REPTON 3 WALKTHROUGH

version 1.2
by Michael S. Repton
([email protected])

- - -

Introduction

Why a walkthrough now for such an old game? The answer is, simply,
that even after so many years (the game dates back to 1985), Repton 3
has never been surpassed in terms of addictive gameplay, cunning
tricks and puzzles, and the sheer joy of continual frustration at
playing the fiddly bits over and over until you get them right! The
only game that comes close, in my opinion, is Lemmings; unless you
count Repton 3's own sequels, Around the World in 40 Screens, The
Life of Repton and Repton Thru Time. Each of these consists of 40
additional Repton 3 levels, rising to difficulties much higher than
the puzzles of the original game.

What, then, makes Repton 3 so brilliant? For me it is largely because
of the intellectual challenge it presents; each level is a maze, and
there are often very complex reasons why the separate parts have to
be done in a particular order so that every diamond can be reached.
Solving these puzzles from Repton's eye, seeing only a small part of
the maze at a time, is tricky and often frustrating but intensely
rewarding. But the game does not consist of nothing but puzzles; many
of the levels require quick thinking and quick fingerwork to avoid
a spirit or kill a monster... or just to reach a certain point in the
level before it becomes blocked off by a growth of deadly fungus.

This walkthrough contains solutions to all 24 levels of the original
game. In my opinion, anyone new to Repton 3 should definitely play
the original levels before any of the sequels; the original levels
have a well-designed learning curve that gradually gets you thinking
about more complex tricks and kinds of puzzle, whereas the sequels
get very quickly into much harder levels. However, I am planning to
make this the first of a series of walkthroughs that will cover the
sequels as well.

- - -

Overview of game

Repton 3 is, as the name suggests, the third of the Repton series of
puzzle games from Superior Software. As in the first two games,
Repton has to travel around a maze and collect diamonds, bypassing
obstacles in the form of puzzle objects that are arranged in order
to make the diamonds difficult to reach. Repton 3 has several new
types of object that did not appear in the earlier games, as well
as the addition of a time limit; on some levels the time limit is a
major part of the challenge.

Repton 3 consists of 24 levels, divided into three sets of eight,
Prelude (easy), Toccata (medium difficulty) and Finale (hard). These
are the difficulties of the sets as a whole; each contains some
easier and some harder levels, but in general the levels within each
set are in order of ascending difficulty. There are some exceptions,
and to help warn the reader of these I have given each level a
difficulty mark from 0 to 10. These marks are just my own opinions!
Some people find particular types of puzzles harder than others, so
your own ranking may be different from mine.

- - -

Scoring

For collecting a diamond: 5 points
For collecting a crown: 50 points
For killing a monster: 20 points

All point-scoring objectives must be met to complete a level.

- - -

Inventory of objects

Some objects are limited to a certain number per level. I have
indicated this as either MAX (a maximum number) or NUM (a fixed
number, meaning that every level must contain exactly this many).

REPTON the lizard-man is your playable character. NUM: 1

COLLECTABLE OBJECTS:

DIAMONDS are the main objectives of a level. All diamonds must be
collected before a level can be completed.
THE CROWN is another collectable object. Every level has one, which
must be collected before a level can be completed. NUM: 1
THE TIMEBOMB must be defused (by walking into it) after every other
objective has been obtained; this completes the level. NUM: 1
KEYS open all safes on a level (turn them into diamonds) when they
are collected. Collecting a second key has no effect. Note that
since diamonds are "curved" objects (see BOULDERS, below) but safes
are not, collecting a key may sometimes destabilise a boulder.
TIME CAPSULES reset the level's time limit when collected.
EARTH is harmless. Monsters and spirits can move through it.

OBSTACLES:

WALLS are simple immobile and indestructible obstacles.
SKULLS are equivalent to walls, but kill Repton if he attempts to
walk into them.
BOULDERS can be pushed horizontally, and fall downwards if they
are manoeuvred above an empty space or if another object is removed
from below them. They also "roll" around the corners of curved
objects. Repton can stand below a boulder, but if one falls from a
height onto him he will die.
EGGS are equivalent to boulders, but once they fall any distance
they will crack and after a time a MONSTER will emerge. MAX: 4
SAFES are obstacles until a key is obtained (see above).
CAGES are obstacles until a spirit enters them (see below). MAX: 8

NASTIES:

MONSTERS emerge from eggs and try to follow Repton around the level.
They can be destroyed by running a boulder (or egg) over them. All
monsters must be killed before a level can be completed.
SPIRITS move around by following the walls (or other obstacles) on
their left-hand side. When a spirit enters a cage, it is transformed
into a diamond. MAX: 8
FUNGUS slowly expands into empty space as long as it is free to do
so. An area blocked off by fungus cannot be unblocked again.

TRANSPORTERS move Repton to another square on the level when he
steps into them. Each transporter has a fixed destination; it will
malfunction and kill Repton if the destination is not empty. If
Repton dies after using a transporter on a level, he will be
returned to the destination of the last transporter he took rather
than to his initial location on that level. MAX: 4.

- - -

A note on curved objects

Boulders and eggs will fall off "curved" objects if they are able to
do so (that is, if both the square next to them and the one below
that are empty). If a boulder or egg is above an object curved on
both sides and is free to fall to either side, it will always fall
left. Conversely, if two boulders or eggs are simultaneously able to
fall into the same space, the one on the right will fall first.
The following objects are curved on both sides: diamonds, the crown,
the timebomb, keys, time capsules, skulls, boulders, eggs. The only
objects that are curved on just one side are certain wall sections;
these are usually easy to tell apart from non-curved wall sections.

- - -

The Repton shuffle

One trick that is worth special mention, as it is not obvious until
you have seen it done, is that Repton can stand under a boulder, step
to one side and push the boulder to the other side as it falls. This
is most often useful to prevent a boulder from falling where it would
block you in or trap a diamond.

