Candy Falls

A sweet variation on the classic 'Penny Falls' arcade game: Two players cooperatively use their skill and timing, rolling and sliding multi-coloured candies down the chutes into Candy Falls. As the Falls ebbs and flows, candies cascade down multiple levels until the players collect them at the bottom of the Falls.

Candy Falls is a fully functional game, using the standard Lego motor to emulate the smooth motion of the arcade machine, but scaled down and using Lego 'candies' in place of quarters or other coins. A gearbox reduces the rotational speed of the motor by a 25:1 ratio, recreating the timing of the original game in order to provide players a simple challenge, easily mastered by children as young as 4 or 5, to launch the candies at the right time.

The gearbox and drive mechanism are partially enclosed, but some details left visible to provide curious players with the chance to observe the operation of the mechanical components. The motor, battery pack and switch are fully enclosed within the body of the game; access to the battery pack is provided by a hidden maintenance panel, while the battery pack's master power switch is accessible behind a side door.

The gearbox provides a manual override, with a direct 1:1 ratio between handle and drive wheel, to allow game hackers to easily test modifications to the game. The game is also designed to allow easy removal of components in a modular fashion, further enhancing its openness to customisation: the frame housing the overhead lights and dual launch chutes can be removed as a unit, and the sliding 'pusher' at the heart of the game can be detached from the drive wheel and slid out of the front of the game.

The rainbow colour scheme may not be to everyone's tastes, but future refinements will modify the outer walls of the game to follow a more uniform scheme. Photos alone don't do justice to the Candy Falls, come check out our Facebook page for action videos: https://www.facebook.com/legocandyfalls.