Welcome to towers, what it do? "what do i do" you say? To do towers well, you should not do the thing where you jump into rockets. And don't do the thing where you touch the mines. Don't trust doors, they sometimes don't do the thing you want them to do. When you do do towers, be sure to do the thing where you leave a demo to help others do what it is you did. That way we can all do the doing and no one will ask "what do i do" because we will all be doing it. — origami_alligator

Bada Lies when he tells me I'm not ready,
when I'm already sweating before the morning dew appears,
Bada Lies when she tells me I'm too old,
But gravity's hold hasn't yet pinned me down by my feet,
Bada Lies when they tell me it's ugly,
But this house I built reminds me of beauty within,
Bada Lies when it tells me I'm dying,
My life drains quickly but I'll escape death and win. — origami_alligator

I have a recurring dream about lights. I wake up in a space indistinguishable from reality, and a compulsory need to get those lights on. When the lamp and closet lights remain unlit, I wake myself up into the same dream, the same bed, with the same black bulbs in a persistent fiction that lasts for several, sometimes twenty cycles. Again, and again. This is typically exasperating, though there are tinges of anxiety. I’m not afraid of the dark. I did sleep with the TV on as a kid. Sometimes cartoon static could tell me which world I was in. — Yahoozy

Why should one hate secrets? If you walk near a collection of pottery, knowing that a snake lives there, you might never make it past, turning back as soon as you recognize the etchings of his home. If you are ignorant of the snake, you would walk past unaware of any danger. You hear a hissing. Now you can turn around and hiss back, undeterred, knowing you’re already out the door. And if the snake were to bite, it’s because of ignorance, not cowardice, that you are dead—and dead idiots have always endeared me more than breathing cowards. — Yahoozy

(Author’s note: This is my favorite of Barabajagal’s levels.)

You’ll notice slowly the attentiveness of this minefield. This area is sectioned off, this jump has been clearly defined, my first decision is actually very important. It unfolds like many petals, flowers reaching desperately out of concrete slabs. Suddenly the level’s name has been given a descriptive quality, and, though it doesn’t display this image in such literal terms, platforms like small scenes in the background, tiny movements of floor guards in the boundaries cement the map as a natural occurrence. A little, real world—a platonic ideal of level design. — Yahoozy

I took a quick step off the beaten path and ended up a million miles from home. My jaw fell slack as dreams melted into reality; I laughed, and set out in childlike wonder to explore the unknown, finding charm in its every corner. The walls were so strong here, the turrets so drowsy! The clouds themselves seemed to sing with joy.

Was I meant to be here? Was there a "here" in the first place? I did not know and did not ask. I'd been gifted a miracle, and such speculation was vulgar at best. — Tempus_Fugit

When I say mintnut is cool [nmaps.net], that is a complete understatement. It's difficult to think back on the friends I had here and I often wonder what they're doing these days. Instead, I will look back on what they have done. When I look at a mintnut map with these blue eyes, it reminds me that no one really holds a candle to them. This one in particular is gorgeous and feels so well polished you'll think you can see your reflection in it. Have fun floating around in it for a spell. — origami_alligator

bonzai has already written a review for Isfahan, but let me elaborate more on their description. From the outset it feels comfortable (though difficult) and builds from there, taking you on a counter-clockwise journey, pretending that it will continue in that direction. Many maps tend to have a difficulty spike, but Isfahan shows what it means to have a difficulty curve. Each section demands slightly more from you until the culmination of a well-timed jump that takes you to victory. Just be careful of the drones... I found it pays to be patient and plan ahead before taking them head-on. — origami_alligator

Of the 8 types of enemies in N, none is more deadly than the mine. It is simple, unmoving, unyielding. It makes sense, then, that an entire genre of maps, known as 'mine jumpers', would have you avoiding coming into contact with an enemy type that requires you to run into it. This aptly named map keeps things simple, trading the classic cramped, precision jumping for a more aerial approach to this kind of map. While it may seem daunting at first, the jumps remain relatively similar, meaning you'll be soaring for the hard-to-reach gold in no time. — origami_alligator

It's been a long time since I've seen someone who has the dedication and patience for creating N art. I stumbled across a forum page once which listed different combinations of objects and how far apart they need to be spaced to create different colors and shades once the image is compressed on NUMA. I particularly like this N art because I grew up reading Calvin and Hobbes. I feel im_bad_at_N took their time getting the coloring and pose correct to do this character justice. There are many other pieces of N art. I encourage you to check them out. — origami_alligator