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'''Bill Darrah''' is a professional puzzle designer who is best known in the CC community for designing approximately 1/3 of the original [[Chip's Challenge]] levels, as well as 7 levels that were included in [[Chip's Challenge 2]].  
'''Bill Darrah''' (1962-2021)<ref>http://theirlovinglegacy.com/high-schools/california/granada-high-school-matadors-livermore-ca/bill-darrah/?p=169129</ref><ref>https://discord.com/channels/343036755999457281/571096193405288449/876760208016281610</ref> was a professional puzzle designer who is best known in the CC community for designing approximately 1/3 of the original [[Chip's Challenge]] levels, as well as 7 levels that were included in [[Chip's Challenge 2]].  


In the words of [[Chuck Sommerville]],
<blockquote>''"I hired [Bill] as a contractor to design levels for CC1. He was the only contributor who wasn't a full time Epyx employee. I knew him, because we were already friends and he had a passion for designing puzzles, and had written for 2 text adventures."''<br>-- [[Chuck Sommerville]] </blockquote>
''"I hired [Bill] as a contractor to design levels for CC1. He was the only contributor who wasn't a full time Epyx employee. I knew him, because we were already friends and he had a passion for designing puzzles, and had written for 2 text adventures."''


Bill's level design style is often distinctly recognizable for its homogeneity, mathematical precision, and emphasis on sprawling mazes. His levels in many cases are known for being equal parts beautiful, tedious, and difficult (for example [[Doublemaze]], [[Rink]], and [[Force Field]]).
Bill's level design style is often distinctly recognizable for its homogeneity, mathematical precision, and emphasis on sprawling mazes. His levels in many cases are known for being equal parts beautiful, tedious, and difficult.


== Trivia ==
== Trivia ==
* Darrah had an online shop called [https://www.shapeways.com/shops/yorkhouse Yorkhouse Puzzles and Surprises] where he designed and sold mechanical puzzles. The logo bears an obvious resemblance to the castles in the [[Chip's Challenge 1|CC1]] levels [[Yorkhouse]] and [[Castle Moat]].


Bill has an online shop called [https://www.shapeways.com/shops/yorkhouse Yorkhouse Puzzles and Surprises] where he designs and sells mechanical puzzles. The logo bears an obvious resemblance to the castles in the [[Chip's Challenge 1|CC1]] levels [[Yorkhouse]] and [[Castle Moat]].
* According to [[Joshua Bone]], there is a word-of-mouth story from [[Chuck Sommerville]] about the level [[Castle Moat]]. Darrah reportedly designed the level, and Sommerville later inserted the now-infamous [[flippers|water shield]] shortcut without telling him.


According to [[Joshua Bone]], there is a word-of-mouth story from [[Chuck Sommerville]] about the level [[Castle Moat]]. Bill Darrah reportedly designed the level, and then Chuck inserted the now-famous flippers without telling him.
== [[:Category:Levels designed by Bill Darrah|Levels in official packs]] ==
=== [[Chip's Challenge 1]] ===
It is not known exactly which levels in CC1 Bill Darrah designed, as even he does not fully remember. In a series of emails with [[Joshua Bone]] in 2020, Darrah was able to confirm the following levels with varying degrees of certainty.


== [[:Category:Levels designed by Bill Darrah|Levels in official packs]] ==
==== Levels Darrah is certain he made ====
=== [[Chip's Challenge 1|CC1]] ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
It is not known exactly which levels in CC1 Bill Darrah designed; however due to his distinct design style it is possible to make educated guesses. According to [[Joshua Bone]], these are the CC1 levels that were most likely designed by Bill.
! # !! Name !! class="unsortable" | Darrah's comments
|-
| 18 || [[Castle Moat]] || Absolutely sure it's mine
|-
| 23 || [[Blobnet]] || Absolutely sure it's mine
|-
| 65 || [[Amsterdam]] || Absolutely sure it's mine
|-
| 73 || [[Morton]] || Absolutely sure it's mine
|-
| 88 || [[Spirals]] || Absolutely sure it's mine
|-
| 105 || [[Short Circuit]] || Absolutely sure it's mine
|-
| 136 || [[Doublemaze]] || Absolutely sure it's mine
|-
| 138 || [[Partial Post]] || Absolutely sure it's mine
|-
| 139 || [[Yorkhouse]] || Absolutely sure it's mine
|-
| 142 || [[Pentagram]] || Absolutely sure it's mine
|}


