This game is very similar to "Learn to Fly" in the sense that you start off terrible compared to the other racers. BUT they don't improve, so if you do a few training games you will eventually beat them.
I ran 1031 meters before falling into a hole. This was better than 61 other players. 28,313 players are ahead of you! :) Well, at least I got the 2 badges. :)
Ok, I have a suggestion: how about making the most valuable ores to have metallic colors to them? I'm pretty sure gold, silver and copper can look yellow, silver and red. Platinum would be teal-colored, and cobalt is of course dark blue.
This game desperately needs a tutorial to get your feet wet.
Here is how I did leve 1, just to get you all started: I put the hilt of the manipulator 4 spaces above the iris or rather 3 spaces below the number 5. Then I programmed: clockwise, extend, close, clockwise, clockwise, open, clockwise. Well, with lots and lots of trial and error.
If you're -almost- in time, but are getting the ending where your father is a frog... to shave off an hour of time, do the second town job only after you give the wizard the dragon's tears.
So you should: take 1 hour to break out of prison, take 6 hours to speak to the wizard, take 0 hours to give him everything, take 5 hours to get to the Dragon's Den (the fastest crossing is 3 hours, not 4), take 2 hours to give Zanda the dragon water, then take 5 hours to pick up the spell. If you do it all correctly, you'll get to the gate in time to caste 'haste' and get inside in time.
This is literally the lowest-ranked game on Kongregate. Go to the list of "All games" and rank them in order of "Highest rated" and then click on the "last" arrow.. and you end up here.
So, congratulations, my friend. Your game is literally the most disliked game on Kongregate. On the plus side, this means you can only get better! :D