Audio

music by the Tom Zicarelli Quartet:

license: creative commons http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Images

hantman theme:

(terms of use apply to all images)
author: Tom Zicarelli
source: http://900stories.com
license: creative commons http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

lunar theme:

(terms of use apply to NASA photos)
source: NASA
license: not copyright protected http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/copyright.html

(terms of use apply to lunar landscape)
source: "Frau Im Mond", by Fritz Lang and Oskar Fischinger, 1929
public domain

(terms of use apply to poindexter)
source: http://photobucket.com/
license: non-exclusive royalty free limited http://photobucket.com/terms (section 6.1)

miami theme:

(terms of use apply to sea turtle)
source: http://www.colouringbook.org
license: public domain clip art http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

exoplanet theme:

(terms of use apply to all images)
source: NASA
license: not copyright protected http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/copyright.html

paramecium theme:

(terms of use apply to paramecium)
author: Michael Frey
source: Wikimedia, and http://www.schoolwork.de/cytologie/kpantoffelt.php
license: creative commons http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

(terms of use apply to hello-kitty)
source: http://www.clker.com/clipart-82370.html
license: public domain clip art http://www.clker.com/disclaimer.html

portland theme:

(terms of use apply to all images)
author: Tom Zicarelli
source: http://900stories.com
license: creative commons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

contact: secretspot@zerokidz.com

Centuries and centuries of idealism have not failed to influence reality. In the very oldest regions of Tlön, it is not an uncommon occurrence for lost objects to be duplicated. Two people are looking for a pencil; the first one finds it and says nothing; the second finds a second pencil, no less real, but more in keeping with his expectations.

These secondary objects are called hrönir and, even though awkward in form, are a little larger than the originals. [...]

One curious fact: the hrönir of second and third degree - that is, the hrönir derived from another hrön, and the hrönir derived from the hrön of a hrön - exaggerate the flaws of the original; those of fifth degree are almost uniform; those of ninth can be confused with those of the second; and those of the eleventh degree have a purity of form which the originals do not possess. The process is a recurrent one: the hrön of the twelfth degree begins to deteriorate in quality. [...]

Things duplicate themselves in Tlön. They tend at the same time to efface themselves, to lose detail when people forget them. The classic example is that of a stone threshold which lasted as long as it was visited by a beggar, and which faded from sight on his death. Occasionally, a few birds, a horse perhaps, have saved the ruins of an amphitheater. [...]

Jorge Luis Borges
"Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius"
May 1940

Secret Spot

Contact: secretspot@zerokidz.com

Support: zerokidz.com/secretspot

How to Play

Touch the screen to begin. Each time you touch the screen, clues appear, like: getting warmer, getting colder, or guess again. Using advanced powers of concentration you will find the secret spot.

Playing without a touch screen? Click to touch, drag to scroll.

Option Buttons

Press to start a new game. After you find the secret spot, touch the screen to start a new game.

Press to show (or hide) the secret spot. When you find the spot it displays automatically regardless of the state of the show/hide button.

Press to display settings options.

Press to start (or stop) an automated version of secret spot. Pressing new game or settings also stops automation.

Did you know you can play Secret Spot with your eyes closed? Set the toolbar to invisible, under settings: general. This prevents accidental triggering of Option buttons. Toggle the invisible toolbar by touching the screen for three seconds. Check out the textToSpeech music option if you find jazz too ambiguous.

Settings Menu

Audio off/on

Master audio switch. If you want to listen to your own music set audio off.

Spot

Set spot size. The larger the spot, the easier it will be to find it.

Dots

Set dot size, shadow, and constellation options. A new dot is created each time you touch the screen. Shadow is an outline drawn around the edge of the dot. The constellation option randomly connects some of the dots with straight lines.

Rings

Set ring options. Rings are concentric circles that radiate outward from the current dot. The rainbow option sets alternating ring colors. Repeat causes rings to regenerate at regular intervals. Speed controls velocity of rings moving outward from the dot.

Theme

Themes contain sets of game screens. Next to each selection is an animated preview screen.

Music

Select from a list of musical themes.

Press arrows to play examples.

Language

Set language for game messages. In version 1.0 settings menus always display in english.

General

Set options for username (not currently implemented), toolbar, automation, and game statistics.

Toggle invisible toolbar by touching the game screen for three seconds

Automation method selects a spot search strategy. Interval is the average time between automatic guesses.

About

Displays fascinating information, like this help screen.

Current Environment

version: 1.0
platform:
os:
device:
wrapper:
audio:
browser: