GK1 The Swirl

Normal solution

Hints are given below when you expand the boxes.

Spoiler: Hint 1 (what to do)
The exit is at the centre of this spiral of a level, but some open bridges stop you from walking there. You need to spell OK to reach the exit.

Spoiler: Hint 2
The O is at the bottom and the K is at the top. You need to bring the K down to the O. In fact, there's a blockpad right next to the O, so if you can smash the K and have it respawn there, you've solved the level.

Spoiler: Hint 3
Unfortunately, blocks want to fly across the level instead of dropping down neatly, and there are many K blockpads scattered around the level. You will be making incremental progress downwards by bringing the K from blockpad to blockpad until you can get it into the centre. Be prepared to spend a while on this level - as you can tell from the 50+ hints on this page, it's a long one.

Spoiler: Hint 4 (tips for getting around the level)
The Swirl is one of the most complex levels in The Godkiller, with lots of floor sections at different heights. But there is a method in the madness, and when you pick up on it, you'll have a much easier time navigating The Swirl.

Spoiler: Hint 5
There are staircases running around the western side and southern side of the level, letting you climb up to higher levels in certain spots. But they won't help you get to the platforms on the eastern side of the level. You'll need to work out how and where you can fling across.

Spoiler: Hint 6
Pay attention to the floor colours. (For the colourblind, different colours of floor have different textures too - green floors have diagonal lines running through each tile, unlike blue floors.)

Spoiler: Hint 7
As you go down from the highest floors in the level to the lowest floors, the floor colour alternates. The highest parts of the level (the same floor height as the egg) are green, then the next height down is blue, then green...

Spoiler: Hint 8

Two green floors on opposite sides of the level are at the same height. You can fling from one green part to the other and back. Try it at the start of the level - you can fling south from the egg to the platform where Plundy is perched, and then back north to the egg again. The floor colours indicate what parts of the level are at the same height, which makes planning routes and flinging around much easier and less deadly.

Spoiler: Hint 9 (getting the K from the first blockpad to the second...)
The K starts on a blockpad next to the egg. There's only one way it can go to move away from the egg.

Spoiler: Hint 10
The railings and pop-up spikes prevent you from doing anything other than pushing the K west, where it'll fall into a little 3x3 pit. But the pop-up spikes mean you can't fling after it, so you'll have to find a different route to chase after it.

Spoiler: Hint 11
Since you can't fling after the K, you'll have to drop down into the little pit from the green wall surrounding it. So how can you get onto the green wall?

Spoiler: Hint 12
The green wall is itself almost completely protected by railings, apart from a gap against the northern wall of the level. You'll have to find somewhere to stand so you can fling west into that gap.

Spoiler: Hint 13
Since you can't get there from the egg area, you need to look somewhere between the egg and the green wall. As it happens, there's a freely-rotatable set of L-shaped spokes down there (just west of where you start the level) that would make the perfect platform for getting onto the green wall. So after pushing the K west from the start, your actual first job is to get to those L-shaped spokes.

Spoiler: Hint 14
The view-square near the start gives you a good enough view of the level to pick a route to the spokes. Stick to the west side of the level to find your route. Keep in mind the above tips about getting around the level.

Spoiler: Hint 15
Fling to Plundy, then work your way back north From the egg, fling south to the southern green ledge where Plundy is. Drop down to the northwest onto another green floor (not the dark green wall - there are spikes there waiting to hurt you). The stairs to nowhere here give you enough height to fling north to the spokes in the northwest corner. You can get to the K from here.

Spoiler: Hint 16
Remember what you learned about flinging to and landing on spokes in levels like Grand Axles.

Spoiler: Hint 17
Rotate the spokes, then climb across them Rotate the L-shaped spokes twice, so that the spokes point west and north. The little stairs will let you fling onto the western spoke, and then you can walk north and fling onto the green wall. Now you can drop down and smash the K.

Spoiler: Hint 18 (...to the third...)
The K should now be on the northwestern K blockpad (and you'll be trapped in a little 3x3 pit with some spikes - time to die and reset). It's hard to spot where the K goes next, so focus on getting to the K first, and then figure out the only thing you can do next.

