Time Dilation Glitch

This page describes a mechanic specific to the 1992 Microsoft port of Chip's Challenge (and anything that emulates it). It may not exist in any other Chip's Challenge game.

The Time Dilation Glitch, also referred to as the pre-move bug, is an odd behavior in Microsoft's version of Chip's Challenge, occurring after Chip kills himself with a mouse move.

If Chip dies as a result of moving onto a destructive obstacle or monster as commanded by the mouse, then the next playing of this level only will have all monsters advanced forward by one turn. Teeth and blobs, therefore, will move forward only if they were originally in odd step, and will convert to odd step if they started in even step. All tiles will respond to monster interaction as a result of this "time dilation" just as they would normally.

Although this would normally cause a problem with increased scores, not having to wait an extra [1] for an obstacle, it does decrease the level score, and more importantly, because of the way the mouse click is ordered, the game records the second as having not counted down when the move Chip died on normally would, which stops the player from clock setting along with his death. Although clock setting is not required in Tile World, the Time Dilation Glitch does not exist in Tile World.

A patch which would eliminate the need for clock setting and one that would eliminate the drop in level bonus have been considered for easier use of the program, but due to the resultant reports of improved scores on Cypher, Reverse Alley, Invincible Champion, Open Question, Bea's Den, Mads' Rush I, Loop Holes, Tutti-Frutti, and Patrolled, among many other levels in custom level sets which have .8 times, these are likely to never be officially permitted, at least together.

External links

How the glitch performs.