Axel and PixelAxel and Pixel

Game Details:  Fantasy, 2009

Links:  Moby Games, Steam, Adventure Gamers

Walkthrough Updated:  4/19/2020

Suggested Listening:  Caught Up in the Panic (Ash 25)

Axel and Pixel is a surreal fantasy adventure. You play as a painter named Axel, who along with your dog Pixel, is drawn into the fantasy world you have created with your paintings. Over 24 chapters spanning 4 seasons you must work out a way to escape back to reality. There are 12 Steam Achievements, all documented in the walkthrough below.

Spring

Chapter 1: A Ray of Hope

Find the bone (1/20) in Pixel's dog house. Move the ice to reflect the sun differently, then click on the giant and beat him at the minigame. Move the ice again to melt the ice on the bridge. Get Pixel to run in the wheel next to the bridge, then quickly use the latch to hold the bridge. Try to climb up to the rat's ledge, but you will fall down. Pick up the railing, then climb the ladder. Click on the flowers next to the ladder and they will bloom. Now click on the 5 tall flowers above the wheel to make them open, and click on each of them again. Make a sketch (1/8) of the mountain just left of the flowers. Click on the red arrow to leave Good Start!.

Chapter 2: In Bloom

Click on each major branch of the tree over on the right to make all the flowers bloom. Make a sketch (2/8) of the tree in bloom. Click on the 5 tall flowers and you will remove one. Now use the fishing pole, then pick up the thing you catch and you will make a hang-glider. Use this to cross the water. Get the yellow oar from up on the grassy ledge, then get in the boat. Move the logs out of your way, and both you and Pixel will be on the right side. Click on the bee to scare it and get a paint tube (1/8), then leave.

Chapter 3: A Splash of Dew

Attach the rope to the bucket and get Pixel to jump inside. Climb up the side of the cliff with a minigame. Tie the other end of the rope to the snail's shell. Go and pull the branch on the right to make a leaf drop down, then click on the snail and he will pull Pixel up. Turn the wheel on the right to raise a ladder. Go down the stairs on the left for another minigame to get the paint tube (2/8). Climb back up the cliff (another minigame), then go down the ladder and leave.

Chapter 4: The Foreign Shores

Look under the small rock at the top left to find a bone (2/20). Take the axe from nearby, then use it on the very large plant to the right. Turn the valve, then use the axe on the log half way along the pipes. Open the bottom window and pick up the missing piece of pipe, then go and put it back in its correct place. Turn the valve again. Go and pick up the group of logs to make a raft. Pick up the log you knocked down before and you will fix the windmill. Finally get on your raft and leave.

Chapter 5: Snake in the Grass

Solve the pyramid puzzle (use the edge pieces first) then take the paintbrush.

Chapter 6: Hot Air Loons

Fly through the cavern and collect 7 bones (9/20). There is an achievement for completing this season Spring.

Summer

Chapter 7: The Hand that Feeds

Click on the dragonfly, and Pixel will be carried away. Use the dandelion, then quickly click on the left mushroom, then the right one. Step on the right mushroom to get the paint tube (3/8). Pick up the red anchor and stand the ladder upright. Pick a piece of mushroom from the left side of the ladder, then go up to the high ledge on the right and leave.

Chapter 8: Down the Drain

Click on the strawberry twice, then the shell at your feet. Click on the strawberry again, then the rock next to the yellow worm. Click on the strawberry, then the shell filled with juice. Now take the wheel. Over on the tree on the right, turn the pegs so they are all horizontal, then climb up. Put your wheel just above the large pine-cone. Pull the lever to your right, then climb down again. Shake the pine-cone, then when the piranha are distracted, take the pink stopper from the right side of the water. Throw this over the branch above you, then pull it. Make a sketch (3/8) of the pine-cone, then leave.

