Yeah, I'll admit it. I believe in monsters. I mean didn't before, but then I designed this monster of a Masyu, not for the faint of heart. Don't be lured in by her tempting easily start, because it just don't last!
Friday, 29 January 2010
A lightbulb idea?
Well, here's one that got me the other day...
This puzzle take place in two rooms. In the first room are three lightbulbs all connected to three switches in the other room. In this house a man is trying to figure out which switch activates which which bulb. Starting in the room with the switches I can tell you with certainty that this man can move from the switch room to the lightbulb room, not walk back in the switch room and still tell which switch activates which lightbulb, even with the constraint that the man has to move out of the doorway and into the lightbulb room to see the lightbulbs.
Your task is to tell me how.
Yeah it got me as well!
This puzzle take place in two rooms. In the first room are three lightbulbs all connected to three switches in the other room. In this house a man is trying to figure out which switch activates which which bulb. Starting in the room with the switches I can tell you with certainty that this man can move from the switch room to the lightbulb room, not walk back in the switch room and still tell which switch activates which lightbulb, even with the constraint that the man has to move out of the doorway and into the lightbulb room to see the lightbulbs.
Your task is to tell me how.
Yeah it got me as well!
Diagonal Sudoku, a beauty
Who says Sudoku isn't art, well that may be true, and this may not be the hardest puzzle in existance but I like it, not least because of the layout, 12345678, 12345678 and a diagonal as well. Well perhaps it isn't art but it's still nice.
Easy as ABCDEFGHI... wait a sec ABCD yeah that's right
A-D
Well to hit this genre off here is a relatively easy Easy as ABC (or in this case ABCD). Not too taxing but look forward for more later!
Rules for Easy as ABC
Rules for Masyu are as follows,
Place exactly one of each letter from "A" through to the letter designated by the puzzle inclusive in each row and column. The rest of the row or column is left blank.
The letters outside the grid give the first non-blank entry found in that row or column and from that "viewpoint"
A-C
Dizzy Sudoku
Gosh I can tell you that designing this one made my eyes hurt, just one look and you can see why. I don't know what it is but there's still a pretty box in the middle, perhaps they're haunting me!
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Monday, 25 January 2010
Diagonal Sudoku
Another favorite of mine, diagonal sudoku is another solid variant, so what better way to celebrate that than to levy up against a very fine puzzle, one that keep even the best chewing on a pencil (or a... keyboard?) for some time!
Friday, 22 January 2010
The first Masyu
Well another day, another three puzzles. Enjoy this Masyu, if you're new to em, try em, they're easier than the rules'd suggest...
Rules For Masyu
Rules for Masyu are as follows,
Draw one complete loop around the grid such that...
The loop does not overlap or cross itself
The line passes through all black and white circles
Where the line passes through a white circle it goes straight on
The line must make a right angled turn on at leat one side of a white circle
Where the line enters a black circle it must make a right angled turn
Lines through black circles cannot turn in the next cell, on either side of it
Rules for Fillomino
Rules for Fillomino are as follows,
Each number belongs to an area of the same size
Same size blocks cannot touch, except diagonally
More than one given may be in the same block
A block may not contain any givens
Each number belongs to an area of the same size
Same size blocks cannot touch, except diagonally
More than one given may be in the same block
A block may not contain any givens
Give me an L, Give me an I, Give me a T, Give me an S, what have got LITS!
I reckon it's about time I got another puzzle on here and what better way than to introduce a new type of puzzle, LITS! This is where you have enter one of four tetrominoes (posh name for a shape that takes up four squares) in each area.
For those who have never tried this type before I urge you to read the rules first but once you're ready...
What are you waiting for!
Rules for LITS
Rules for LITS are as follows,
Black out Four Consecutive cells (tetrominoes) in each area surrounded by bold lines
Similarly shaped Tetronimoes cannot touch except at the corners
Black cells are all connected
Black cells cannot form a 2x2 square
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Nine Weights Problem and Twelve Weights Problem
These are old puzzles, certainly not my own (for once), but they are great thinking problems with really elegant solutions, see if you can solve them.
I have before me nine weights. Of which just one is slightly lighter. Using only scales I must find out which of these weights is this lighter one. How do I do this?
This problem is possible in just two weighs.
Slightly harder is the twelve weights problem...
I have before me twelve weights. Of which just one is slightly lighter. Using only scales I must find out which of these weights is this lighter one. How do I do this?
This problem is possible in just three weighs.
I have before me nine weights. Of which just one is slightly lighter. Using only scales I must find out which of these weights is this lighter one. How do I do this?
This problem is possible in just two weighs.
Slightly harder is the twelve weights problem...