- - -

The levels

- PRELUDE -

Level 1-A
Password: PRELUDE
Difficulty: 1/10

Overview: A simple first level that introduces spirits and monsters.
There is one pitfall to avoid in the shape of two diamonds that might
become trapped if you do the level in the wrong order.

Walkthrough: First go left and collect the two diamonds in the bottom
corner. Now return to Repton's initial position and go up. Push the
first rock to the right without allowing the second to fall, step
back and push the second rock to the right as well. Go all the way
to the top of the level. Collect the diamonds around the boulder
and push it left into the area below. Collect the first diamond,
allowing the egg to fall, and push the boulder onto the monster that
emerges. Now obtain the key by releasing one boulder at a time.

Now go down and take the right passage. Take the diamonds above the
cages and then release the three spirits by collecting the first
diamond and moving straight upwards. Now collect all the diamonds
in this area.

The area below Repton's initial location is now open. Collect the
diamond below the first boulder before allowing it to fall, and then
push all three boulders into this pit before taking the last diamond.
The top-left area is easy until you reach the second egg. Push the
boulder towards the egg, collect one diamond to allow the egg to
fall, run round the other side of the boulder and push it onto the
monster as it hatches. Enter the room below, and take the first two
diamonds to allow the boulder to fall. Push the other boulder well
out of the way. Go downwards to the two stacked boulders, remove the
earth holding them and then go straight up so that they fall. Leave
the earth holding them in place while you collect the diamonds.

Return to Repton's starting location and go right. Collect the three
diamonds at the bottom first, then go up on the left so that the
boulder falls and opens the way to the crown. The rest is easy; the
diamonds in the bottom-right room should be collected by working
from the bottom upwards. Then walk onto the timebomb.

Level 1-B
Password: CITADEL
Difficulty: 0/10

Overview: The easiest level of the game. Its only notable feature
is the first introduction of time capsules, although the time limit
is generous enough that they are not needed.

Walkthrough: Work around the level clockwise, collecting all the
diamonds as you go. The only place where diamonds might be trapped
if you do the wrong thing is in the chamber just above and left of
the timebomb. Here, if you are coming from above, first push the
top boulder to the left so it does not fall. Collect the left two of
the four diamonds around the boulder on the right and walk directly
left; the boulders will fall leaving the diamonds easy to reach.

Level 1-C
Password: MORNING
Difficulty: 2/10

Overview: Introducing transporters and fungus, as well as being the
first level to require the Repton shuffle. Also the first level in
which you are likely to require the one time capsule available.

Walkthrough: Enter the first transporter, which takes you just below
the second transporter. Push the egg so it breaks, and enter the
second transporter, which returns you to the top. Walk along the top
of the level to entice the monster into position behind the boulder;
then push it down. Collect the diamonds while retaining an earth
section to keep the boulders from trapping the exit.

Push the second egg, and run straight up until you reach the boulder.
Move left to drop the boulder on the monster, then move down, left,
right, right to collect the key. Now only one more boulder will fall,
as the transporter holds the other. Go back down and push this
boulder to the right, allowing you to collect all the diamonds.

The third transporter takes you to the top-left enclosure. Collect
the diamonds on the right first, then those holding the boulders.

The fourth transporter takes you to the bottom-right. Allow the first
boulder to fall, and the second (trapping the fungus). Go along the
bottom passage, not forgetting to take the two diamonds above you.
Now release the last boulder and return to release the spirits. Walk
left and up past the three cages and open the way to the fourth;
while waiting for the spirits to enter the cages, you can collect
the diamonds in the enclosure. This is simple if you start from the
bottom and work upwards, as usual.

Enter the top room and collect the diamond under the boulder. Move
left and then immediately right so that you push the boulder as it
falls and do not trap yourself. If you do trap yourself, collect
everything in this area and then allow the other boulder to kill
you. If not, now is a good time to collect the time capsule.
The last area is simple. Collect the bottom diamonds before allowing
the boulders to fall. Leave the two diamonds next to the timebomb
until last, and then collect them and defuse the bomb in one move.

Level 1-D
Password: AWKWARD
Difficulty: 2/10

Overview: Some slightly harder monster and spirit puzzles, and some
nasty pitfalls to watch out for. Skulls are introduced, though they
are easily avoided on this level. You need to be careful about time.

Walkthrough: Go round and collect the diamond directly below Repton,
stabilising the boulder again. Now go right along the bottom of the
room, up, and left, pushing the boulder as you go. All the boulders
will now fall harmlessly and the exit will be open.

Push the egg and go up and left; push the boulder over the monster
and go up again. Deal with the second egg by releasing it and then
running round the boulder to push onto it. Now take the transporter.

In the second area, first go down to the room with the cages. Go
along the top, round on the far right, and free the lowest cage;
coming back, take the diamond in the vertical wall and the diamond
above the top cage to open up the other two. The point is to make
them accessible while leaving the other diamonds in place to guide
the spirits into them.

Return to the top, and release the first boulder. Release the second
boulder by taking the diamond to its left, not the one under it.
Collect the bottom diamonds, letting the other boulders fall, and
then release the spirits. Wait until you hear them enter their cages
before leaving this area and taking the time capsule.

Collect all the diamonds and enter the bottom area. Here, first let
the top boulder fall down to the wall and then push the second
boulder to the side, so that the lowest room can be entered. Collect
the diamonds from the bottom up and enter the second transporter.

Make your way to the bottom, and check how much time you have left.
If you have enough time, you can take a risk here by running straight
up and dropping the boulder across the exit; this gives the spirit
a quicker journey to its cage. Do not touch the diamonds below the
cage, but push the rock above the cage off to the right to guide the
spirit into it. Release the spirit and collect all the diamonds.