==== Levels Darrah thinks he probably made ====
{| class="wikitable sortable"  
{| class="wikitable sortable"  
! # !! Name
! # !! Name !! class="unsortable" | Darrah's comments
|-
| 10 || [[Brushfire]] || Mine, I think
|-
| 16 || [[Cellblocked]] || Pretty sure it's mine
|-
| 25 || [[Blink]] || Sure looks like mine
|-
| 30 || [[Mishmesh]] || Sure looks like mine
|-
| 32 || [[Scavenger Hunt]] || Sure looks like mine
|-
| 44 || [[Refraction]] || Pretty sure this is mine.
|-
| 47 || [[Pier Seven]] || Pretty sure this is mine.
|-
| 61 || [[Rink]] || Sure looks like mine
|-
| 67 || [[Chipmine]] || Sure looks like mine
|-
| 81 || [[Writers Block]] || Probably mine, not sure
|-
| 85 || [[Telenet]] || Probably mine, not sure
|-
|-
| 16 || [[Cellblocked]]
| 100 || [[Colony]] || Sure looks like mine
|-
|-
| 18 || [[Castle Moat]]
| 101 || [[Apartment]] || Sure looks like mine
|-
|-
| 22 || [[Forced Entry]]
| 103 || [[Memory]] || Sure looks like mine
|-
|-
| 23 || [[Blobnet]]
| 143 || [[Stripes?]] || Probably mine
|-
|-
| 25 || [[Blink]]
| 144 || [[Fireflies]] || Looks like mine
|-
|-
| 30 || [[Mishmesh]]
| 147 || [[Force Field]] || Sure looks like mine
|}
 
==== Levels Darrah thinks he might have made ====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! # !! Name !! class="unsortable" | Darrah's comments
|-
|-
| 32 || [[Scavenger Hunt]]
| 19 || [[Digger]] || Could be mine. I wanted to make a level that could be played boldly and fast or safely and slow
|-
|-
| 37 || [[Seeing Stars]]
| 22 || [[Forced Entry]] || Might be mine, not sure
|-
|-
| 50 || [[Digdirt]]
| 28 || [[Ping Pong]] || Might be mine. not sure
|-
|-
| 51 || [[I Slide]]
| 31 || [[Knot]] || Might be mine. not sure
|-
|-
| 53 || [[Traffic Cop]]
| 50 || [[Digdirt]] || Might be mine, not sure
|-
|-
| 61 || [[Rink]]
| 51 || [[I Slide]] || Looks like mine, not sure
|-
|-
| 64 || [[Spooks]]
| 72 || [[Reverse Alley]] || Might be mine, not sure
|-
|-
| 65 || [[Amsterdam]]
| 75 || [[Steam]] || Might be mine, not sure
|-
|-
| 67 || [[Chipmine]]
| 80 || [[Vanishing Act]] || Might be mine, not sure
|-
|-
| 72 || [[Reverse Alley]]
| 94 || [[Now You See It]] || Might be mine, not sure
|-
|-
| 73 || [[Morton]]
| 115 || [[Oversea Delivery]] || Might be mine, not sure
|-
|-
| 75 || [[Steam]]
| 130 || [[Ice Cube]] || Might be mine, not sure
|}
 
==== Levels Darrah isn't sure if he made ====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! # !! Name !! class="unsortable" | Darrah's comments
|-
|-
| 80 || [[Vanishing Act]]
| 14 || [[Teleblock]] || This doesn't look like style, but it does seem like my kind of theme
|-
|-
| 81 || [[Writers Block]]
| 21 || [[Iceberg]] || No memory
|-
|-
| 85 || [[Telenet]]
| 64 || [[Spooks]] || ?
|-
|-
| 88 || [[Spirals]]
| 91 || [[Jumping Swarm]] || No memory
|-
|-
| 94 || [[Now You See It]]
| 148 || [[Mind Block]] || Might be mine, probably not
|}
 
==== Levels Darrah thinks he did not make ====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! # !! Name !! class="unsortable" | Darrah's comments
|-
|-
| 98 || [[Shrinking]]
| 37 || [[Seeing Stars]] || I doubt this is mine
|-
|-
| 100 || [[Colony]]
| 53 || [[Traffic Cop]] || I doubt this is mine
|-
|-
| 101 || [[Apartment]]
| 87 || [[Cityblock]] || I think this is not mine
|-
|-
| 103 || [[Memory]]
| 97 || [[Metastable to Chaos]] || Not mine.  I should remember who, but I don't
|-
|-
| 105 || [[Short Circuit]]
| 98 || [[Shrinking]] || I doubt this is mine
|-
|-
| 115 || [[Oversea Delivery]]
| 117 || [[The Marsh]] || This resembles my kind of level, but I don't think it is
|-
|-
| 130 || [[Ice Cube]]
| 134 || [[Pain]] || I doubt this was mine
|-
|-
| 136 || [[Doublemaze]]
| 146 || [[Cake Walk]] || I doubt this was mine
|}
 
