Instruction

The instruction set management window which pops up at the beginning of levels

An instruction is a command assigned to a tile in Lemmings: The Puzzle Adventure. Following the tile-based mobile game design, skills are not directly assigned to a lemming but are instead assigned to a tile for one or more lemmings to execute upon reaching the instruction. Consumable instructions disappear after a single lemming performs the command while other non-consumable instructions remain assigned to the tile until removed by the player.

Only 5 instructions (6 if the extra instruction slot is purchased) can be brought to a level, with the instruction set managed at the start of a level through a pop-up management window.

Previously, some instructions are unlocked by reaching certain XP levels and some are even VIP-exclusive. But as of version 7.5 "Instructions Unleashed", all instructions have become available from the start of the game. During version 7.5, another adjustment was later made to significantly reduce the energy costs of more advanced instructions.

Overview

List of available instructions and their associated energy costs.
Note that consumables are used up by the first lemming to reach the instruction.

Instruction	Description	Energy Cost	Consumable?
Dig	Dig through destructible blocks	1	Y
Stairs	Build a diagonal staircase to get lemmings to higher places	1	Y
Umbrella	Slow down lemmings falling to save them from a certain death	1
Block	Block the lemmings and make them turn away from dangers and traps	1	Y
Destroy	Sacrifice a lemming to blow up and destroy any lemming-built structure	0	Y
Glide	Makes lemmings descend safely by gliding diagonally down	1
Musician	Gather lemmings into a single tile	2	Y
Dynamite	Blow up all destructible blocks and lemming-built structures in a 3x3 area	1	Y
Balloon	Send lemmings 2 tiles up into the air	1
Bridge	Close the gap between 2 tiles	1	Y
Rocket	Destroy destructible blocks above the lemmings	2	Y

Base Instructions

The following instructions are considered to be the base instructions and can be used to solve all Main Universe levels up to Planet 76, all challenges up to Season 77, and all Mayhem levels up to Season 76.

Dig

Dig allows lemmings to excavate dirt and can be assigned to any destructible block. The instruction is consumed by the first lemming to reach the block.

• Dig costs 1 energy to assign
• If the block to excavate is reached from the side then the lemming becomes a Basher and digs side-wards
• Bashers pause for a quick second after destroying the block to allow for another instruction to be placed where the destroyed block once was
• If the block to excavate is reached from the top then the lemming becomes a Digger and digs downwards
• Digging downwards can be also used to change a lemming's direction

Stairs

The Stairs instruction allows lemmings to reach higher places. It can be placed on any empty space and is consumed by the first lemming to reach the instruction.

• Stairs costs 1 energy to assign
• Stairs cannot be built directly below any blocks, traps, or ceiling
• Stairs can be linked with other lemming structures (i.e. other stairs or bridges) to form complex structures (for example, stairs can be built under a bridge to link both structures)
• Builders pause for a short while after completing the stairs unless they immediately trigger another build instruction (i.e. Stairs or Bridge)
• Stairs can be used to change the direction of the Builder
• Both ends of the stairs cause a slight protrusion to neighboring tiles which might make the Umbrella trick ineffective
• A completed staircase may only be destroyed by explosions, either using the Destroy, Dynamite, or Rocket instructions or by detonating explosive blocks
• A completed staircase can withstand any amount of falling rocks including falling piercing rocks
• Stairs reflect laser beams
• A group of lemmings closely bunched together will sometimes slow down to queue up/down the stairs

Umbrella

The Umbrella instruction allows falling lemmings to slow down their descent by means of an open umbrella or parasol. It can be placed on any empty space at least 1 tile above ground and is performed by any lemming that reaches the instruction.

• Umbrella costs 1 energy to assign
• Umbrellas save lemmings from dying when falling at a height of 3 tiles or more

Block

Block allows a lemming to stand in place and force all other lemmings coming into contact to turn around. The instruction can be placed on any empty space over the ground or in any lemming-built structure and is consumed by the first lemming to reach the instruction.

• Block costs 1 energy to assign
• Blocks can be placed while stairs are being built to isolate the Builder
• Blockers revert to Walkers as soon as the ground they stand on disappears, marching towards their original direction prior to becoming a Blocker

Destroy

Destroy allows a lemming to remove a lemming-built structure by means of self-detonation. The instruction is consumed by the first lemming to reach it.