Level 1-E
Password: FRITTER
Difficulty: 3/10

Overview: Includes a puzzle in which Repton must enter a room with
three spirits and will have to act quickly. Also contains slightly
more complicated boulder and diamond puzzles than previous levels.

Walkthrough: Allow the first boulder to fall twice and push it away
to the left. Do the same with the second boulder. Allow the boulder
at the corner of the clump to fall, and then collect all the diamonds
in one move. (You can safely move down onto the transporter, even
from below a boulder.)

Go round and release the leftmost boulder of the cluster to its left.
Remove the earth to allow it to fall again and push it into the
corner. Now collect the diamonds directly under the other rocks, push
the rock that falls behind you away, and collect the last diamonds.

In the third room, wait until just after one of the spirits passes
above you. Quickly collect the diamond, push the boulder to the left,
and collect the diamond in the bottom-left corner. When the next
spirit enters the cage, collect the diamond, and stand in the safe
space to the left of it.

Now wait for the last spirit to go past, and walk to the right under
the diamonds. Collect the diamond under the last boulder and let it
fall straight down. Collect the key, go down and open the first safe,
go up and push the boulder to the right. Collect the diamond below
and left of the boulder to allow the spirit to enter the cage. Get
everything in all the rooms and enter the third transporter.

In this room, go down on the right and collect the earth to the right
of the boulder blocking the cage. Go around, without touching the
diamonds, and push both boulders to the right. Avoiding the spirits,
free the boulder at the top and push it down to the right. Wait for
the spirits to be below the wall and push this boulder to the right
next to the diamond, guiding the spirits into the cages.

Collect everything and enter the last transporter. Here, collect
everything from the bottom up, push the boulder above and right of
the exit away to the right, and go down. Release the spirit and wait
for it to enter the cage. Complete the rest of the level as usual.

Level 1-F
Password: LAWLESS
Difficulty: 5/10

Overview: The time limit is a real obstacle on this level, and some
foresight is required to guide the spirits to their cages in the
first puzzle. A definite step up in difficulty.

Walkthrough: Go left and up. Do not take the diamond on your right.
Move the first boulder right and release it; push the second boulder
right. Go down past the boulder and remove the earth and diamond
directly below it, before removing the last section that drops it,
blocking and freeing the spirits. Take away the diamonds blocking
the cages, and then the other diamonds in this area.

The second area is a series of boulder puzzles that are all solved
by starting from the bottom and going up. Release the egg in the
last room straight down so that the boulder falls on it.

In the third area, wait for the spirits to go past before releasing
the boulders and freeing them. YOU MUST NOT DIE IN THIS AREA because
you will be returned to the last transporter destination, which is
now under the boulders! Run clockwise around the room behind the
spirits and open up the cages. Check the time limit and grab the time
capsule when you need it before taking the last transporter.

In the last area, be careful not to block off the entrance in case
you die. Take the diamond below the boulders and egg on the right and
run up to release the clump of boulders onto the monster. Take the
three diamonds below the second egg without disturbing the earth
sections. Run round to the left of the key, dropping the last egg
onto the monster (an egg can kill a monster just as a boulder can)
followed by the boulder. Run into the top room and hurry to collect
everything before the fungus grows enough to trap the timebomb.

Level 1-G
Password: RATION
Difficulty: 5/10

Overview: Don't get caught napping, because two spirits are free in
Repton's starting location! The middle section of this level is a
maze of skulls, so care is needed, but once the spirits have been
dealt with the level becomes fairly easy. Not too much time though.

Walkthrough: Collect the two diamonds immediately to your left and
walk right as far as you can. Wait for the spirits to pass you, step
left and run down. Walk left until you see the key. Go around the
skulls to collect it and return the way you came. Go right to find
the first cage; collect the diamonds blocking it.

Stand out of the spirits' way. When they pass you again, go around
and up on the right to find the second cage. Do not wait, but return
to where the key was. Continuing to the left is another room with two
spirits. Wait for one to have gone past, run in, and open up the
first cage.

Wait for the spirit you followed to come back out of the passage
above the cage. Enter this passage and collect the diamond on the
left. Continue up, release the two boulders, and go up again. There
is a rock standing on a diamond that needs to be bypassed; allow it
to fall directly down so that the passage does not become blocked.
Unblock the last cage, but do not wait here.

To your right is another passage lined with skulls; go down it. Dig
out the earth from the pits on both sides of the square room. Go up
and release just one boulder from the middle of the right wall; then
go down and push it into a pit. Repeat until four boulders are safely
dealt with. Deal with the boulders on the left side by releasing
them to the left and pushing them down the passage. Take the time
capsule when you need it. All the spirits should by now be in their
cages, so you simply need to tour the level collecting everything.

Level 1-H
Password: TOBACCO
Difficulty: 6/10

Overview: A level built around one large puzzle: a maze of boulders
and diamonds. Fungus returns, but is still not dangerous on this
level, and one spirit is trapped in an area of only two squares and
requires some quick finger movement to release! Again not much time.

Walkthrough: Go to the right, release the boulders, and go straight
up to the transporter. Follow the chain of diamonds to another
transporter in the top-left corner. This takes you to a room with yet
more diamonds and an egg. Push the egg one square left, take the
lowest diamond, and push a boulder over the monster. Return to the
transporter, which takes you back to the room you just left.

Now, push all the boulders out of the way to the left (starting with
the top row) to gain entry to the maze. Let the boulder below and
right of the entrance fall to its right to reach the boulder right
of the timebomb. Release this to its right, take the diamond that
was under it, and release the boulders above the timebomb. Progress
along the top to the top-left corner releasing each boulder to its
right, then go down as far as you can, and up to let the boulder fall
left. Release the topmost of the three stacked boulders to its left,
and go right but go down at every opportunity until you reach the
bottom of the maze. Now go left (around the boulder on the bottom
level) until you reach the safe. Backtrack and collect the diamonds
in the bottom-right corner. Now you can safely allow the boulders to
fall! Take the key, go back to the safe, and release the spirits.

