Solution to the puzzle Parallel Dimensions

Parallel Dimensions is one of the interesting puzzles of the Melbourne University Puzzle Hunt 2014 competition. The game's plot that year was based on the manga (or anime) Fullmetal Alchemist. The puzzle was preceded by a short narrative that moved the script forward.

You hurriedly break down the doors only to step on a rune trap, plunging you into a white purgatory. Looking around, you spy a little floating black ball.

Its single eye opens, and a wide grin appears. “Oooooh we haven't had company here in a while.”

“What is this place?”

“Who knows...?” Silence.

“Surely there's a way out!”

“Perhaps there is...” More silence.

This isn't going anywhere. You sprint off in a direction, quickly realising your efforts are futile.

The black ball re-materialises. “Silly human, you're not going anywhere.”

Perhaps a bit of alchemy would help. No dice.

You feel a warm rumbling from your pockets. You pull out the crystals collected thus far, and they began to radiate with a searing black light.

“Well now, that's interesting.” The ball observes. “I've never seen that before.”

A door materialises. Inscribed on it is a strange system of grids, numbers and crosses. While it is impossible to perceive time in this purgatory, you remind yourself that you don't have long before the Tsar performs his transmutation.

The task is a variation of the Numbrix puzzle, where the goal is to create a continuous sequence of numbers, in this case from 1 to 200. Each of the 16 4x4 squares is a standard 2-dimensional Numbrix, where you can move between numbers horizontally or vertically. However, in this case the sequence can also pass through corresponding cells of adjacent 4x4 squares, making the puzzle 4-dimensional. This puzzle was created by Muhammad Adib Surani (who is also the author of the Mr. Game & Watch task).

Below you can see one of the possible solutions.

Now, to get the answer from the solution we need to trace and graphically mark the path of the sequence inside the 2-dimensional 4x4 squares.

After this it becomes possible to distinguish the letters that form the phrase OPTICAL ILLUSION. This is the answer to the puzzle.

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