FAQ

It's a colourful 2D platformer for one or two players. You run, jump and stomp through 45 levels across 10 worlds and the secret Cloud Shelf, rescue Pip's eight friends, and untangle Baron Spaghetti's mess.

Not yet. Version 0.13.1 is a beta, and every world is playable from start to finish. We're still polishing it, so things may change between versions. Your saves carry on when you update.

Download the Windows zip, right-click it and choose Extract All, then run PipTangleTrouble.exe from the extracted folder. The game isn't signed yet, so Windows may show a blue box saying "Windows protected your PC". Click More info, then Run anyway.

Download the Mac zip, unzip it and double-click Pip's Tangle Trouble. The Mac version is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens without a security warning. You can move the app wherever you like, such as your Applications folder.

You need a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) running macOS 12 Monterey or newer. This build can't run on Intel Macs. To check, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac: the chip should say Apple M1 or later.

On Windows: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), DirectX 11 graphics (integrated graphics are fine), 4 GB of memory and about 380 MB of disk space. On Mac: Apple Silicon, macOS 12 or newer and about 355 MB of disk space. See the full list on the download page.

Yes. Play with a keyboard or a game controller. Jump is Space, Z or K on the keyboard, or A on a controller. Run is Shift, X or J, or X on a controller. The full list is under Controls in the pause menu, the map menu and Options.

A second player can join as Widget at any time, on the map or in a level. Hold Start on a second controller, or hold Right Ctrl to share the keyboard, for about a second. Lives are shared, and if one player loses a life, they float back in beside their partner. You can also choose Widget: Join or Leave from the map menu.

Pip uses WASD to move, Space to jump, Left Shift to run and Tab or Q for the reserve item. Widget uses the arrow keys, Right Ctrl or / to jump, Right Shift or . to run, and , for the reserve item.

Gentle mode is a kinder way to play. You start with 9 lives instead of 5, and if you're wearing a power-up, falling into a pit or molten plastic only costs the power-up instead of a life. Pick it when you start a new file, or switch it on or off any time from the map menu.

There are 3 save files, and you can copy or erase them from the file select screen. The game saves on its own after every level and as you travel the map. If you run out of lives, your progress is still saved and you continue from the map.

On Windows they're in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Spool Theory\Pip's Tangle Trouble. On a Mac they're in ~/Library/Application Support/com.spooltheory.piptangletrouble. Saves stay on the computer you play on.

The first time you open the game, it asks if you'd like to send anonymous play data to help us find the tricky spots: which levels you play, where you lose a life or a power-up, and how long levels take. No names, emails or personal details are sent. It's off unless you say yes, and you can turn it on or off any time in Options. Our privacy page explains exactly what is sent.

A map dot with a sparkle has a secret exit. Find the key in that level and carry it to the Secret Door. Secret exits lead to new places, including the Blueprint Workshop, a lighthouse, Sky Lifts up to the Cloud Shelf and the Nozzle Gnome's hidden huts.