Return to the top-right corner of the level. Open up two cages but
leave the third. Also open up the cage near the top-left corner; and
when a spirit enters this cage, collect the diamond to free the last
cage. When the last spirit returns, free the trapped spirit and open
the final cage in the top-right corner. Go back to the bottom rooms
to collect the diamonds around the fungus; then defuse the timebomb.

- TOCCATA -

Level 2-A
Password: TOCCATA
Difficulty: 1/10

Overview: Some annoying fungus but nothing difficult in this level.

Walkthrough: Proceed to the transporter. Free the cage below you, and
go clockwise around the room to the far right. Go down past the first
few boulders. When you reach the first boulder that you have to let
fall, go left to the diamond and then down and back right. Go one
more square down when you can, right past the boulder, and push it
two places back left. Let the topmost of the three stacked boulders
fall left; then go round to the key. Come back up and go left for the
two diamonds; roll the first boulder right to leave space to push the
second boulder into.

Going left back at the top, free the spirit in the second room. Leave
the diamonds here and collect those in the other two rooms. Do not
worry about trapping the fungus. The transporter takes you to the
bottom room, with more diamonds, the crown, and another transporter,
which returns you to the very top of the level.

Lower one boulder to ground level, drop the egg and push the boulder
over the monster. Free the cages, then the spirits, and stand in a
safe place as you wait for the second spirit to go past you. Collect
the diamond from the first cage, then go through to the remaining
diamonds and the timebomb.

Level 2-B
Password: UPSTART
Difficulty: 3/10

Overview: Featuring some spirits that take a bit more work and some
forethought to guide into their cages, and one tricky monster puzzle.

Walkthrough: Go up and take the lower-left transporter to the central
room. Wait for the spirit to pass, collect the upper-left diamond and
step upwards. Now collect all the diamonds, take the transporter back
to your starting location, and take the other transporter this time.

Go right and get the key, but do not touch the earth section just
below and left of the key. Return, and release the boulder right of
the egg to its right, and then take the diamond to release the egg.
Return to where the key was, and take the diamond immediately above
its location and the one to the right of that. Stand in wait here,
and when the monster comes, move up to roll the boulder over it.

Now go round on the left to the top of the level and free the cage.
Go around the bottom of the level to the bottom-right room. Take the
first two diamonds, then go right, right, up, up to the next diamond
(leaving the earth at the bottom). Go straight up to release the egg,
and roll the upper boulder down onto it. Push the other boulder to
the far right wall and free the spirits. When one enters the cage,
take the diamond and take the earth under this boulder, using the
skull to roll it to the very bottom of the level. The other boulder
should still be one row off the bottom; roll it to the right to guide
the other spirit into the cage when it returns. The rest is obvious.

Level 2-C
Password: OCTAGON
Difficulty: 2/10

Overview: Dealing with the monsters is the main worry, but this level
is really very straightforward.

Walkthrough: The first area is simply a matter of picking up the
diamonds. To deal with the first monster, push the boulder one square
left, push the egg one square left, take the diamond that was under
it, go round and push the egg right and the boulder left onto it.

Take the transporter to the bottom area. Open up the cages, free the
spirits, and collect everything before taking the second transporter.
Start by releasing the egg; go left and wait for the monster to
follow you; then drop the boulder on it. Go back round and collect
the diamonds in both rooms from the bottom up. Push the next egg to
the left, grab the diamond to free the boulder, and run round and
push the boulder onto the monster.

The rest is easy except for the last egg. Release the egg and, with
the monster following close behind you, go up, left and down to get
behind the boulder on the far left; push this onto the monster.

Level 2-D
Password: CHAOTIC
Difficulty: 5/10

Overview: Some decidedly annoying monsters and dealing with free
spirits are the main obstacles in a medium-difficulty level.

Walkthrough: Collect the diamonds on Repton's left and right to free
the two cages. Go to either corner and free the spirits by releasing
the bottom boulder first, then the next, then the next, leaving the
top two untouched. Follow the spirits out and wait above the timebomb
until they come back out of the left passage. Go round to the top of
the central enclosure and release the boulders; the one on the right
will fall. Continue down to the cages and take the diamond to free
the two on the right.

While waiting for the spirits to return, take the earth to the left
of the egg, then go round and push the egg. Let the monster follow
you clockwise around the wall; run straight up under the boulder and
step aside to release it.

Now take the diamonds around the remaining cages and return to free
the other four spirits; go by the same passage so as to leave the
other passage blocked to guide the spirits into the central square.
When the spirits enter this square, run back out and collect these
diamonds to give the last spirit a shorter journey on its return.
Re-enter the central square and collect the diamonds from the three
cages just opened to make the last cage available.

Once all the cages are dealt with, take just the first one of the
diamonds on their left, and release the upper two of the cluster of
four boulders onto the diamonds. Now take the transporter.

In the little enclosure, take the time capsule and crown. Release the
egg and run anticlockwise around the boulders; the two on the right
will fall allowing you to kill the monster with the other. Return to
the diamonds left of where the cages were and take one more, so that
just one boulder falls. Go down the right-hand column of diamonds,
release the egg by taking the key, and run back up and push the
boulder down onto it. Take the transporter to the top of the level,
collect the six diamonds, and enter the transporter on the left.

Go back round the outside of the level to collect all the diamonds.
Returning to the central enclosure, deal with the monster in the top-
left by pushing it right and running round and pushing the boulder
over it.

Finally, deal with the bottom-left corner. Go past the first boulder
and push it back to the right; then take the first two diamonds, step
right again, and get the last two diamonds by going round to the
bottom. Collect the remaining diamonds and defuse the timebomb.