Spoiler: Hint 19
In its new position, the K is trapped by the same green wall as it was in the little pit in the corner. You know how to deal with this.

Spoiler: Hint 20
To get back to the K, just repeat what you've done so far - go back to the spokes, use them to climb back onto the green wall, and then drop down to the same alcove as the K. What is the only thing you can do with the K from this point?

Spoiler: Hint 21
The K is trapped in this alcove unless you push it south from its blockpad. It flies off the south of the screen and you can't see where it lands, but it's safe to fling south to chase after it.

Spoiler: Hint 22
The K has wound up on a tiny ledge in the southwest corner of the level. You need to get onto the same ledge to continue pushing it.

Spoiler: Hint 23
The only bit of the ledge you can land on to push the K is the square west of it. So in order to chase it, you need to fling south along the column to the west of the K blockpad you just pushed the K from.

Spoiler: Hint 24
Push the K south, then fling to its immediate west, then push it east Return to the K blockpad you just pushed the K from, go as far south as you can without falling down, step west once around the wall, and fling south. This lands you west of the K, and the only way you can push it is east. This smashes the K on some spikes and takes the K to its next blockpad.

Spoiler: Hint 25 (...to the fourth...)
If you've just pushed the K east from the tiny ledge in the southwest, you've probably lost track of the K now. Return to the egg to use the view-square to look for the K.

Spoiler: Hint 26
From the view-square near the egg, you can just glimpse the K sitting behind some spokes on the blue floor in the southeast corner of the level. Head to this corner now.

Spoiler: Hint 27
Head to Plundy again, then work your way east You can get to the corner by returning to Plundy's platform and dropping east. You'll be behind some spokes pointing east and west, but it's safe to rotate these out of the way to get to the corner. You should end up north of the K and some single spokes, and south of another L-shaped set of spokes.

Spoiler: Hint 28

Look closely - the K is being guarded by two single spokes on axles stacked on top of each other. The bottom spoke can't be rotated counter-clockwise, meaning you can't just walk south to the K. The L-shaped spoke and the set of stairs nearby suggests flinging over the bottom spoke, but the top spoke prevents that. (If you're having real trouble with this section, there'll be a solution diagram in Hint 37 starting from this point.)

Spoiler: Hint 29
Remember, this is two stacked spokes, not one super-tall spoke. Getting to the K requires you to treat the spokes separately.

Spoiler: Hint 30
If the top spoke was out of the way, you would be able to fling over the bottom spoke.

Spoiler: Hint 31
The bottom spoke cannot be pushed south. The top spoke, on the other hand...

Spoiler: Hint 32
If the L-shaped spokes had one spoke pointing south, you would be able to walk right up to the top spoke.

Spoiler: Hint 33
Rotate the L-shaped spoke so its spokes face west and south. Fling west from the little stairs nearby to get on top of the L, walk along the south spoke, and push the top spoke south out of the way. You can walk south and drop down to the K if you like, but look carefully - is it safe to do so?

Spoiler: Hint 34
The only way out of where the K is requires pushing the bottom spoke so it rotates clockwise and points north. That's fine, except that if you drop down immediately after pushing the top spoke...

Spoiler: Hint 35

...you'll be stuck there - the L-shaped spokes are still pointing south, so they will block the bottom spoke and trap you! Immediately after pushing the top spoke south, you need to drop down to the north and rotate the L-shaped spokes again so there's no south spoke. Then it's safe to fling over the bottom spoke and push your way north. (There's a gotcha here: don't fling south from the axle of the L-shaped spokes, or else you'll land on some spikes near the K. Fling from atop the west-pointing spoke.)

Spoiler: Hint 36
As for the K block, north is the only sensible way it can be pushed. Remember, it needs to drop down near another blockpad in order to get it closer to the centre. You may need to rotate the L-shaped spokes one more time.

Spoiler: Hint 37
Clear a path north for the K. This is the toughest bit of the level, by the way Once the bottom spoke has been pushed north, rotate the L so the spokes point north and east. Now you can push the K from its blockpad, and it will land on a lower floor to the north near another pad.

