GamePlay
The object of the game is to catch the cuckoo bird within the 3:00 time limit. In collaborative and competitive modes, players can also work together or race one another. Players must quickly scan the environment and estimate what machines combined with what power-ups will allow them to catch the cuckoo bird the quickest. It is not enough that a player understand how pendullums work; they will need to understand how velocity, or mass affects the behavior of a pendullum.

Clock Parts
The Cuckoo Clock parts are designed to provide barriers and conduits for accessing spaces where the Cuckoo Bird might be hiding. The Cuckoo Clocks will have the following parts.

  • Extension Springs
  • Compression Springs
  • Coil Springs
  • See-saw Levers
  • Threaded Levers
  • Lever Elevators
  • Pendulums
  • Gears
  • Worm gears
  • Planetary gears.
  • Escapement
  • Chains
  • Counterweights
  • Pulleys
  • Block-and-Tackle
  • Block-and-Tackle Elevator

Power-Ups
Power-ups are important for balancing out the game by introducing a random, silly element into the largely deterministic gameplay. If a power-up is crucial for using certain clock parts correctly, they will appear more frequently during the levels that need them. Other power-ups may also appear, of course. Power-ups enter a level by falling from the roof of the cuckoo clock and gnomes use power-ups by walking over them.

  • Knockwurst (Sausage) -- added mass
  • Currywurst (Spicy Sausage) -- mass and jump boost
  • Bock (Beer) -- added velocity, but reduced control
  • Lederhosen -- reduced mass
  • Sauerkraut-- added strength and dexterity, but no jumping
  • Pocket Watch-- more time
  • Stollen (Fruitcake) -- slows down game

Multiplayer Power-Ups.

  • Glühvein -- Bock for all players.
  • Käsekuchen (Cheesecake) -- reduced friction.
  • German Chocolate Cake -- multi-stollen effect.
  • Spieldose (Music Box) -- causes other gnomes to sleep.
  • Shepherd’s Cane -- causes target gnome to follow main gnome.
  • Birkenstuks -- boots other gnomes.
  • Tuba -- blows other gnomes out of way.
  • Accordion -- moves the cuckoo

Hatching Time! Power-ups

  • Pretzel -- invincibility.
  • Lebkuchen (Gingerbread cookies) -- invincible to single attack
  • Fiddle -- swats other gnomes across a short distance.
  • Ow-di car logo -- projectiles stun other gnomes
  • Bonkswagon car logo -- single projectile.
  • Mersheardes car logo -- slow moving, intelligent projectile


Copyright 2002, MIT.