=== [[Chip's Challenge 2]] ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! # !! Name
|-
|-
| 138 || [[Partial Post]]
| 8 || [[Swivels]]
|-
|-
| 139 || [[Yorkhouse]]
| 107 || [[Wing and a Prayer]]
|-
|-
| 142 || [[Pentagram]]
| 122 || [[Fire and Ice]]
|-
|-
| 143 || [[Stripes?]]
| 127 || [[Bomber Maze]]
|-
|-
| 144 || [[Fireflies]]
| 156 || [[In the Slime]]
|-
|-
| 147 || [[Force Field]]
| 196 || [[Swamp]]
|-
|-
| 148 || [[Mind Block]]
| 198 || [[Chip Off the Block]]
|}
|}
[[Category:People]]

Latest revision as of 19:48, 30 October 2024

Bill Darrah (1962-2021)[1][2] was a professional puzzle designer who is best known in the CC community for designing approximately 1/3 of the original Chip's Challenge levels, as well as 7 levels that were included in Chip's Challenge 2.

"I hired [Bill] as a contractor to design levels for CC1. He was the only contributor who wasn't a full time Epyx employee. I knew him, because we were already friends and he had a passion for designing puzzles, and had written for 2 text adventures."
-- Chuck Sommerville

Bill's level design style is often distinctly recognizable for its homogeneity, mathematical precision, and emphasis on sprawling mazes. His levels in many cases are known for being equal parts beautiful, tedious, and difficult.

Trivia[edit]

Levels in official packs[edit]

Chip's Challenge 1[edit]

It is not known exactly which levels in CC1 Bill Darrah designed, as even he does not fully remember. In a series of emails with Joshua Bone in 2020, Darrah was able to confirm the following levels with varying degrees of certainty.

Levels Darrah is certain he made[edit]

# Name Darrah's comments
18 Castle Moat Absolutely sure it's mine
23 Blobnet Absolutely sure it's mine
65 Amsterdam Absolutely sure it's mine
73 Morton Absolutely sure it's mine
88 Spirals Absolutely sure it's mine
105 Short Circuit Absolutely sure it's mine
136 Doublemaze Absolutely sure it's mine
138 Partial Post Absolutely sure it's mine
139 Yorkhouse Absolutely sure it's mine
142 Pentagram Absolutely sure it's mine

Levels Darrah thinks he probably made[edit]

# Name Darrah's comments
10 Brushfire Mine, I think
16 Cellblocked Pretty sure it's mine
25 Blink Sure looks like mine
30 Mishmesh Sure looks like mine
32 Scavenger Hunt Sure looks like mine
44 Refraction Pretty sure this is mine.
47 Pier Seven Pretty sure this is mine.
61 Rink Sure looks like mine
67 Chipmine Sure looks like mine
81 Writers Block Probably mine, not sure
85 Telenet Probably mine, not sure
100 Colony Sure looks like mine
101 Apartment Sure looks like mine
103 Memory Sure looks like mine
143 Stripes? Probably mine
144 Fireflies Looks like mine
147 Force Field Sure looks like mine

Levels Darrah thinks he might have made[edit]

# Name Darrah's comments
19 Digger Could be mine. I wanted to make a level that could be played boldly and fast or safely and slow
22 Forced Entry Might be mine, not sure
28 Ping Pong Might be mine. not sure
31 Knot Might be mine. not sure
50 Digdirt Might be mine, not sure
51 I Slide Looks like mine, not sure
72 Reverse Alley Might be mine, not sure
75 Steam Might be mine, not sure
80 Vanishing Act Might be mine, not sure
94 Now You See It Might be mine, not sure
115 Oversea Delivery Might be mine, not sure
130 Ice Cube Might be mine, not sure

Levels Darrah isn't sure if he made[edit]

# Name Darrah's comments
14 Teleblock This doesn't look like style, but it does seem like my kind of theme
21 Iceberg No memory
64 Spooks ?
91 Jumping Swarm No memory
148 Mind Block Might be mine, probably not

Levels Darrah thinks he did not make[edit]

# Name Darrah's comments
37 Seeing Stars I doubt this is mine
53 Traffic Cop I doubt this is mine
87 Cityblock I think this is not mine
97 Metastable to Chaos Not mine. I should remember who, but I don't
98 Shrinking I doubt this is mine
117 The Marsh This resembles my kind of level, but I don't think it is
134 Pain I doubt this was mine
146 Cake Walk I doubt this was mine

Chip's Challenge 2[edit]

# Name
8 Swivels
107 Wing and a Prayer
122 Fire and Ice
127 Bomber Maze
156 In the Slime
196 Swamp
198 Chip Off the Block
  1. ↑ http://theirlovinglegacy.com/high-schools/california/granada-high-school-matadors-livermore-ca/bill-darrah/?p=169129
  2. ↑ https://discord.com/channels/343036755999457281/571096193405288449/876760208016281610
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