Spoiler: Hint 38 (...to the fifth...)
The K block should now be near or on the blockpad in the northeast segment of the level. This time, the K is easily accessed - you just need to figure out what to do with it.

Spoiler: Hint 39
Since all these individual block puzzles have started from the blockpad, perhaps this one should too. Smash the K so it starts this puzzle from the blockpad.

Spoiler: Hint 40
How could the K possibly leave this section? There are walls to the north, east and south, and it's going to be impossible to thread the block into that gap in the railings in the northwest (try it if you like), so that just leaves...

Spoiler: Hint 41
There's a gap in the railings in the southwest of this area, which leads directly west. Fling west through that gap, and you'll find yourself by the stairs to nowhere that you used to get to the first part of this entire puzzle, with a blockpad you haven't used yet to the north. This seems like the most likely next step. Fling east to get back to the K block.

Spoiler: Hint 42
So you want to get the K block in the same row as that gap to push it west. South of you, there will be a single spoke pointing west. That would be perfect, but there's a little patch of spikes south of the K that mean you can't just push the K south against the spoke and then west. So is the spoke useful?

Spoiler: Hint 43
The spoke can be rotated to point north and east. Are either of those useful?

Spoiler: Hint 44
Point the spoke east. That way, it will still act as a wall so that you can push the K against it to get it in the right row to push west out of the gap. Now you just need to get the K in the right place.

Spoiler: Hint 45
A nice easy one for you here From its blockpad, push the K north, east and south so it hits the east-pointing spoke. Now you can push it west to send it across the level. Once it's over there, you can just smash it to put it on the blockpad near there.

Spoiler: Hint 46 (...to the bottom)
Almost done! The final blockpad next to the O is in sight. You just need to push the K somewhere where it will fall down to the bottom of the level. It's tricky to spot where, but if you inspect where the K block has to go now, and what parts of the Swirl you haven't visited yet, you should be able to make a plan. (The solution diagram to this following stretch is in Hint 55.)

Spoiler: Hint 47
The only sensible way the K block can go from its current position is east, which takes it towards a spoke in the northeast corner. What is near that spoke that can help you? (Careful if you experiment, because if the K block breaks near that spoke, it'll respawn on the blockpad we worked on in the last block of hints, and you'll lose a little progress. Not a lot of progress, but still.)

Spoiler: Hint 48
South of the spoke (and in the same north-south column as the view-square near the spoke) is a gap in the railings, and south of that gap is a wall. If you could push the K block through this gap, it would hit the wall and fall down to near the OK bridges, within range of the final blockpad. This gap is your goal - how can you push the K so that you can get it south through that gap?

Spoiler: Hint 49
The K has to be pushed east from its current blockpad, but if you do that now, it will hit the spoke and fall onto some spikes in a little nook just below the spoke. So you have to rotate the spoke first before you push the K block east.

Spoiler: Hint 50
The K should now be near the spoke, against a bit of wall that juts slightly into the level, directly north of a little path between metal railings that leads to the blockpad we dealt with a few minutes ago. We need the gap in the railings two squares west of that path. What path does the K need to take to get there?

Spoiler: Hint 51
The K should be north of the target gap, which means it has to be pushed west. The K is against an eastern wall and can't be pushed wezst yet, and south would trap it in the railings. So we want to be able to push the K north, then two squares west, then south through the gap to the bottom floor.

Spoiler: Hint 52
If you push the K north now, it will hit some spikes to the north, so you need a wall north of the K. Having got this far, you should know what to do by now.

Spoiler: Hint 53
Rotate the spoke so that it's pointing east, if it's not already. Then push the K north so it bumps into the tip of the spoke. Now you can get to the east of the K, and you want to push it just two tiles west...

Spoiler: Hint 54
So rotate the spoke counter-clockwise so it points south. Now you can push the K west. You're as good as done with the level.

Spoiler: Hint 55
Finish off the level by getting the K to fall to the ground floor Finally, push the K south through the gap. It should fall to the bottom floor somewhere. Smash it however you can, and you can leave!

