The App
GETTING THE APP
The free Cogismo Logic Puzzle app for Android phones can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, or the iPhone version can be downloaded from the App Store.
USING THE APP
The puzzle screen
The layout of the puzzle screen is shown below.
A) The MENU button – press this to access the menu screen. From here you will be able to re-start the same puzzle (from the beginning), generate a new puzzle, change your username, change the settings for the app, email the puzzle that you are doing to someone else, or recharge the Undo button.
B) The DIFFICULTY display – this contains an indication of the level of difficulty of the current puzzle; from one (easiest) to five (hardest). You can change the level of difficulty in the settings screen.
C) The HELP button – press this to access the help screen.
D) The TAP counter and UNDO button – this displays the number of cog taps that you have made while doing the current puzzle. Press this to undo your last tap.
E) The USER display and button – This displays the username that is currently active. Press this to access the users screen. From here you can choose a new username, and change whether your completed puzzles are stored on this website.
F) The TIME display and PAUSE button – This displays the number of seconds that have elapsed since you started the current puzzle. Press this button to pause the timer. It will restart automatically when you next tap on a cog.
G) The nine COGS – tap on a cog to make it (1) increment its value by one and (2) rotate 90 degrees clockwise. You have solved the Cogismo puzzle when you get all nine cogs displaying a zero.
The victory screen
Once you have solved a puzzle you will be shown the victory screen.
From the victory screen you can:
Start a NEW PUZZLE – – Press this if you want to do a new Cogismo puzzle. You will be given a new puzzle with the difficulty level that is specified in the settings screen.
RE-DO the same puzzle – Press this if you want to do the same Cogismo puzzle again. The Cogismo puzzle will be set back to its original starting point, and the tap counter and seconds timer will be re-set to zero.
Start a NEW PUZZLE with the next higher level of difficulty.
SHARE the puzzle that you have just completed with someone else. This option is only available if you have chosen, in the users screen, to store your completed puzzles on the Cogismo website.
Review your ACHIEVEMENTS. Pressing this button will take you to the Cogismo website (if you have an internet connection). From here you can browse reports of the puzzles that have been completed. The reports include information on how many seconds and taps it took to complete a puzzle.
Change the difficulty and display SETTINGS being used by the Cogismo app.
RATE the Cogismo app. Please be nice. Please.
The menu screen
RE-DO the same puzzle – Press this if you want to do the same Cogismo puzzle again. The Cogismo puzzle will be set back to its original starting point, and the tap counter and seconds timer will be re-set to zero.
GENERATE a new puzzle – Press this if you want to do a new Cogismo puzzle. You will be given a new puzzle with the difficulty level that is specified in the settings screen.
USERS – Press this if you want to (1) use a different username or (2) change whether the Cogismo app stores your completed puzzles on the Cogismo website.
SETTINGS – Press this if you want to (1) change the difficulty level of the Cogismo puzzles that you are being given or (2) change the speed at which the cogs are rotating or (3) change the display of the app.
EMAIL puzzle – Press this if you want to email the puzzle to someone else. This option is only available if you have chosen, in the users screen, to store your completed puzzles on the Cogismo website.
ACHIEVEMENTS – Press this if you want to be connected to this website. From here you can view (1) the Cogismo puzzles that you have completed and (2) how other people did on the same Cogismo puzzles and (3) all of the Cogismo puzzles that anyone (who saves their puzzles online) has completed.
The users screen
The center column of the users screen displays up to 5 usernames that may be selected on your current device. The active username has a large green dot displayed to the right of it. To SELECT A DIFFERENT USER – press on one of the hollow grey circles on the right of screen.
To the left of the usernames is a column displaying either a Cogismo symbol (a cog with a “C” in the middle) or a smart-phone symbol. Usernames with the Cogismo symbol will (if an internet connection is available) store completed puzzles on the Cogismo website. This will (1) give you a record of your completed puzzles and (2) allow you to share your completed Cogismo puzzles with other people. Usernames with the smart-phone symbol will not store completed puzzles on the Cogismo website.
To ADD A NEW USERNAME – press on the “Your_Name_Here” button in the usernames column. You can have up to five usernames on one smart-phone. You will be prompted to enter a new username, and to specify whether or not that username will store completed puzzles on the Cogismo website.
To EDIT AN EXISTING USERNAME – press on the username in the list. If you are trying to edit a username which stores completed puzzles on the Cogismo website, you will be prompted to enter your five digit password.
Usernames must be 6 to 16 characters in length, and made up only of letters, numbers, or an underscore symbol.
Usernames which store completed puzzles on the Cogismo website have a five digit password associated with them. You will be sent this password when you first create the username (and only then). Write this down, as it is not stored on your smart-phone. You will need to provide this password before you are allowed to either (1) edit the username or (2) use the same username on multiple devices.
You can use the same username on multiple smart-phones. Just (1) add the username on one smart-phone then (2) write down the 5 digit password that you are sent then (3) add the same username on another smart-phone then (4) when you are told that that username is already in use – select the option that allows you to use the same username on multiple devices and provide your password.
The settings screen
The DIFFICULTY control – press this if you want to change the level of difficulty for the puzzles that Cogismo is generating. There are five settings, with the easiest (level 1) being on the left, and the hardest (level 5) on the right. If you want a speed challenge, try solving a level 1 puzzle in order a minute (and once you’ve done that, try for under 30 seconds).
The SPEED control – press this if you want to change the speed at which the cogs rotate. There are five settings, with the slowest being on the left, and the fastest on the right. When you are first trying to understand the puzzle you will probably want to use a slow setting. Once you fully understand how the cogs interact you will probably want to use a faster setting.
Show 3D COGS – press this to change how the cogs are displayed.
Show WALLPAPER – press this to change whether the wallpaper (the abstract pattern behind the cogs on the puzzle screen) is displayed. If you are having issues with cogs rotating too slowly, then turn the wallpaper off.
Show VICTORY GRAPHIC – press this to change whether the victory graphic (approximately 7 seconds of rippling coloured circles) is displayed when you solve a puzzle.
Set COLOURS – press this to change the colours used in the app.
The effect of the speed control, 3D cogs, wallpaper, victory graphic and colour settings are entirely visual; and do not alter the difficulty of the puzzle.
The achievements screen
The achievements screen gives you access to the Cogismo website (if you have an internet connection). From here you can browse reports of the puzzles that have been completed. The reports include information on how many seconds and taps it took to complete a puzzle. There are three reports available:
For this USER – press this if you want to view a report of the puzzles completed by the current user. This option is only available if you have chosen, in the users screen, to store your completed puzzles on the Cogismo website.
For this PUZZLE – press this if you want to view a report of how long it took other people to complete the same puzzle that you have just completed.
For EVERYONE – press this if you want to view a report of all puzzles completed by anyone. If you tap on the name of a puzzle, and that puzzle will be loaded into the Cogismo app on your phone.
The paid features screen
The only paid feature in the Cogismo app is use of the Undo button, although the app comes with three free undos when you first download it. The Undo button takes a Cogismo puzzle back to the state that it was in before you tapped on the most recent cog.
It is entirely possible to complete Cogismo puzzles without using the Undo button at all, but using the Undo button is often very helpful. Payments are made via the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, and you must have a store account before you can purchase Undos. The cost is not displayed within the app because it varies from country to country, but you will have the opportunity to review the amount that will be charged before you agree to any payment. Note that if you uninstall the Cogismo app then any unused Undos will be lost.
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