đĒ How to Play
Welcome to Solar System Builder â place celestial bodies into their correct orbits, master Keplerian physics, and earn stars across four timed challenges!
đšī¸ Controls & Interaction
- Place Bodies: Click a card in the inventory to select it, then click anywhere near an orbit ring on the canvas to snap it in place.
- Relocate Bodies: Drag any already-placed body on the canvas to a different orbit to reposition it.
- Remove Bodies: Click (without dragging) on any placed body on the canvas to de-orbit and dissolve it.
- Attach Moons: Select the Moon card, then click close to any placed planet on the canvas to attach it as a satellite.
- Slingshot Comets: Select the Comet card, then click-and-drag on the canvas to aim and launch it â watch it slingshot around gravity wells!
- Pause / Resume: Press Spacebar at any time to pause or resume the simulation.
- Recenter Canvas: Click đ¯ Recenter to bring the solar system back to the center of the canvas.
đ Simulation Modes
- Orbit Lock: Planets follow stable Keplerian circular tracks â inner orbits move faster than outer ones. Great for ordered placements.
- Chaos Gravity: Removes orbital guides! Bodies become free-floating masses subject to real N-body gravity. Expect collisions, mergers, and rogue trajectories!
đŽ Game Modes
- Experimental: Freeplay with no timer. Drop any body onto the canvas â you'll be warned if you place it in the wrong orbit. The â icon on each card reveals full specifications and correct orbit info.
- Challenge: Reconstruct the solar system correctly before the timer runs out. The inventory is shuffled and the â info buttons are hidden â you must rely on your own knowledge!
đ Challenge Levels
- Level 1 â Inner Rocky Planets: Place Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars in their correct orbits (1â4). âą 60 seconds.
- Level 2 â Gas Giants: Place Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune in orbits 6â9. âą 60 seconds.
- Level 3 â Full Solar System: Place all 8 standard planets in precise orbital order. âą 60 seconds.
- Level 4 â Grand Architecture: Place all 8 planets plus the Asteroid Belt & Ceres (they share the same orbit!) and the Kuiper Belt & Pluto (they also share one orbit!). âą 90 seconds.
â Scoring
- Complete a level correctly to earn 1â3 Stars based on how much time remains.
- Each star awards 15 XP. Your rank is calculated from total XP this session.
- Progression resets on page reload â every session is a fresh start!
- After completing a level, the next level is automatically selected â press Start Challenge when ready.
đ Encyclopedia (Experimental Mode only)
- Click the â icon on any inventory card to view its full specifications â classification, mass, relative size, and correct target orbit.
- This panel is hidden in Challenge Mode to keep things fair!
â ī¸ Orbital Mismatch Detected!
This planet does not belong in that orbit!
Classification
Mass
Relative Size
Target Orbit
đ Challenge Complete!
Level passed!
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đ Challenge Failed
Time's up!
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Message
đĒ Solar System Builder
Master Keplerian physics
Inventory đ
Drag a celestial card and drop it onto a canvas orbit track to snap it in place. Click the â icon to learn more!
Mercury
Rocky Planet
Venus
Rocky Planet
Earth
Rocky Planet
Mars
Rocky Planet
Asteroid Belt
Rocky Ring
Ceres
Dwarf Planet
Jupiter
Gas Giant
Saturn
Gas Giant
Uranus
Ice Giant
Neptune
Ice Giant
Kuiper Belt
Icy Ring
Pluto
Dwarf Planet
Moon
Select card, click near placed planet to attach đ
Comet Launcher
Select card, click & drag on canvas to launch âī¸
â Orbit Lock
Speed
1x
AI Narrator Log
SYSTEM > Welcome to the Cosmic Workshop, Architect Intern. Select Challenge or Experimental mode to begin.
Progression Rank
Intern
Score: 0 / 100 XP
Challenge Mode
Time: 45s
Recreate the inner planets of the solar system in their correct orbits before the timer runs out!
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