Start game

When the java-applet has finished loading, left click in the new window or in the neighbourhood of the blinking red light. The game will begin with a small furball - 'Grammar Man' - parachuting down to the labyrinth.

The goal

The computer finds a random pre-analyzed sentence and divides it into words. The sentence will appear at the top of the screen. The goal of the game is to guide the furball through the maze by selecting the correct word class for the highlighted word. When the sentence is completed, you move on to a new labyrinth with a new sentence. But do not dawdle; if you do a ghost will appear and track you down. If it catches you, you lose a life.

How to play

Use the arrow keys to guide the furball through the labyrinth. At any given intersection, choose the appropriate word class. If the correct choice is not available at the intersection, you must go through the wall until you find the correct label. As you move throught the maze, white dots are left behind marking the path you have covered. You are not allowed to backtrack. There are several difficulty levels. At the right of the screen you can tell which 'ghost level' you are on. After every five sentences, the ghost will appear a little sooner and move a little faster. So, the better you become, the harder the game will be. You can see your score at the top of the screen to the right.

Game over

The number of lives you have is shown by the furballs above the score. Each time you lose a life, a furball is crossed out. You have six lives in all: the life you start the game with and an additional five spare lives. You lose a life if you choose a wrong word class or c) try to go through a wall if the correct word class is already available.

Scoring

You receive 5 points each time you make a correct move. You lose 5 points and a life each time you make a wrong move (see above). If you complete the sentence correctly, you double your score for that sentence. Your score competes with other scores worldwide.

The menu

At the top of the screen you can find a menu displaying "Game" and "Size".

Game

In the game menu you can choose to stop the game, "Game" > "Stop game" . You can also see the high scores, "Game" > "Highscores". Here you can see all the high scores from the past 24 hours, 30 days or 365 days. You can also choose to start a new game by clicking "New Game".

Size

You can resize the frame in which the game is running. Choose "Size" > "Small", "Medium", "Large", or "Fit Screen".

A bit of grammar help

Here are some English examples to help you with each word class. The individual words are colored according to VISL's standard color scheme.

n = noun (bicycle, helmet, book, George, Copenhagen, etc.)

pron = pronoun (I, you, this, his, some, etc.)

art = article (a, an, the)

num = numeral (one, two, three, etc.; first, second, third, etc.)

adj = adjective (new, good, white, silly, smallest, etc.)

prp = preposition (of, in, near, at, beside, etc.)

conj = conjunction (and, but, or, because, if, etc.)

intj = interjection (ow, oh, whoops, argh, etc.)

adv = adverb (really, not, always, slowly, never, etc.)

infm = infinitive marker (to)

v = verb (are, ran, eat, jumped, ask, etc.)