Play Tumblers online Tumblers PlusStore link
For full game instructions, including screen shots, refer to the Tumblers forum post on AtariAge at:

https://forums.atariage.com/topic/371690-tumblers

==============================
 BACKGROUND STORY
==============================
The NTSC (National Treasury Security Council) recently released Tumblers, a security
software package being marketed to financial institutions. The NTSC asserts that
Tumblers is 100% hacker proof, claiming that the software’s ten unique security levels
make it impervious to any online breach.

In an effort to embarrass the NTSC, the anonymous group PAL (Programmers Against
Lying) has developed code, referred to as the “cube key,” that can unlock the electronic
locks of the Tumblers software. The cube key is available for download for anyone who
wishes to try their hand at safe cracking. To prevent the authorities from tracing any
users of the cube key, PAL designed it to automatically stop working after ten minutes.

==============================
 GAME OVERVIEW
==============================
Tumblers is an action-puzzle game where you use the cube key to unlock as many
electronic locks as you can in ten minutes. A lock is unlocked once the cube key enters the
keyhole at the top of the lock.

The cube key has six sides just like a normal cube, with three unique colors: red, green, and
blue. Each color occupies two sides of the cube, and opposite faces of the cube are the
same color. When the cube key is stationary, the near cube face is shown with flashing
color strips indicating the color of the top and bottom sides.

The score is the number on the left side at the bottom of the screen, representing the
number of locks that have been solved (or levels cleared).

The timer is shown on the right side at the bottom of the screen. It is set for ten minutes at
the beginning of the game. The timer only pauses when a level is completed and new
tumblers are being loaded for the next level. The game is over when the timer reaches zero.

==============================
 GAME START/RESTART
==============================
From the title screen, press the fire button to start the game. At any point during the game,
pressing and holding the fire button for three seconds will return you to the title screen.
Toggling the console reset switch will also return you to the title screen. No other console
or difficulty switches are used.

==============================
 CUBE KEY ROLLING
==============================
Use the joystick to roll the cube key left/right or up/down.

==============================
 CUBE KEY ROTATING
==============================
Press the fire button to rotate the cube key. When a rotation occurs, the near cube face
color does not change, but the color on the top and bottom sides of the cube will swap with
the color on the left and right sides of the cube. The cube key cannot be rotated while it is
rolling.

==============================
 LOCK TUMBLERS
==============================
Use the cube key to clear the horizontal tumblers protecting the keyhole. To clear a
tumbler, roll the cube key into an open space of the tumbler so that the resulting near cube
face color after the roll is the same color as the tumbler. If the resulting face is not the same
color, there is a penalty (see penalty chart below). The cube key clears both the light and
dark shades of tumblers. For example, the green sides of the cube key clear both the light
green and dark green tumblers.

Starting with level 6, yellow slider tumblers are introduced. Slider tumblers cannot be
cleared. When the cube key rolls into a slider tumbler, all other openings in that slider
tumbler will close. The cube key is able to slide horizontally within a slider tumbler, but it
cannot roll. The near cube face color will stay the same as the cube key moves left or right.
Additionally, the cube key cannot rotate while inside a slider tumbler. The cube key can exit
the slider tumbler by rolling down or rolling up into an open space of the above tumbler.

  -----------------------
   TUMBLER PENALTY CHART
  -----------------------
  Tumbler type, followed by penalty.

  Normal (Light Green, Light Red, Light Blue)
  One new tumbler is added.

  Double Dipper (Dark Green)
  Two new tumblers are added.

  Blocker (Dark Red)
  The cube key is rejected out of the tumbler.
  The tumbler does not clear.

  Evaporator (Dark Blue)
  The cube key is returned to the starting area.

  Slider (Yellow)
  No penalty, but the tumbler does not clear.
  The cube key cannot roll or rotate while within a slider tumbler.

==============================
 ADDITIONAL SECURITY MEASURES
==============================
Starting with level 2, a new tumbler is added every eight seconds. Starting with level 9, a
new tumbler is added every six seconds. While a new tumbler is being added, the cube
key is pushed downward and temporarily cannot be rolled or rotated.

Starting with level 8, the keyhole will be armed with security stripes. For the cube key to
roll into the striped keyhole, the resulting near cube face color after the roll must be the
same color as the keyhole stripes. If the resulting face would not be the same color, the
cube key is not allowed to initiate a roll into the keyhole. The security stripes will
periodically change color, rotating through green, red, and blue.

For levels 1 through 9, seven tumblers are initially loaded into the lock, leaving two blank
horizontal rows above the starting area. Starting with level 10, nine tumblers are initially
loaded, completely filling the lock.
Rank Score User Date
1 14 em dash 2024-10-14 15:05:31
2 14 killersquirel 2024-10-17 22:39:32
3 11 em dash 2024-10-14 13:04:54
4 2 Al_Nafuur 2024-10-13 19:40:30
5 2 em dash 2024-10-13 23:23:02
6 2 unknown PlusCart user 816 2024-11-13 10:35:27
Rank Score User Date
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