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Move them relative to each other so they create a visual "wave" that matches the text description exactly.
Level Overview
What Makes This Puzzle Tricky
You’re met with a cryptic, almost poetic phrase and four silent green balls lined up across the screen. Tapping does nothing. Tilting or waiting changes nothing. That disconnect—between vivid directional language and unresponsive elements—is where confusion kicks in.
Your Goal
Your job isn’t to type an answer or select a choice—it’s to physically position the four balls to visualize the movement described in the riddle. You’re turning words into spatial layout.
Key Mechanics in this Level:
- UI Dragging: These balls aren’t interactive buttons—they’re draggable objects.
- Text Interpretation: “South” means bottom of screen; “up” means top—no compass needed.
- Relative Positioning: All placements hinge on an invisible centerline. It’s not a mistake. It’s intentional design.
What Appears on Your Screen
Picture opening the level fresh. Here’s your view:
- The Riddle: Bold white text fills the upper half: "it goes south , then moves up , stays in the middle a bit, but goes down (not more than south )."
- The Pieces: Four identical bright green circles sit evenly spaced across the lower-center area.
- The Void: A stark black backdrop—no gridlines, no guides, no drop zones. Just open space and those four balls.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The Trap
The biggest mental roadblock is “UI autopilot”—assuming tap-friendly interface logic. Many players instinctively tap balls in order, swipe the text, or hunt for hidden buttons. This level flips expectations: the balls are the answer canvas.
First Instincts That Fail
- Tapping: No feedback. Balls won’t highlight or respond to taps.
- Drawing: Some trace imaginary paths across the screen, hoping gesture recognition triggers.
- Literal “South”: Trying to tilt the device downward won’t activate anything—“south” is purely screen-relative.
Player Reactions
I wasted nearly 90 seconds trying to drag the word “south” onto a ball—convinced it was a word-matching challenge. Then I brushed a ball sideways by accident… and it stayed put. Lightbulb moment. The solution had been fully visible all along.
Step-by-Step Solution
Preparing the Move
Treat the sentence as a four-part positional map. Each clause maps directly to one green ball.
- Ball 1 = "it goes south"
- Ball 2 = "then moves up"
- Ball 3 = "stays in the middle"
- Ball 4 = "goes down (not more than south)"
Executing the Solution
- Grab the 1st Ball (Left): Drag it straight down toward the screen’s bottom edge. This fulfills “south.”
- Grab the 2nd Ball: Pull it straight upward—well above the starting line—to satisfy “moves up.”
- Leave the 3rd Ball: Keep it exactly where it is, centered horizontally and vertically aligned with the baseline. This honors “stays in the middle.”
- Grab the 4th Ball (Right): Drag it downward—but stop short of Ball 1’s position. It must sit clearly below the center line yet visibly higher than Ball 1. This satisfies “down (not more than south).”
Confirming It Worked
The level confirms success as soon as the relative heights lock in. Precision isn’t pixel-perfect—just ensure the hierarchy is unmistakable: lowest → highest → center → mid-low. If nothing happens, fine-tune Ball 4’s vertical placement.
If It Did Not Work
- Level won’t complete? Ball 4 is most often mispositioned—double-check it’s between Ball 3 and Ball 1 vertically.
- Ball 1 feels unresponsive? Push it all the way down, just shy of vanishing off-screen.
- Ball 2 seems ignored? Lift it high—near the bottom of the riddle text—for strongest recognition.
Why This Solution Works
This is fundamentally a data visualization puzzle. The sentence sketches a waveform—like a heartbeat or sound graph—and the balls act as plotted points.
Game Is Hard consistently subverts interface assumptions. Here, it swaps passive buttons for active props—transforming reading comprehension into a tactile, spatial reasoning task.
Bonus Tip
For speed or replay:
- Skip parsing—remember the shape: Low → High → Center → Medium-Low.
- Picture an audio mixer’s EQ bars.
- Drop Ball 1 to the floor.
- Hoist Ball 2 near the top of the screen.
- Leave Ball 3 untouched.
- Nudge Ball 4 down just enough to break the centerline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need to move the balls in a specific sequence? A: Nope. Order doesn’t matter—the level validates final positions only.
Q: Does horizontal spacing affect completion? A: Not at all. Keep balls in their original columns. Only vertical (Y-axis) positioning counts.
Q: Why leave the 3rd ball alone? A: Because “stays in the middle” means no movement. If you shifted it, recenter it precisely along the implied midline.
Q: I placed them right but got no response! A: Ball 4 likely dipped below Ball 1. Remember: “not more than south” = never lower than Ball 1. Raise it slightly.
More Game Is Hard Solutions
Hitting a wall elsewhere? Our guides cut straight to the core solution—zero filler, zero guesswork. Share this page if someone’s wrestling with the green ball puzzle!
Good luck on Level 189!