• Destroy costs no energy to use
• Upon consuming the instruction, the lemming turns into a Bomber-Blocker who blocks off the path before starting a 5-second countdown to detonation
• The instruction can be cancelled by reverting the Bomber-Blocker back into a Walker before the countdown expires
• Destroy can be used to change the direction of a lemming

Advanced Instructions

Starting Planet 77 and Season 78, Main Universe levels and seasonal challenges require the use of more advanced instructions to solve. The same applies to Season 77 Mayhem levels.

Glide

Glide allows lemmings aerial lateral movement by sailing across tiles mid-air at a slight downward incline. It can be placed on any empty space at least 1 tile above ground or on bridges and is performed by any number of lemmings able to reach the instruction.

• Glide costs 1 energy to assign
• Glide sends the Hang Gliders toward the direction the instruction is pointed to but the instruction cannot be pointed directly at solid blocks or walls
• Hang Gliders lose their gliders and begin to fall immediately after crossing the tile
• Multiple Glide instructions can be linked together

Musician

The Musician instruction allows a lemming to stop and gather all passing lemmings in place by using a musical instrument to attract their attention. It can be placed on any empty space over the ground or in any lemming-built structure and is consumed by the first lemming to reach the instruction.

• Musician costs 2 energy to assign
• The musician can be reverted back into a Walker after which all the gathered lemmings will also begin walking in the same direction
• Additional musicians each play a different musical instruments

Dynamite

The Dynamite is an instruction for a lemming to drop a bundle of dynamite sticks that detonates using a 5 second countdown. It can be placed on any empty space over the ground, over holes or edges, or in any lemming-built structure and is consumed by the first lemming to reach it.

• Dynamite costs 1 energy to assign
• Dynamite blows up all destructible tiles and lemming-built structures in and around the explosives at the time of explosion, blasting a 3x3 tile area which also kills lemmings
• After dropping the bomb, the Bomber turns around to flee the blast radius
• Dynamite can be immediately set off by explosions (example, the Destroy instruction) and likewise sets off any explosive agent within its blast area (such as other dynamite, mine traps, and explosive block traps)
• Dynamite interacts with any traps that directly kill lemmings
  • Laser beams, smoke monsters, explosive traps like mine traps, fire traps, electric traps, and any physical trap that kills lemmings (retractile spikes, falling rocks, saw traps) all trigger dynamite to immediately explode
  • Any dynamite that falls into water simply disappears into it
• The dynamite timer might not start at all if the Bomber dies right after placing the dynamite
• Using dynamite to destroy gold blocks do not reward players gold

Balloon

This article is about the instruction. For other uses, see Balloon (disambiguation).

The Balloon instruction sends lemmings flying two (2) tiles up in the air using a balloon. It can be placed on any empty space and is performed by any lemming that reaches the instruction.

• Balloon costs 1 energy to assign
• Balloon cannot be placed directly below any blocks, traps, or ceiling
• Balloons can be linked together to reach even higher places
• Balloons can be used with Glide to allow lateral aerial movement
• Balloons, when placed underneath lemming-built structures, allows lemmings to float and land into the platform

Bridge

The Bridge instruction lets a lemming quickly place a bridge over an empty tile. The instruction can be placed on any empty space and is consumed by the first lemming to reach it.

• Bridge costs 1 energy to assign
• Bridges and Stairs can be linked together to create more complex structures
• Bridges may only be destroyed by explosions, either using the Destroy, Dynamite, or Rocket instructions or by detonating explosive blocks
• Bridges can withstand any amount of falling rocks including falling piercing rocks
• Bridges can be used to completely nullify water traps
• Bridges can stop laser beams

Rocket

The Rocket instruction launches four rockets or fireworks upwards and can be assigned to any empty tile above ground or in any lemming-built structures. It is consumed by the first lemming to reach it.

• Rockets costs 1 energy to assign
• Rockets explode upon impact with any surface
• A destructible block is fully destroyed after getting hit by 2 rockets
• Any lemming-built structure is destroyed after getting hit by a single rocket
• Rockets may not fly straight up and is more likely to deviate from a perfectly linear path the higher it flies up

Notes

• It might become impossible to save all lemmings (a frequent requirement to complete the level) in some levels without having the proper set of instructions

See also

• Lemmings: The Puzzle Adventure bug list