Level 2-E
Password: MAJESTY
Difficulty: 4/10

Overview: One passage needs to be reached before the fungus can grow
across it, and the transporters must be taken in the right order,
which can only be done by guessing (or reading this FAQ!) Annoying.

Walkthrough: RUN down and unblock the boulder near the fungus. Leave
the rightmost earth section alone so that this boulder can fall down
without trapping the timebomb. RUN all the way around the level to
the four transporters, and take the SECOND from the left. RUN through
the fungus, grab the diamonds, and push the boulder down.

Return to the transporters and take the one on the far left. Without
disturbing the earth to the right of the cages, roll the egg two
squares to the right. Go along the top and free the boulder; then go
around and push it down onto the cages. Roll it one square to the
right; push the egg down to its left and push the boulder onto it.
Now release the spirits, wait for them to leave their enclosure, go
in and free the last cage. Wait for the last spirit to return and
take the key.

Take the far right transporter, collect the diamonds, and return to
the last transporter, but this time, pause to collect the earth
lining the wall on the right of the level. Collect all the diamonds,
push the egg left and run round under the boulder; when the monster
follows you, step aside. Take the diamonds in the next room, leaving
those left of the lowest boulders to last. Collect these and push
the boulder away. Now go round again to reach the timebomb.

Level 2-F
Password: REVENUE
Difficulty: 5/10

Overview: By far the shortest time limit on the game, so all the
passages must be taken in the right order, because once a time
capsule is gone there is no getting it back!

Walkthrough: Go left first of all, get the key, and come back. Leave
the time capsule near Repton's starting location for later. Go
straight right, again leaving the time capsule, and down; collect
the triangle of diamonds and go up on the far right of the level.
Follow the passage round; when you reach the exit, take the second
row of diamonds and the time capsule as you return to Repton's
starting location.

Now go down. Use a zigzag motion to collect the diamonds as fast as
you can without wasting time. There are only three time capsules in
this room, so save each one until as late as possible. Ignore the
transporters! When you're done here, return to Repton's starting
location, take the last time capsule, and go up into the earth. Go
left and grab the diamond at the end after dropping the last three
boulders. Go out, right and immediately up into the last loop that
leads to the timebomb.

Level 2-G
Password: FORESEE
Difficulty: 6/10

Overview: A very large space for spirits to get lost in, and a very
demanding time limit, makes it tricky to guide them to their cages.

Walkthrough: First grab the diamond to Repton's lower left, then go
right. Stop just before the third boulder, and roll the second
boulder up to it to release the spirit (which will find a cage with
no further help on the far right of the level). Just above the
spirit's enclosure, take a diamond in the wall that leads you to a
room where another spirit is trapped in some diamonds. Release it to
the right and then take all the diamonds in this room; the spirit
will find a cage above and right of where the first spirit started.

Go left and down, under the egg and up to grab two diamonds. (If you
are really hurrying, the first spirit might still be in the top room;
be careful not to collide with it.) Continue up to the room with the
crown, and release another spirit; its cage is waiting already on the
right of the level. Take the diamonds, release the egg, run out of
the room and right, and go around the boulder and push it over the
monster. Take the next diamond, but leave the earth just above it.

Directly above this diamond is an isolated boulder. Drop it two
squares and push it right to snuggle between two boulders. Now drop
the leftmost of the chain of boulders two squares to make a new chain
touching the wall and freeing the spirit. Grab the key and run AHEAD
of the spirit down and left. Go through the room where the second
spirit was, right and up, and into a room of diamonds and skulls.
Run through this room WITHOUT taking all the diamonds (they usefully
delay the spirit) and take the diamond at the top exit. Step left and
run up, leaving the square of earth left of the cage untouched. Drop
the boulder straight down, run right under the two boulders, push the
first down, run round the other and push it left to complete the
chain and guide the spirit into its cage.

Without waiting for the spirit, go right and down on the far right,
collecting all the diamonds; then left to the skulls and diamonds
room. Collect everything here too, then go down for the last few
diamonds and the timebomb.

Level 2-H
Password: RESERVE
Difficulty: 7/10

Overview: A nasty puzzler in which it is hard to solve one of the
spirit puzzles without blocking yourself in, and time is very tight.
In my opinion the most difficult of the eight "Toccata" levels.

Walkthrough: Go down and push the first boulder to the right. Go down
again and round, and remove the earth to the right of the three
boulders without touching the diamond. Come back round and take the
diamond and earth on the left to release the boulders and spirit.

Now take the transporter. Run directly right all the way to the safe.
Push the boulder one square right and release the spirit; to save
time, go down and release the second spirit as soon as the first
leaves. Wait for the first spirit to enter the cage above you, then
run up and round the boulder. (Don't worry about having trapped the
other spirit. When you get the key later, it will become free again
and will find its cage without any further help.)

Go up on the right to the top of the level. Go around the little room
with the boulder and diamond puzzle, and come down past the fungus.
Go all the way round to the far left and run straight up (dropping
two boulders across the path you just took). Go to the right for the
key, and come back round to the safe. Take the passage down, and
release the first boulder by diggging out the earth to its left. Take
the diamond under the second boulder to release the spirit. As there
is not much time, when the spirit leaves, take all the diamonds in
this area and come back out by passing under the cage. Remove the
diamond above and right of the cage.

Time for the boulder and diamond puzzle you bypassed earlier. Push
the second boulder left, step back right, and take the diamond below
you. Push the topmost boulder to the right to access the other two
diamonds. Now go back around to the bottom of the level, and take all
the diamonds that were safes earlier. Kill the monster by pushing the
boulder left above an earth section, then letting the egg fall off
its diamond and dropping the boulder straight onto it. To solve the
area with two keys, release the top boulder to its right, then the
other boulder directly down, and then go around to take the crown and
diamonds. Return to the last cage, which will now be a diamond; take
it and allow the boulder to fall, opening the route to the timebomb.