Spoiler: Hint 56 (full solution)

Push the K west. Fling south from the egg to the platform near Plundy. Drop to the green floor below, climb the stairs to nowhere, and fling north. Rotate the L-shaped spokes twice, climb the stairs, fling west onto a west-facing spoke, walk to the tip of the north-facing spoke, and fling west to the narrow walkway. Drop down into the little chamber where the K is. Smash the K. Walk on the spikes and respawn. (See Hints 15 and 17 for diagrams.) Return to the narrow walkway as above, this time dropping into the longer chamber where the K has respawned. Push the K south. Walk to the southern edge of this platform, step west (you should be two squares north and one square west of another K blockpad below you), and fling south so you land immediately west of the K block. Push the K east (it will hit spikes and respawn in the southeast corner of the map). (See Hint 24 for a diagram.) Head back to Plundy's platform. Drop down to the blue floor to the east behind some west-east spokes, and push past them to an L-shaped set of spokes. Rotate this L counter-clockwise. Climb the little stairs, fling west so you land on the west-pointing spoke, and walk to the tip of the south-pointing spoke until you come to two spokes stacked on top of each other. Push the top one south (you will now be stood on the bottom spoke). Drop down to the north and rotate the L-shaped spokes clockwise. Climb the stairs and fling onto the west-pointing spoke again, step west, and fling south so you land by the K block. Push the bottom spoke north, then push the L-shaped spokes clockwise, clearing a path to push the K block north. Do so. (See Hints 27 and 37 for diagrams.) Drop to the green floor north of the L-shaped spoke. Rotate the single spoke to the south of you twice so it points east. Smash the K to respawn it on the nearby blockpad. Push the K north, east, south (hitting the single spoke) and west (sending it across to the green floor on the west side of the level). Fling west and smash the K to respawn it on the blockpad north of you, next to the view-square. (See Hint 45 for a diagram.) Stand on the square immediately south of the view-square, and fling east to hit a spoke. Push the spoke counter-clockwise once. Fling back west, push the K east, fling east, and push the K north against the spoke. Rotate the spoke counter-clockwise three times so it points south. Push the K west, then south, so it falls on the same level as the O. Push the K west and smash it against the west wall to spell OK. (See Hint 55 for a diagram.) Cross either bridge and exit the level. That's all you have to do to beat The Swirl. Simple as anything. Surprised you were having trouble with it, really.

Present solution

Spoiler: Hint 1 (present location)
The present can be a bit tricky to see. Fling south from your egg the to near Plundy and then take the stairs part way down. The present is visible on the south side through a gap in the walls.

Spoiler: Hint 2
To figure out what to do, visually follow the stairs west from the present. They lead to an OOOOO bridge. You need to make that.

Spoiler: Hint 3
If you try to move the O around, it either gets stuck or dies on spikes. You need a spacer. Solve the level as normal to get a K down there.

Spoiler: Hint 4
After making OK, push O east, south. Note the dashed line showing where the closest block pad is when you push it. Can you get it to rebrith on the OOOO column?

Spoiler: Hint 5
Get the O to the southeast like so, where it should want to be reborn in the OOOO stack Push the O east again.

Spoiler: Hint 6
Once you've made OOOOO, you still need to get to the bridge. Where can you fling from?

Spoiler: Hint 7 (solution)

Use the L-shaped spoke in the corner to reach the OOOOO bridge and walk to the present Solve the level as normal. After making OK, push the O east, south. Fling across to it and push it east. Smash it to make the OOOOO bridge and also reform OK. (See Hint 5 for a diagram of that bit.) Die, get reborn, fling south to Plundy's platform. Go down the stairs to the east wall, rotate the axle initially pointing N-W counterclockwise once so it's pointing S-W. Go up the short stairs, fling to on top of the axle, walk to the south spoke on the axle and fling west to the OOOOO bridge and the present.

Extras

Spoiler: Achievements
There are 0 achievements available for this level.

Spoiler: View squares
There are 3 view squares on this level: Near the starting egg. West side. Lower NE side.

Spoiler: Hanging men
There are 0 hanging men on this level.

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