creative tho

@Cortexyan, Yes, I can assure you its solvable tho not obvious. I'm sure you can do it. Thank you for playing and for commenting.

I haven't solved the first room yet, but I know it's solvable - but I REFUSE to cheat!

ne more great and challenging adventure! Enjoyed. Thank you!

Fantastic map. Challenging. Nice ambiance too. Nice and cerebral, made me have to put my thinking cap on.

@Libbybapa, well that wasn't the intended solution, but it does work! Nice! Thanks for playing and for commenting and for the video.

No need for the funnel in the first room: https://youtu.be/AwO-NJeOdOQ

Great game. One of the harder maps I made it through.

excellent map! spent a few minutes in the room i thought was the last room and then realized that it was a red herring. i didnt realize what the sphere buttons did. are there more in this series yet?

That was fun. A little ninja-y but fun. Looked great too. Oh and that first puzzle is solvable for anyone who thinks it's "broken". Good job.

@Shinval: That first chamber puzzled me for a long time too on my first playthrough, and I even took a handful of deaths (some accidentally, some through intentional stupidity; lol). I ran the first part of the test again just now, just to see how quickly I could execute it. I did it in about ten seconds. Therefore, as you well knew, it is verified as easily solvable. :)

@CoolDudeChem: Um, before you criticize a chamber for being unsolvable, first look at the comments to see whether other people solved it before you. If they did, then you absolutely CANNOT claim that the chamber is broken or has "no possible way" to be solved, because those solvers who came before you disproved your claim before you could make it, which makes you look like a petulant fool. If any people playing before you had to cheat in order to solve it, then such people would have written complaints here along those lines. That's the great thing about P2: Only one solver is needed to prove a solution exists.

@CoolDudeClem, Hi there. I would never make an impossible map, man, that is just cruel and I am never out to confuse, frustrate or kill the player. Perhaps if you watched the Youtube runthru from GrottoLova (see link below). Many people over-think that simple room (and most of my rooms) so much they can't do it. I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I like to challenge people, my maps are more on the advanced side than the easy side. Thanks for playing and for commenting.

I think this is better left unseen. That first room is totally broken, there is no possible way to get the cube out of the cage and I've tried all the tricks. For instance the panel opposing the lazer field is too low, making it impossible to get the cube out using the beam (on which the timer is too short). So it's broken from the start. Not fun at all. There's no way to get through this without cheating and I'm not resorting to that. Thumbs Down.

Amazing tests overall. Nice and long, great buildup. Great variety of solutions and methodologies. A few graphical glitches. Execution was not solid in some places. Solutions were unique, but almost finicky in some cases, so that the player has to execute them a specific and frustrating way (e.g., without looking, moving extremely precariously, etc.). In the last area, the bars interfere with the funnel path to the extent that it goes beyond "challenging" into "mean." The purple laser field shuts off for only five seconds, and the extremely tight maneuvering space sometimes forced me to get hung up for a couple of precious seconds until I died. So it's not exactly a user-friendly test.

Here is my runthru. It's the 4th so I don;t look around. Just blow thru the level https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc6yuyMeKgo

@GrottoLova, Cool! I'd love to see how you did it all! Thanks for playing.

So I managed to finish it. Yeah me. I think I'll make a video and post to TY.

OH MY GAAAAWD! I spent an hour trying to get that cube out of the cage the dumbest way possible. I hate my brain sometimes

Good Job ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Wow, really fun! Thanks!

Shinval! Nice. Good to see you again! I look forward to playing this tomorrow!

man, the bts scenes is awesome, but I dislike testchambers design in middle of map