Things You'll Need:
- Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates installed on your computer
- A labor badge (5 doubloons), a subscription, or a day on which Distilling is free
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Step 1
THE BOARD: The main portion of the screen is a hexagonal grid of bubbles. These come mainly in three colors, representing the three components of rum: white (sugar), brown (wood), and black (iron). You'll be swapping adjacent bubbles according to their colors to create columns that will either burn up in the Furnace or become Rum to fill the Keg.
Click on a bubble, then click on the bubble you want to swap it with. Connecting ligatures will display between bubbles that may be legally swapped.
You may also click-drag a bubble through a series of legal swaps. -
Step 2
THE FURNACE: At the lower right-hand corner of the screen is your timing mechanism. A low lawyer of embers slowly grows into an inferno that fills the entire Furnace then quickly dies down again. Each time the flames reach their maximum height, the right-most column of bubbles is processed. As it rises or sinks off the board, the board shifts to the right, and a new column appears to the left.
Right-click to process the right-most column immediately. -
Step 3
THE KEG: This is the glass container above your board. Each rising column fills the Keg with a little more Rum. After 12 columns, it's full. The clearer the Rum, the better its quality and the higher your score!
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Step 4
Legal Swaps: WhiteWHITE BUBBLES (SUGAR): These high-scoring pieces may swap UPWARD with BLACK or DOWNWARD with BROWN. They are buoyant; a column will rise and be added to the Keg if there is at least as much white in it as black.
An all-white "Crystal Clear" column represents the best Rum you can make! Process multiple Crystal Clear columns in a row to get even higher scores. The best distillers aim for CC^12--twelve consecutive Crystal Clear columns. -
Step 5
BURNT BUBBLE (BURNT SUGAR): One of these charred-looking pieces appears on your board for every second white bubble that descends to the furnace. Its movement and weight are exactly that of a normal white bubble, but it will detract from your score if it goes into the rum.
A burnt piece will negate any "Crystal Clear" or "Smooooooth" (see below) designations your column would have otherwise earned. -
Step 6
Legal Swaps: BrownBROWN BUBBLE (WOOD) These low-scoring pieces may swap UPWARD with WHITE or DOWNWARD with BLACK. They have no effect on the column's total weight.
A column containing more white than brown pieces (and no black or burnt pieces) is described as "Smooooooth" and scores fairly well. -
Step 7
Legal Swaps: BlackBLACK BUBBLE (IRON) You don't want to send any of these to the Keg! Swap them UPWARD with BROWN or DOWNWARD with WHITE. They are heavy and will drag a column down to the Furnace if they outnumber the white pieces therein.
If white outnumbers black, the column will rise and score rather badly. And if a column contains equal amounts white and black pieces, that means "Blecch!" One of these yucky columns scores worst of all. -
Step 8
ORANGE BUBBLE (SPICE) You'll have to navigate around these obstacles. They can't be moved. They have no effect on a column's weight.
If there's spice in a rising column, it's described as "Spicy!" in addition to any other labels it may merit (such as "Crystal Clear" or "Smooooooth"). Spicy columns have increased value.
A burnt column with spice in it evokes a rebuke of "Wasted spice!" You'll suffer a very small penalty to your overall score for each wasted spice. (This is the only way a burnt column can affect your score.) -
Step 9
ENDING THE GAME: Generally, the game ends after you send your 12th column up to the Keg. However, if you achieve the coveted CC^12, the game will go on for as long as you continue to produce Crystal Clears. Some Expert distillers can record CC^14 or CC^15 before being obliged to burn a row and exit the puzzle.
Will you be among them? Get to practicing, and you'll find out!
