The game

Build a pipeline from the starting piece before the flooz begins to flow. Pipe pieces arrive in a dispenser and must be placed in the orientation supplied; they cannot be rotated. You may put a piece anywhere on the grid, so planning several moves ahead is often more useful than connecting every piece immediately.

An unfilled pipe you placed can be replaced by putting another piece on top of it. Replacing a pipe costs 50 points and takes a short time. Once flooz has entered a pipe, that cell is locked and cannot be replaced. Fixed pieces, obstacles and other level features cannot be replaced either.

Each level gives you a construction period before the flooz starts moving. Later levels reduce the available time and increase the flow speed. Press F when you are ready to make the flooz run faster; sections reached while fast flooz is active score at double their normal value.

Completing a level

The O counter shows how many more required pipe sections the flooz must traverse. When it reaches zero, the minimum length requirement has been met. Some later levels also contain an end piece; on those levels the flooz must reach that end piece as well as meeting the length requirement.

Later levels can add obstacles, one-way pipes, reservoirs, bonus pieces and paired openings at opposite sides of the board. Edge openings allow flooz to leave one side and re-enter from the matching opening on the other side.

Playing modes

Basic one-player: one dispenser is shown and you can see the next five pieces.

Expert one-player: two dispensers are used. The pieces nearest the middle are available, and the next three pieces in each dispenser are visible.

Competitive two-player: both players build on the same grid. Player 1 uses the upper dispenser and Player 2 the lower dispenser, with separate scores.

Trainer: the one-player and two-player modes can be played with slower flooz. Scores made in Trainer are not entered in the high-score table.

Pipe and level pieces

• Basic pipes: straights, corners and crossing pieces. Flooz continues straight through a crossing unless the route forces another valid path.
• Player 2 pipes: function like Player 1 pipes but are visually distinguished.
• One-way pipes: accept flow only in their indicated direction.
• Start piece: the source from which flooz begins.
• End piece: required on some levels; reaching it awards a 1,000-point bonus.
• Obstacles: cannot be replaced or traversed.
• Reservoirs: temporarily hold the flooz, buying extra construction time, and award bonus points.
• Bonus pieces: award extra points when the flooz passes through them.

Amiga controls

Joystick: move the cursor with the stick and press Fire to place. In Expert mode, hold Fire and move Up for the upper dispenser or Down for the lower dispenser.

Mouse: move the pointer/cursor and use the left button to place. In Expert mode the original manual assigns the left button to the lower dispenser; this browser port also maps the secondary button to the upper dispenser for practical two-dispenser control.

Two players: each player can use a supported controller. Player 1 draws from the top dispenser and Player 2 from the bottom dispenser.

Scoring

• 50 points for each ordinary section traversed before the minimum length is reached.
• 100 points for each additional ordinary section after the minimum has been reached.
• 500 points when the flooz crosses itself through a cross-pipe.
• 500 points for a bonus or reservoir section before the minimum; the game can award more after the minimum.
• 1,000 points for reaching an end piece.
• Minus 100 points at the end of the round for each unused pipe you placed.
• Minus 50 points whenever you replace an existing unfilled pipe.
• Fast flooz doubles the normal value of sections traversed while it is active.

Expert mode additionally rewards alternating between pipe families from the two dispensers. In two-player games, flow points are credited to the player who placed the traversed section; unused-pipe penalties likewise belong to that player.

Playing tips

• Use Trainer to learn how future pieces can fit into a route rather than reacting only to the current piece.
• Think ahead and place temporarily inconvenient pieces where they may become useful later.
• Avoid unnecessary replacements: they cost both time and points.
• Save cross pieces for positions where the route can loop back through them.
• Once the route is safely ahead of the flooz, use the remaining time to extend it for extra points, or use Fast Flooz when you want to finish quickly and score the speed bonus.