Chapter 9: The Rolling Stone

Go down to the large tree stump and play the minigame. Swing back using the pipe, then go back to the first tree stump. Throw Pixel up to the top ledge and he will get you a rope. Now look in the small hole on the left to find a bone (10/20). Tie your rope to the mechanism, then pick up the green mound to release the creature below. Go down to the horizontal pipe between the tree stumps. Click on the round boulder, then leave when you can.

Chapter 10: Honey Trap

Click on the pink flower 3 times, then on the bird with the pink plume. Click on the snails on the rock just above the big snail shell to make them leave, then make a sketch (4/8) of the rock where they were. Climb up the big snail shell with a minigame. Get the glass from the bird's nest, then use this on the spider to scare it away. Break the web, then click on it again to form a tightrope, and again to get a loose coil on the end. Pick up the pink flower's stem, then attach the loose coil to the white flower on the ground here. Knock this over the edge to have Pixel join you, then walk across the spiderweb (another minigame).

Chapter 11: A Seed of Sprout

Try opening the mailbox for a minigame, then take a rock from the pile in the background. Use the rock to crack open the acorn and pick up the shell. When the bird flies above another minigame will happen automatically - after this pick up the seed, and put it in the hole next to the big turtle. Use your shell to collect water from the biggest pool and pour it on the hole. Do this twice more, then climb up the plant. Look at the turtle's left foot to reveal a bone. Look in the turtle's head hole, then in the bird's hole beneath the turtle's mouth, then click on the turtle's mouth to climb down. Pick up the bone (11/20) from the ground. Now leave to the right.

Chapter 12: Focus and Vision

Click on the fish statue for a minigame. Open the treasure chest and have Pixel get the ruby, then pick it up when he drops it. Pick up the pieces of broken glass and place them in the spots indicated; rotate them to create a chain of light, then move the complete lens into the other half of the glasses to display a symbol on a rock. Click on the symbol to start a fire. Click on the fish statue for another minigame. Now pick up the sledgehammer from the ground and use it to hit the dolphin's head on the right. Take the paintbrush.

Chapter 13: Four Wheel Dives

Drive over the obstacle course, collecting 2 paint tubes (5/8) along the way (you definitely need turbo to reach the second one). There is an achievement for completing this season Summer.

Autumn

Chapter 14: As the Rooster Flies

Click on the red hat, then make a sketch (5/8) of the gnome. Open the trunk of your car, then get a pick axe from inside. Click on the rear tire for a minigame, then click on it again. Click on the rooster weather vane far above you, then pick up the crowbar that falls down. Break down the wooden door with your crowbar. Pull the switch to turn on the light, then take the triangle key. Enter the cave on the right, then fix the fallen pulley line. Now use your key on the lock and enter the word indicated using the keypad. Go through the doorway on the left to leave.

Chapter 15: Dambusters

Click on the hollow in the left tree, then on the small house in the tree. Have Pixel get the ball and he will move it over to the right. Click on the hollow in the tree across the water, then click on the "GUMA" box. Click on the tree with the leaves 4 times to remove the leaves. Take the small pole just left of the dam. Use the pole to get across the water (click on the grass on the other side). Now use the GUMA then the tree to make a slingshot. Use the slingshot to hit the paint tube (6/8) first, then hit the dam until it breaks. Climb down the ladder to leave.

Chapter 16: Plumbing the Depths

Grab the bone (12/20) from the bottom of the machine on the left. Pull the right lever and a pipe will fall down. Now use all the pipes scattered around to complete the blueprint and drain the water - start from the bottom right and work backward, finding the only path you can complete with the pieces provided. Now pull the left lever. Go through the doorway to the right and move the big coin so you can exit.

Chapter 17: Shady Connections

Press the red button near you, then click on the bones to the right of the ladder. Climb up the ladder, then press another red button and click the big bones on the far left. Now search in the dark room and you will find a rope so Pixel can join you. Open the large metal box and solve the wire puzzle, then make a sketch (6/8) of the box. Try climbing the conveyor belt, but you will slip down. Pick up a bone from the pile here and use it on the conveyor belt twice, then climb up.

