Pipe Dream (not to be mistaken with similar titles like Pipe Mania, Pipeline, or MacPipes) was originally introduced as a component of the Windows Entertainment Package. Just about every early platform and gaming system has its own adaptation of this game. The Windows version, which emerged in 1991, features simple, clean graphics and incorporates levels of increasing difficulty. Although the game does not include music as many other editions do, Pipe Dream for Windows is arguably the best version.
The basic premise of Pipe Dream is to arrange the various pieces of pipe in order to form a complete circuit before time runs out.
On the left side of the screen, there is a collection of pieces from which the player may select particular shapes which direct the flow of the green ooze in the desired direction. In the middle of the screen is an open area made up of grid spaces on which the pipe pieces may be placed. If the pieces are placed in the proper arrangement, the polluted liquid will run through the pipeline and down the drain, after which point the game advances to the next level.
What makes this game slightly challenging is the fact that each level integrates some new difficulty, such as more complex pipe shapes and brick or concrete walls which impede the path to the drain. Also,
the liquid begins to flow at an earlier and faster rate, giving the player less of a chance to carefully select and place the pieces. Once the ooze leaks out from an open pipe, the game ends and the player has lost.
I first encountered this PC game when I was young, and I occasionally get the urge to play it again. Considering how much gaming elements have evolved, it is funny to realize that the game seemed fascinating at the time. Even though it is quite outdated, I would still play Pipe Dream again, for the sake of old times and nostalgia if nothing else. I have never played the other versions of the game, so I cannot say whether or not they are enjoyable, but I did appreciate the version of Pipe Dream which came with Windows. There is something about it which is reminiscent of Tetris and other puzzle-solving games. If you love Tetris, you might like to play this game. It is rather simple and basic in comparison with later games, but it can be a fun diversion if you are looking for a classic game.
