Spring mining

Spring mining (official name pending) is a mechanic in Chip's Challenge 2 that is often caused by a glitch. It allows movable objects capable of pushing blocks to push a block off of a tile that becomes solid when moved off of (at least briefly) while also following it. In short, it lets the player follow blocks flicked off tiles under certain circumstances. It was first analyzed (and initially coined) by ncrecc.

Specifically, this works with a legally pushable block on a recessed wall, a swivel door, a turtle, or a railroad track with a switch where the next position is normally illegal to move onto.

It is named after the level Spring Mines, where this can commonly be observed by pushing any of the blocks on recessed walls upwards as a walker moves away from it.

Spring mining has no relation to spring stepping or spring sliding.

Sliding method

Spring mining may be achieved by sliding onto the minable tile in any manner, including slow-sliding via exiting a teleport. Spring mining in this manner can be prevented if you override in the direction of the tile directly before reaching it.

Retreating monster method

This is the more obscure method. Spring mining may also be achieved by holding a blocked push on the spring minable tile against an entity that moves to another tile. This method can be observed in Spring Mines, which gives the interaction its name.

For Chip and Melinda (and only them), this only works if the moving entity in question started after them in reading order. Chips and Melindas introduced to the level via waterbirth will always be able to spring mine this way, regardless of their starting point. Chips and Melindas introduced via a clone machine will use the clone machine as their starting point.

Special cases

Yellow tanks cannot spring mine onto recessed walls, as they cannot enter recessed walls to begin with.

As all movable objects other than Chip and Melinda naturally override splash and explosion animations rather than treat them as walls, all non-player entities that can push blocks will spring mine blocks on turtles by default, and do not need special setups.

Player mimics will always spring mine blocks instead of flicking them.

Rovers and yellow tanks cannot spring mine via the retreating monster method.

Despawning and Respawning Glitch: Blocks of any type will instantly disappear if they spring mine another block off of a recessed wall, swivel door, or railroad track as described before while they are being pushed by another block-pushing entity.

Attempting the retreating monster method on a railroad corner with any type of directional block other than 4-way will result in the block becoming stuck in place and immovable unless pushed off by an entity with a railroad sign.