- FINALE  -

Level 3-A
Password: FINALE
Difficulty: 2/10

Overview: Contains some trickier monster puzzles than the other two
"A" levels, but otherwise a gentle start to the "Finale" levels.

Walkthrough: Take the diamond directly below you, releasing the egg.
Run under the second egg and boulder; step down to get behind the
boulder and push it over both monsters at once! Go anticlockwise
around to get above the third egg and free the topmost boulder to its
right; go back around and push this boulder right until it falls.
Now take the earth left of the egg; the egg will fall first and then
the boulder will fall onto it automatically.

Go left and down to solve the boulder and diamond puzzle starting
from the bottom. Take the diamonds right of and directly above the
lowest boulder to allow other boulders to fall; then release the
boulder on the far left to its right and push it right to reach the
lowest diamonds. Take the remaining diamonds in this area and go to
the far right of the level for the time capsule.

Go down and all the way around until you reach the vertical chain of
five diamonds. Take the second from the bottom, push the boulder,
and push it back to close the chain. Now release the spirits. When
two enter their cages, take the diamonds to open up the third cage.
Take the key and all the diamonds in this area; use the Repton
shuffle to reach the last two diamonds near the crown.

Return to the top of the level, take the other capsule, and go down
the passage next to it. Go under the two boulders and around, and
collect the three diamonds in the top wall starting from the left.
It is now easy to collect all the remaining diamonds and finish.

Level 3-B
Password: ENLIVEN
Difficulty: 9/10

Overview: A labyrinth of spirits and cages, with a fine show of
dexterity needed to avoid the fungus, and one very tough puzzle with
two monsters and a spirit. A large step up in difficulty.

Walkthrough: First deal with the egg to Repton's right by letting it
fall left, the boulder following. Now go round and back up, taking
all the diamonds en route. Where the trail of diamonds runs out, roll
the boulder to the right and go down. Run past the spirit and
continue down to free the cage, but leave the earth to its left
untouched. Go through the safes and down; push the top boulder one
square right, release the other boulder to its left and push the top
boulder to the far left. Go down to the bottom of the level.

Clear the earth next to the skull and roll the first two boulders
into the free space. Take the key and collect the diamonds from the
safes to free all four spirits. (Try to avoid a situation where the
spirits are moving in a loop, but if this happens, use the rocks to
interfere.) Follow the spirits out of this room and back to the
maze of safes; leave through the cage opened by the first spirit at
bottom-right, after collecting the diamond next to the skull to
avoid the boulder trapping you. Take the diamonds away to free the
cage at the top of the next room. Wait for the spirits to enter and
leave this room, and go back to the top of the level. There is one
last cage here that can now be freed.

Take the transporter near Repton's starting location to reach two
diamonds that cannot be got otherwise; then the other transporter to
reach the room with two eggs. Go under the eggs WITHOUT taking the
earth section above the right egg. When the boulder falls and kills
the second monster, push it over the first. Push the boulder to the
far right, and from here, there are two possible methods; use
whichever you find easiest.

First method: wait for the spirit to hit the diamond and head left;
collect this diamond and move left twice and down. When the spirit
passes above you again, go left and up to free the cage.

Second method: use the Repton shuffle to get the topmost boulder down
on the far right. Move the boulder touching the three diamonds left,
and then roll the central boulder two squares right, freeing the
spirit. When it emerges, go straight down and left to free the cage.

(Note: if you want a REAL challenge, this room IS in fact possible to
complete starting by taking the earth above the right egg. The method
is left an an exercise for the interested reader.)

Either way, collect everything in this area and use the transporter
to return. Now collect everything on the level, saving the top-right
and bottom-left areas to last. Entering the top-right area, go right
and up around the fungus. Release the egg, run left past the boulder,
and push this boulder back over the monster. Acting quickly, take
the two diamonds just below you without touching the earth below
them; take the diamond below the boulder next to the fungus and step
aside; collect the lower diamonds and roll the lowest boulder out of
the way to the left. Now release the spirit and leave the room ahead
of it; go to the fungus guarding the way to the lower-left room.

Stand in the square above and right of the fungus and wait for the
spirit to pass you. When it comes back towards you from the right,
collect the diamonds right of and below the fungus to open up the
cage. As soon as the spirit enters the cage, go through and up. Go
left past the skull and gather all the diamonds in an anti-clockwise
loop; run out of this area, taking the diamonds left of and above
the sentinel fungus, and proceed at last to the timebomb.

Level 3-C
Password: CONTEST
Difficulty: 5/10

Overview: The main puzzle here is to guide each spirit into a
particular cage, avoiding destabilising too soon a boulder that will
trap a diamond. Other than this, there is little new or tricky here.

Walkthrough: Go down and roll the first boulder right. Go around the
next boulder and roll it one square left, closing off the first cage
so that spirits will not reach it. Release the spirit at the top of
the level. Go down on the right and push the first boulder to the
far right. Take the earth under the column of boulders, step right,
and go up and right to release all the boulders. Only two boulders
are still in dangerous places, and these can now be pushed aside.
Go down and past the cage, pushing the boulder away to unblock it.

Free the spirit in the next room and continue down. Take the diamond
on your left to free another spirit and then go right. Unblock the
cage at the bottom before freeing the spirit to your right; then go
left to the key. Ignore the diamonds above you for now and take the
transporter. Take the earth next to the bottom boulder, collect the
diamonds in this room, and take the transporter again.

You now return to Repton's starting location. Take the diamond
directly below you and go right to the two boulders. Push the upper
one one square right to let the spirit in. When the spirit enters its
cage, release the egg, run back to this boulder, and push it left
again. Wait for the monster to arrive and push the boulder onto it.