I have before me twelve weights. Of which just one is slightly lighter. Using only scales I must find out which of these weights is this lighter one. How do I do this?
This problem is possible in just three weighs.
Irregular Sudoku
Again back with another variant, this time Irregular Sudoku. Instead of your pretty boxes, you've got nasty boxes with cells all over the place, well actually I lie, this one does have one nice pretty box, can you find it?
Well smartie pants let's just see how good you are at filling it then shall we!
Greater Than Less Than Sudoku
Well, to most people who have solved one of these in the past, Greater Than Less Than Sudoku is a good, solid variant, arrows point to the smaller of the two numbers between two cells apart from that it's a normal sudoku.
If you haven't yet solved one of these...
Where have you been, solve this one now, no, don't look back, go, go!
Only kidding, take your time in solving this one, enjoy!
Rules for Sudoku Variants
Extra Regions Sudoku
Rules for Extra Regions Sudoku are as follows. In any grid of n numbers,
1-n in each row
1-n in each column
1-n in each block of n
1-n in each diagonal if highlighted
1-n in each coloured set (joined or unjoined)
Irregular Sudoku
Rules for Irregular Sudoku are as follows. In any grid of n numbers,
1-n in each row
1-n in each column
1-n in each block of n
1-n in each diagonal if highlighted
Greater Than Less Than Sudoku
Rules for Greater Than Less Than Sudoku are as follows. In any grid of n numbers,
1-n in each row
1-n in each column
1-n in each block of n
1-n in each diagonal if highlighted
Arrow always points to smaller value
Torodial Sudoku
Rules for Torodial Sudoku are as follows. In any grid of n numbers,
1-n in each row
1-n in each column
1-n in each block of n (blocks may wrap around to the opposite side of the grid)
1-n in each diagonal if highlighted
Rules for Extra Regions Sudoku are as follows. In any grid of n numbers,
1-n in each row
1-n in each column
1-n in each block of n
1-n in each diagonal if highlighted
1-n in each coloured set (joined or unjoined)
Irregular Sudoku
Rules for Irregular Sudoku are as follows. In any grid of n numbers,
1-n in each row
1-n in each column
1-n in each block of n
1-n in each diagonal if highlighted
Greater Than Less Than Sudoku
Rules for Greater Than Less Than Sudoku are as follows. In any grid of n numbers,
1-n in each row
1-n in each column
1-n in each block of n
1-n in each diagonal if highlighted
Arrow always points to smaller value
Torodial Sudoku
Rules for Torodial Sudoku are as follows. In any grid of n numbers,
1-n in each row
1-n in each column
1-n in each block of n (blocks may wrap around to the opposite side of the grid)
1-n in each diagonal if highlighted
Heyawake - Divided Rooms
I think that it's time for a Heyawake. A great idea, and another of the Nikoli family, Heyawake combines Hitori's White and Black cell idea with rooms instead of numbers.
Again this is a first for me so I hope you find it about as enjoyable to solve as I did to design.
Rules for Heyawake
Rules for Heyawake are as follows,
Rooms with a number denote the number of black cells inside
Rooms without a number have an unspecified number of black cells
A single line of white cells may not exceed two rooms in length
All white cells are connected
No black cells touch
Rooms with a number denote the number of black cells inside
Rooms without a number have an unspecified number of black cells
A single line of white cells may not exceed two rooms in length
All white cells are connected
No black cells touch
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
The mighty Hitori
Phew, three puzzles in one day.
Well this is a hitori, literally meaning alone. One of my favourite types of logic puzzle to be sure.
A straightforward one but one that should be fun to solve. Also the first one of its kind I've ever designed.
For those new to Hitori here's the link to the rules
http://puzzlevalves.blogspot.com/2010/01/rules-for-hitori.html
Here's to the first of many!
Second puzzle, it's a Nurikabe!
Well here's my second puzzle, not sponsored by the number 2, this one only contains 1s, 3s and 4s. Still It's a nice starter to Nurikabe so for those of you infamiliar to Nurikabe here the rules and a simple example.
Enjoy!
Rules for Nurikabe
Rules for Nurikabe are as follows,
Each area contains one number
The size of the area is equal to the number in it
Areas can only touch diagonally
Black cells are all connected
Black cells cannot form a 2x2 square
Each area contains one number
The size of the area is equal to the number in it
Areas can only touch diagonally
Black cells are all connected
Black cells cannot form a 2x2 square
Rules for Sudoku
Woop First Puzzle
Well here's my first puzzle, and it's a Sudoku, yeah should probably get a rules section set up here for you, not for Sudoku itself because let's face it most people know how to solve them but still. Stay tuned for more later!
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