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Microsoft Tinker robot puzzle game - download for free

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IainB:
I stumbled upon this today whilst searching for something unrelated. It looked interesting, so I downloaded the game. I checked and it is/was already included in the Vista Ultimate Plus installation that I have configured on an old laptop.

Download the Freeware from Softpedia - Tinker
 - where it says:
Editor's Review
Tinker is one of the most memorable titles you can play. It’s a great looking puzzle game in which the main character is a tiny robot who you must guide through a large number of scenarios that require a good dose of brainpower to complete.

An example of excellent game design in all aspects
Tinker is charming from the first second you lay eyes on it. Even as a grownup you can’t hold back a smile when seeing the little guy and that smile gets a bit bigger when you see how he gently slaps switches and does his victory dance.

However, not all the creativity went into the visual design of the game. Along with smiles, Tinker also causes a decent amount of frowning, you know, the kind that takes over your face when you have no idea how to solve the puzzle that’s in front of you. Expect plenty of that because Tinker is quite terrific brain-tease.

Play 60 levels that define the notion of a great puzzle game
In terms of gameplay, the mechanics are easy to understand. In each level you are placed on a rectangular surface with a checkerboard pattern and you share that space with the puzzle components. There is good deal of those and they range from simple ice blocks to magnets, you have mirrors to work with, teleportation pads, magnets, lasers and a whole lot more.

Tinker supplies 60 levels and each one is unique in how it looks and how it’s solved. You will always have to deal with different mechanics and interactions between the objects, switches and everything else. Often enough, you might just take a moment to enjoy the creativity that went into creating each puzzle.

If you haven’t played it by now, don’t waste any more time
For puzzle game fans and not only, Tinker is a perfect example of how you can create something that’s excellent in every way. It’s not the best, but it’s definitely one of the best experiences you will have with a game of this sort.

Tinker was reviewed by Alexandru Chirila
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This is different to the old (2009) discussion thread on DCF about Tinker being available for free online play: Microsoft is giving away Tinker for free

Interesting link: Tinker: how to play

My 5 y/o son likes Tinker - the game character is a cute little robot - but it's nevertheless a puzzle game that becomes increasingly difficult to solve as you go up each level.
I think this game is going to drive me batty.

TaoPhoenix:

Slightly sideways, but why is there a Softpedia watermark?

And I thought they were one of the ones with bundled download wrappers to keep an eye on... Why wouldn't Microsoft have their own link?

ayryq:
Microsoft intended this to be a bonus extra only for owners of "Ultimate" versions of Vista and 7. The version at Softpedia is not "official."

I downloaded it and there's no "crapware" - You get a zip file which includes a ".xbx" file - making me think this was ripped somewhat unofficially from a Windows download. Inside a directory is a MSI.

It installed fine on my Windows 8.1, 64-bit laptop, but I get an error when running: "The program can't start because xlive.dll is missing from your computer."

There's a thread here about trying to get the softpedia version working.

IainB:
The game is really good on Vista Ultimate!

On Win 8.1-64 PRO, however...




Bother.

Deozaan:
This was available for free with Microsoft Games for Windows Live/Marketplace software/service/store, which has recently-ish (within the past year) been discontinued. I think I tried it years ago but never spent much time with it and can't remember how much I liked it or not.

As for getting it to work on Windows 8.1: I'm pretty sure that DXSetup.exe isn't the proper Tinker setup file. It's a DirectX installation file to make sure you have the correct DirectX files installed.

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