Take the transporter in the top-left corner to a room of boulders and
diamonds. As usual, work from the bottom up; do not free the fungus
yet. When you reach the cage, walk in between the boulders and
straight up so that the top boulder rolls left, touching the cage.
Go round on the far left to free the spirit. When the spirit has
entered the cage, backtrack through the level, collecting everything
and freeing the fungus, and then return to the area where the key
was. Take the earth starting from the left to release the boulders,
take the diamonds, and go around to the timebomb on the far left.

Level 3-D
Password: ILLEGAL
Difficulty: 6/10

Overview: A very narrow time limit and only one time capsule on the
entire level! Fortunately, the puzzles themselves are not very hard.

Walkthough: Go left first. Get the key and RUN up before the boulders
fall on you! Collect all the diamonds here and go back right. Take
the diamond below the skull and then the three diamonds above, in
this order: lower right, upper left, upper right. Get the diamonds
above you and come back down and proceed right. In the bottom-right
corner, roll the boulders off one at a time to get all the diamonds.
Free the spirits by going up and then entering their room on the
left. Go up and right and drop the boulder straight down so that it
makes a path for the spirits to enter the cages.

When the spirits return, take the transporter. Grab the diamonds on
the right first and go up. Solve the egg puzzle by pushing the egg
left, taking the diamond that was below it, then pushing the boulder
right so that the egg falls. Run round the boulder and push it onto
the monster. Take all the diamonds and then the second transporter.

Go down on the left to the time capsule. Check your time; if you have
enough, get the other diamonds around here before taking the time
capsule so you have more time to spare afterwards. Go back up on the
left, right and up to the top of the level. Go two squares right and
then down to grab two diamonds; back up and right, and release the
first boulder straight down to leave you free to grab three more
diamonds before exiting the skull maze. Allow the first boulder to
fall (which is unavoidable) and then go all the way down and take
the passage on your right.

At the far right of the level, go up to the room with two spirits.
Stand below the leftmost of the four diamonds and, when the spirits
pass above you, take this diamond, run around the boulder on the
left, and push it one square right to free the spirits. Run up to
the diamond below the cages, and step right when the spirits are
below you. Collect all the diamonds in this room and go back to the
timebomb. Collect everything in this room starting at the bottom and
release the boulders under the fungus by starting on the right and
running left. Grab the last diamond and defuse the timebomb.

Level 3-E
Password: APPEASE
Difficulty: 5/10

Overview: The key must be reached to dislodge some boulders and trap
the fungus before it grows, demanding some extremely quick play. The
other puzzles are not difficult, but the time limit is taxing.

Walkthrough: Take the three diamonds and push the egg left. Go down
and allow the monster to follow you to the right. Go above the skull
and push the first boulder to the right, so that the other boulder
falls onto the monster. Collect everything in this area, saving the
time capsule for last, and enter the transporter.

In the second room, collect everything to your left, then go right to
the transporter. Run right to get the key, and check the map; if the
fungus has not yet had time to grow, the diamond above it will now be
accessible. If not, you must restart. If you got lucky, go up and
round to take this diamond, and run up past the egg and dislodge the
two boulders down onto it.

Roll the next boulder right as far as you can, collect the diamond on
its right, drop the egg straight down, run to the left of the boulder
and push it onto the monster. Collect the diamonds below you, then
release the uppermost boulder to the left to allow the rest to be
collected safely. Now take the third transporter.

Now go up and left to the timebomb. Release the boulder to its left
and push it left until it falls; then one more square left to make
the cages accessible. When the spirits (there are five in this room)
enter them, leave the ones touching the boulder, but take the one on
the far right so you can get the time capsule. Go to the far right
of this room and drop the egg straight down and the boulder onto it.

Go down and release the remaining spirits; walk into the lower area
and, when they have gone past, along the bottom, taking the diamond.
Take the first two earth sections and step aside, releasing three
boulders; go past the fourth boulder and release the fifth, then go
down and push it aside before releasing the top boulder and taking
the diamond. Run back to the top area to take the last diamonds.

Level 3-F
Password: STUDENT
Difficulty: 9/10

Overview: Some quick thinking is required as you have to enter the
room with one of the spirits. Some of the puzzles contain nasty
pitfalls to avoid that could leave you trapped later on.

Walkthrough: Take the first diamond but leave the second, and roll
the boulder down to the left. Remove the earth from the left of the
upper boulder and go down to the skull. When the spirit touches the
diamond and heads back right, walk into the room, pick the diamond
in the bottom-right and run up. When the spirit has gone, take the
other diamonds, return to where you started, and wait.

When the spirit enters the cage, go down and take the transporter.
In the second room, go straight down ignoring the other diamonds, and
take the second transporter. In the next room, take the diamonds and
earth to free the cage, and then release the spirit. Go through the
cage and up; free the cage at the top of the level and then go left.

To solve the puzzle with the long chain of boulders, dig out the
earth around the diamond next to the bottom boulder but do NOT take
this diamond. Push the boulder left, and take the six diamonds in a
block. Push the next boulder right over the diamond, take the diamond
and push it right again. Push the third boulder left, the fourth
right, the fifth left, the sixth right and the seventh left (but do
not roll it down; leave it blocking in the fungus). The spirit will
now be free; follow it and go through the cage.

In the next room, roll the boulder to its right and place it above
and right of the cage. Go down and through on the right to the key;
take the last transporter. Go right and release the spirit, then go
ahead of it to the bottom of the level. Go under the four boulders,
release the egg and roll the top boulder over it. When the spirit
enters its cage, take all the diamonds in this area and go up. At the
entrance to the top part of the level, if you have enough time left
that you are confident of not losing a life, roll the boulder off the
diamond to block the entrance and shorten the spirits' journey.

