You’re staring at the screen. There’s a guy, some coffee, and a weirdly specific request to "wake him up." If you’ve been playing Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles for more than ten minutes, you already know the developers at Unico Studio love to mess with your head. They want you to think outside the box, but honestly, Brain Test Level 32 is less about complex logic and more about basic physics that most of us forget the second we pick up a smartphone.
It’s frustrating. You’ve probably tried tapping the man. You’ve tried shaking your phone until your wrist hurt. Maybe you even tried yelling at the screen. None of it works because the game isn't looking for a "digital" interaction in the way you expect.
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Why Brain Test Level 32 stops players cold
The setup is simple. A man is asleep in a chair. There’s a kettle and a cup. Most people immediately go for the kettle. They try to pour the water. When that doesn't work, they try to drag the cup to the man's mouth. It’s a logical progression. In a standard adventure game, that’s exactly what you’d do. But Brain Test Level 32 isn't a standard adventure game. It’s a subversion of mobile gaming tropes.
The actual solution? You have to open the kettle.
Wait. Not just open it. You have to interact with the steam. Or rather, you have to make the steam happen. Most players fail here because they treat the objects on the screen like static icons. In reality, the "Brain Test" engine treats them like physical objects with hidden layers. To pass this level, you need to tap the lid of the kettle to open it, then drag the kettle over to the cup to pour the hot water. But even then, he’s still asleep. You have to take that steaming cup of coffee and bring it right to his nose.
It's about the scent.
The psychology of the "Tricky Puzzle"
Why is this so hard for our brains to process initially?
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Psychologists often talk about "functional fixedness." This is a cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used. In the context of a mobile game, we are conditioned to think that "tapping" is the only interaction. When we see a character asleep, our first instinct is to "poke" them. Brain Test Level 32 forces you to move past that. It requires a multi-step sequence: Preparation (the coffee), Activation (the steam), and Application (the smell).
The developers, Unico Studio, have built an empire on this specific type of frustration. According to data from various app store analytics, levels like this one—where the solution requires more than two steps—see the highest "hint" usage. People get impatient. We live in a world of instant feedback. When the man doesn't wake up after the first tap, our brain signals that we're doing something "wrong." In reality, you're just not finished yet.
Common mistakes and red herrings
Let's look at what definitely doesn't work.
Shaking your device is a common pitfall. Since many levels in Brain Test use the internal accelerometer, it’s a fair guess. But Level 32 doesn't care about your hardware. It cares about your spatial awareness on the 2D plane.
Another mistake? Trying to "brew" the coffee. People look for coffee beans or a spoon. They think the puzzle is more complex than it is. The game doesn't require a barista certification. It just requires you to realize that hot things smell, and smell wakes people up.
- Don't waste time clicking the background.
- Don't try to drag the man to the coffee.
- Do focus entirely on the kettle's lid first.
The broader impact of puzzle games on cognitive flexibility
There's a reason these games go viral. It's not just about killing time in a doctor's waiting room. A study published in PLOS ONE suggested that playing physics-based puzzle games can actually improve executive functions in adults. While Brain Test Level 32 might feel like a cheap trick, it's actually a workout for your mental adaptability.
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You're learning to ignore the obvious. You're training your brain to look for secondary properties of objects—like the heat of water or the aroma of a beverage—rather than just their primary shapes. This kind of lateral thinking is exactly what high-level problem solvers use in engineering and coding.
How to beat it right now
If you are currently looking at the screen and feeling stuck, follow these exact steps. No fluff.
First, tap the lid of the kettle. It will pop off. This is the "Aha!" moment most people miss because the lid looks like part of the kettle's silhouette. Once the lid is off, drag the kettle over to the coffee cup. You’ll see the water pour. Now, the cup is full and there's steam rising from it. Finally—and this is the crucial part—drag the cup to the man’s face. Specifically, aim for his nose.
He wakes up. You move on. Level 33 is waiting, and honestly, it’s not any easier.
Actionable insights for Brain Test masters
To get through the rest of the game without constantly burning through your "lightbulb" hints, you need a strategy. This game is a liar. Treat it like one.
- Interact with everything. If an object has a part that looks like it could be separate (like a lid, a hat, or a tail), try to move it individually.
- Think about the senses. If a puzzle involves a person, think about what would affect their senses in real life. Is it too dark? Is there a bad smell? Are they cold?
- Gravity matters. Sometimes you need to turn your phone upside down. Level 32 didn't require it, but many others do.
- Ignore the text. Sometimes the prompt "Wake him up" is literal, but sometimes it's a pun. Always look at the image first, then the text.
The secret to dominating these puzzles isn't being a genius. It's being a bit of a contrarian. Every time the game suggests a "logical" path, look the other way. If you're stuck on Level 32, you're likely overthinking it or under-interacting with the environment. Open that lid, pour that water, and let the virtual caffeine do the work.
Once you pass this, keep that mindset. The levels only get weirder from here, often requiring you to combine multiple objects or even use the "hint" button just to see if the hint itself is part of the joke. Stay sharp.
Next Steps for Success:
- Test the boundaries: Before using a hint on Level 33, try dragging every single object on the screen to every other object.
- Check your settings: Ensure your screen's touch sensitivity is high; sometimes the "hitbox" for the kettle lid can be a bit finicky on older devices.
- Observe the steam: In many levels following 32, visual cues like smoke, steam, or wind lines are the most important interactive elements.