Chapter 18: Bones of Contention

Click on the small opening above the teeth where you start and take the vine that appears. Click on it again, then have Pixel pull on it to bring the leaf down. Now get Pixel to retrieve each of the 3 bones beneath the dinosaur jaw. Next click on the dinosaur's spine and use trial and error to get the right combination of 8 clicks to make it fall apart. Walk over the skeleton. Click on the ball that dropped from the dinosaur's jaw earlier to find a paint tube (7/8), then leave.

Chapter 19: Dry and Dirty

Send pixel into the small triangular cave and he will pull out a box. Open the box and take a match. Light the match on the side of the box, then throw it at the gas cylinder in the water. Get and light another match, then throw it at the oil barrel, to get the creature to go away. Get Pixel to go and annoy the creature to get a big wrench. Pick up the wrench and use it at the base of machine 24. Click on the dried leaves in the middle of the tree leaning over the river. Try to take the paintbrush at the bottom right, but the octopus won't let you have it. Click on the nut over it 3 times, then take the paintbrush.

Chapter 20: Sailing Through

Sail through the obstacle course, collecting 7 bones (19/20) along the way. There is an achievement for completing this season Autumn.

Winter

Chapter 21: Deep Sleep Fishing

Click on the penguin at the bottom, then click on it again to make it catch the fish in the water. When it holds the fish up, click on the big dog, and it will chase the penguin away. Now get Pixel to search the ground where the dog was sleeping to find the last bone (20/20) Dogs Dinner. Click on the wood beneath the central platform, then on the log on the right. Next click on each of the hanging fish bones, then on the string. Click on the sled twice to pull it across, then click on the penguins until they slide down the ice. Click on Axel twice to move him into the sled. Click on the frozen ice tubes on the right to release a paint tube (8/8), then click on the red arrow to collect it.

Chapter 22: Troubles Melt Away

Start by opening the valve above Axel, then the valve above the cart. Flip the dead creature from the tube below Pixel, then click on the stalactite above the tub. Open the valve on the right, light the fire beneath the tub, and open the valve above the tub. Use the water hose next to Pixel, then click on the short horizontal pipe between the two water tanks. Push Axel to the right, then click on the short pipe again to unfreeze him. Make a sketch (7/8) of the creature in the ice on the left, then leave.

Chapter 23: Beating a Path

Click on the 6 tubes to light them up, then open the valve to your left. Click on the large mechanical hand above Axel, then break the ice over the left green tube and take the hammer. Break the ice surrounding the door (3 pieces). Use your hammer to hit the statue's belt and get the mallet head. Use your hammer to hit the gremlin in the statue's hand, then sketch (8/8) the statue. Now use your hammer on the round structure just beneath the valve on the left, then pick up the wrench that falls down. Attach your mallet head to the mallet handle on the right. Have Pixel bark at the gremlin just above the right yellow tube, then click on him to get the black rag. Use your rag to clean the dirty icicles near the bottom of the area. Break the ice left of the stepping stones to reveal another mallet. Click on the stool near the bridge on the left to sit down, then click on the large mechanical hand. Solve the musical minigame (just match the colors of the tubes with the colors of the arrows in the game), then leave.

Chapter 24: Shadow of the Ice Giant

Solve the minigame then pick up the key. There is an achievement for completing this season Winter.

Final Achievements

There are a series of additional achievements that are awarded on completion of the game depending on certain criteria:

  • Use less than 20 helps Little Helper
  • Collect all 8 sketches and all 8 paint tubes Master Painter
  • Complete the story with over 42000 points Points in Paint

Now concentrate on the minigames, which are accessible from the main menu:

  • Score over 10000 points in the balloon minigame Great Aviator
  • Score over 10000 points in total over the 3 courses in the car minigame Great Driver
  • Score over 10000 points in the boat minigame Great Sailor