Free the two spirits in the top-right corner, and go left ahead of
them all the way to the area with two squares of fungus trapped in a
wall. Go down on the right of this wall and push the boulder left.
Go right again under another boulder, and push this left to close off
the spirits. Take the diamonds, push the lower boulder right, and
free the spirit at the bottom. Go through the cage and down. Take the
diamonds right of, above and left of the first fungus, then the
diamond right of the second fungus and step right. Take the other
diamonds and come back up on the far left. Collect everything and
return to the top-right corner, where the two spirits should have
entered their cages. Then head to the top-left and the timebomb.

Level 3-G
Password: AVERAGE
Difficulty: 10/10

Overview: A labyrinth of a level in which it can be very hard to work
out the order the various parts must be done in to avoid getting
stuck, and time is very short.

Walkthrough: Go down and right to the start of the chain of diamonds,
then left to the transporter. Leave the next room in the top-right
after the spirit goes past and take a key. Free both cages and go
back down (avoiding colliding with the spirit) and remove the earth
to free the boulder to its right. Come back up and head left. Leave
the diamonds in the upper row to shorten the spirits' journey later,
but take the diamonds close to the fungus to prevent them becoming
trapped. When you come past the fungus, leave the diamonds around the
other fungus alone, and take the earth to drop a boulder across the
passage you just took. Collect everything in the areas to left and
right and head upwards.

Push the boulder above Repton's starting location left over the
diamond and head right and down past the cage (but do not take the
other diamond to free it) and into a room with a boulder puzzle. Go
all the way down and release the first boulder; then the one above
it; then allow the top boulder to fall right and take the diamonds.
Go right as far as the skull, step left, then take the earth above
and right of the skull to let the two boulders fall. Push the second
one left and then go round to take the two diamonds. Now enter the
top-right room. Go under the egg and up to dislodge a boulder onto
the monster; free the spirit and open its cage by pushing the boulder
on the left down and taking the diamond beyond it. Follow the spirit
down and free the lower cage after it has gone past it.

When the spirit has entered this cage, go through to release another
spirit, then head down. Free the cage on the far left and release
the lower spirit into it. Take the diamonds around the fungus and
drop the boulders above it down to trap it; then push the boulders
trapping the two diamonds aside to collect them. When you have taken
everything in this area, take the transporter in the top-left.

Head left and push the boulder onto the monster. Free the two spirits
and come right and down ahead of them. Push the boulder on the right
to make a chain leading to the cage. When the spirits emerge, go left
and free the last spirit as well. To save time, head right and up and
collect the diamonds ahead of the spirit, then come back down for the
remaining diamonds and the transporter. It takes you to a small room
with five diamonds; take these and then take the last transporter.

In the last room, collect the diamonds around the fungus, then head
left and collect the diamond so that the boulder falls. Use the
Repton shuffle to get the upper boulder into some free space; then
release the egg and push the boulder over the monster.

(Thanks to Jonathan Parkin for this solution, which is a lot simpler
than the solution I originally found.)

Level 3-H
Password: PHOENIX
Difficulty: 10/10

Overview: Nothing quite as difficult as the spirit puzzle in the last
level, but many tough puzzles of different types still make this a
worthy final level. Time is extremely tight... just for a change!

Walkthrough: Run all the way to the right, and then down and right to
stand next to the upper fungus. Move up, right, right, up, left,
left, right to release the boulders onto the fungus. Go right past
the boulder and down (but do NOT take the diamonds touching the
cage). Stand under the egg and step right; then run around to take
the diamond and drop the rightmost boulder onto the monster. If you
left the earth square right of the lower fungus untouched, the fungus
should now be contained. Open the lower cage and free the spirit.

Go down, left, down and left so that the boulder falls away from the
cage. Continue left and down past the egg, without taking the diamond
on the left of the top level. Come back and stand right of this
diamond, and then when the monster follows you, roll the boulder off
the diamond onto it. Take the earth to free the boulder on top of the
wall to its right, then head left and up and release the second egg,
with the boulder following.

Go up and round the timebomb and release the boulder to its left. Do
NOT open the cage. Continue right and down and free the spirit; then
retrace your steps ahead of it, pushing the boulder you freed earlier
to shorten its journey. Open the lower cage and wait for the spirit.

Go down and left past the fungus, taking only the lower diamonds. The
next part must be done quickly: run all the way left to the key. Go
down between the two boulders and back up so that the right boulder
falls. Go down to the key, left to collect the diamonds, and then
grab all the diamonds in this area and return to the right, pushing
the boulder under the wall to shorten the spirits' journey later.

Open the first cage and go all the way round to the crown, stopping
to open the cage near the timebomb on the way. Collect all the
diamonds in the top rooms, and roll the boulder down to release the
two spirits. Then take the nearer of the two transporters.

You are now in a room with a spirit. Follow the spirit round and
remove the earth to the right of the boulder; then take the second
transporter back to near Repton's original location. Here you can
take the diamond from the cage and the diamond trapping the fungus.
Go back round, but this time, stop to release the spirit in the
lower-left corner. Follow it to its cage near the place with two
transporters, and take the remaining one after taking the diamond.

In this room, go up and right; leave the earth section in the bottom-
right corner untouched. Drop the boulder and continue up; take all
the diamonds and push the top boulder two places, freeing the spirit.
Push this boulder left until it falls and then right until it falls
so the spirit can enter the cage. Collect everything in this area,
come back out and make your way at last to the timebomb.

- - -

Congratulations! You've completed every level of Repton 3!

If you have any queries, corrections or additional information for
this FAQ, feel free to e-mail me about it. Or if you just want to
tell me that you liked (or disliked) the FAQ or that you disagreed
with my opinions about the difficulty of some of the levels.

Michael S. Repton
25 July 2006