How the Wave Superposition Works

Standing Wave - harmonic wave superposition and standing wave nodes schematic
Fig 1. Standing wave acoustics schematic: dual component waveforms, constructive peak interference, destructive nodal planes, and rolling particle basins.

In Standing Wave, you manipulate a flexible floor formed by two superimposed sine waves: a Blue wave and an Orange wave. Glowing colored orbs rest on this floor and roll along its slope under gravity.

The two waves combine through physical interference:

  • Constructive Interference (Hills): When both waves peak together, their heights add up to create steep hills that block orbs or roll them rapidly downhill.
  • Destructive Interference (Flat Ground): When a peak on one wave lines up with a trough on the other, they cancel out, turning the floor completely flat.
  • Interference Valleys: The lowest dips between hills form natural pockets. Your objective is to shape the floor so valleys align with colored basins, sorting Cyan, Amber, and Magenta orbs into their matching goals.

Wave Tuning Consoles and Sliders

Tune wave parameters using on-screen sliders or keyboard hotkeys:

Key / Click Action What Happens
W / S / Drag Slider Blue Amplitude Increases or decreases the height of the primary blue wave.
E / D / Drag Slider Orange Amplitude Adjusts the height of the secondary orange interfering wave.
A / D / Arrow Keys Phase Offset Shifts the orange wave left or right, moving hills and valleys across the room.
Spacebar Release Orbs / Next Allows orbs to roll along the sculpted wave floor, or advances to the next puzzle.
R Restart Level Resets wave parameters and orb positions back to their starting state.

How to Beat Level 4 (Avoiding the Mixed-Color Collision)

Level 4 places a Cyan orb on the left and an Amber orb on the right, with their matching basins separated across the room.

Beginners often flatten the entire floor, letting both orbs roll straight into the center where they collide and stop short of the basins.

  • The Center Collision Trap: A flat surface lets both orbs roll toward each other, blocking the path.
  • The Dual-Valley Solution: Set Blue Amplitude to medium and Orange Amplitude to low, then shift the Phase Offset slider until you see two distinct valleys appear under both basins simultaneously.
  • Releasing with Precision: Hit Spacebar once both valleys are aligned. The central hill keeps the orbs separated while gravity carries each orb into its own colored pocket.

Tips and Strategies for Harder Levels

Conquering advanced stages requires multi-stage tuning:

  • Level 6 (Cluster Sorting): Three different colored orbs start grouped together in the center. First raise a tall peak directly under the center to push the outer orbs away, then shift Phase to settle each orb into its respective basin.
  • Level 9 (The Great Wall): To push an orb over a tall hill, align both waves in phase to create a steep downward ramp behind it, giving the orb enough speed to carry over the crest.
  • Level 11 (Alternating Valleys): Three basins alternate across the floor with limited tuning seconds. Adjust Phase Offset first to position the three natural wave dips, then increase Orange Amplitude slightly to lock all three orbs in place simultaneously.
  • Level 12 (The Harmonic Finale): Mixed orbs start on steep ledges. Build a flat plateau using destructive cancellation to hold them steady, then shift Phase to release them one by one into their matching pockets.

Tuning Efficiency and Star Ratings

Every puzzle has a tuning time budget that measures active adjustment seconds. To maximize your score:

  • Pause and survey: Look at where basins are located before touching sliders.
  • Adjust Phase first: Moving the Phase slider shifts valley locations quickly with minimal budget burn.
  • Fine-tune Amplitude last: Deepen the valley only once it is positioned directly under the basin.

Frequently Asked Questions

If a valley is too shallow, rolling orbs retain momentum and coast right past the basin. Increase the amplitude of the component waves to deepen the valley and trap the orbs securely.

When the Blue and Orange waves peak in the same spot, they combine into tall hills. When one peaks where the other dips, they cancel out into flat ground, allowing orbs to roll smoothly.

The tuning timer tracks active seconds spent adjusting sliders. Plan your wave adjustments before dragging controls to finish within budget and secure a three-star rating.

Built with pure vanilla HTML5 canvas and standard Web Audio (no external engines or heavy libraries).