THE APPARATUS — Protocol 7-C

THE APPARATUS is a free, browser-based ball-balance skill game. You control two independent motors — the left one raises and lowers the left end of a steel bar, the right one the right end — and tilt the bar to roll a steel ball up a board pocked with holes, delivering it to the single lit red target without letting it fall. It is inspired by the classic 1983 arcade cabinet Ice Cold Beer, rebuilt as an endless evaluation with honest, unforgiving physics.

How to play

• Keyboard: Q/A drive the left motor up/down, P/L the right motor. Deliver the ball to the lit hole.
• Touch: hold and drag on the left half of the screen for the left motor, the right half for the right motor.
• Dark holes lose the ball. Beat the schedule for a commendation. The deeper you go, the more the machine misbehaves.

The Daily Docket

Every day, every player receives the exact same seeded board. Post your trial to the daily leaderboard — "The Day's Filings" — and keep a streak. No account, no install, no cost.

The Observer

A clinical observer watches every run and types notes about you as you play. Who it is, why the intake logs are empty, and what lies past the top of the board are never explained. Recover the personnel file one fragment at a time.