- This article is for the non-lethal mechanics applied to a level. Otherwise, see traps.
Obstacles are the objects, environmental effects, and mechanics in a level which directly or indirectly obstructs lemmings from reaching the exit, interferes with skills or instructions, and/or otherwise impedes gameplay.
Lemmings: The Puzzle Adventure[]
The following obstacles appear in Lemmings: The Puzzle Adventure:
Destructible Blocks[]
Destructible blocks are basic blocks of dirt which can be excavated or otherwise destroyed by explosives and traps.
Indestructible Blocks[]
Indestructible blocks are blocks of steel which can not be destroyed by any means.
Portals[]
Portals transport a lemming from one end to another along the same wall with dashed lines revealing which 2 portals are connected.
Gold Blocks[]
Gold blocks are destructible blocks which reward players 200 gold once excavated by a lemming. Note that gold blocks are not mined when destroyed by traps and/or explosives.
Mystery Blocks[]
Mystery blocks are destructible blocks etched with a question mark. Levels containing mystery blocks will have inactive exit portals and each exit will only open up when the correct mystery block that corresponds to them are destroyed. Mystery blocks are encountered starting in planet 4: "Beach Life".
Bubbles[]
Bubbles are generated by either bubble traps or by boiling water tiles. They rise from the traps and up into the sky, often slightly getting blown side-wards as they travel and phasing through terrain and structures until they are out of view. Large enough bubbles may entrap a lemming that happens to cross its path, carrying it up into the air until it bursts upon collision with any structure and leaving the suddenly released lemming in a state of free fall. Bubbles are encountered starting in planet 4: "Beach Life".
- Depending on the timing, lemmings are sometimes brought to certain death by a bubble floating towards the path of an active trap
- Lemmings are sometimes shielded from the effects of traps while inside the bubble (sometimes merely phasing through falling rocks and other projectiles)
- Lemmings released into free fall will also find it difficult to dodge traps while falling, often needing an umbrella (parasol) to break the fall or gliders and balloons to navigate to safety
Smoke[]
Bursts of smoke are generated by smokers at fixed intervals, initially blocking the trap from view before spreading into nearby tiles and concealing the positions and states of lemmings, traps, projectiles, and lasers that gets swallowed by the smoke. Over time, the smoke will then dissipate. Smoke is encountered starting planet 9: "Candy Floss Volcanoes".
Haze[]
Haze is the environmental phenomenon that permanently surrounds smoke monsters, obscuring visibility over the positions and states of lemmings, traps, projectiles, and lasers within the 6 tiles above the trap mechanism and dimming them. Haze is encountered starting planet 15: "Crystalline".
- The loss of visibility becomes more powerful when more smoke monsters are grouped closely together i.e. overlapping layers of haze amplifies the obstruction
- The Lights On booster cannot be used on haze
Darkness[]
Darkness envelopes some levels and may become more common obstructions in certain planets. It makes a level appear completely dark except for the faint light coming from lemmings and from torches included in some structures and traps. Once in a while, a flicker of light may briefly illuminate everything in the level for a split-second. Darkness is first encountered in planet 18: "Video Games".
- It is possible to completely nullify darkness by using the Lights On booster
- Darkness usually requires the use of blockers or attractors to herd lemmings within a safe space while the player works out the rest of the level
- Clicking on tiles, even within the darkness, displays all possible instructions that can currently be assigned to it; revealing clues as to what the tile might be
Random Portals[]
Unpredictable random portals are found in higher worlds and within the portal madness mayhem levels. Passing through a portal makes a lemming exit seemingly randomly at one of the other portals within the level. Note: The assigned exit for any portal rotates around the level at a set frequency. And while it is difficult to gauge where a lemming might end up exiting once they enter a random portal, it is not impossible to time and map the relationship between each entrance and exit. This timing can be seen in effect when a laser beam hits a portal and is only ever observed to come out from the same exit.
Key Blocks[]
Key blocks are destructible blocks etched with the image of a key. Levels containing key blocks will have inactive exit portals until all key blocks are destroyed. Key blocks are encountered starting in planet 28: "Ice Cream".
Fast Forward Mode[]
Fast forward mode speeds the game up twice as fast and can be toggled on or off during normal gameplay using the fast forward button. Quick play mayhem levels, however, are permanently set to play out at 2x speed, requiring players to react faster to traps and other obstructions and often preventing players ample time to plan ahead.
Time Limits[]
Time limits are found in time attack and time frenzy mayhem levels, imposing a countdown timer that will fail the level once it reaches zero. Before the time runs out, players must then either rescue every lemming in time attack mode, or as many resurrecting lemmings to solve the level in time frenzy mode.
Energy Limits[]
Energy limits impact playability given that players are given a finite number of energy to use and manage before being unable to continue. As such, energy count often becomes a factor in planning strategy and solutions for non-Challenge and any non-Mayhem levels, excluding energy saving mayhem levels, and forces players to optimize energy usage sometimes over simpler, quicker, or more obvious yet more energy-heavy solutions.
Others[]
The most common obstacle to be found in most Lemmings games would be the environment itself.
Creatorverse[]
The below obstacles are available to use in creatorverse.
- Destructible blocks
- Indestructible blocks
- Portals
- Bubbles (via bubble traps)
- Smoke (via smoker traps)
- Haze (via smoke monster traps)
- Key blocks