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author | Franklin Wei <git@fwei.tk> | 2018-06-20 19:13:03 -0400 |
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committer | Franklin Wei <git@fwei.tk> | 2018-06-20 19:13:03 -0400 |
commit | d64ff86fb6be22875cfae054f8a878dbd8b1472b (patch) | |
tree | 64f09b043bd7f1b2a327c2bf5f1517353b8884f9 /apps/plugins/puzzles/src/puzzles.txt | |
parent | 708a54d3de31ef76f524baeb0f5c2697589e93d7 (diff) | |
download | rockbox-d64ff86fb6be22875cfae054f8a878dbd8b1472b.tar.gz rockbox-d64ff86fb6be22875cfae054f8a878dbd8b1472b.zip |
puzzles: resync with upstream
This brings the source to upstream commit 506b073 (though I have made some
extra commits on top of that). Notably this includes a fix for a double-free
bug that I myself introduced upstream.
Change-Id: I02671586bbc34d63e05398ee971271fed42538cf
Diffstat (limited to 'apps/plugins/puzzles/src/puzzles.txt')
-rw-r--r-- | apps/plugins/puzzles/src/puzzles.txt | 3120 |
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diff --git a/apps/plugins/puzzles/src/puzzles.txt b/apps/plugins/puzzles/src/puzzles.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 23e29235cc..0000000000 --- a/apps/plugins/puzzles/src/puzzles.txt +++ /dev/null | |||
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1 | #Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection | ||
2 | |||
3 | This is a collection of small one-player puzzle games. | ||
4 | |||
5 | This manual is copyright 2004-2014 Simon Tatham. All rights reserved. You | ||
6 | may distribute this documentation under the MIT licence. See appendix A for | ||
7 | the licence text in full. | ||
8 | |||
9 | #Chapter 1: Introduction | ||
10 | |||
11 | I wrote this collection because I thought there should be more small | ||
12 | desktop toys available: little games you can pop up in a window and | ||
13 | play for two or three minutes while you take a break from whatever | ||
14 | else you were doing. And I was also annoyed that every time I found | ||
15 | a good game on (say) Unix, it wasn't available the next time I was | ||
16 | sitting at a Windows machine, or vice versa; so I arranged that | ||
17 | everything in my personal puzzle collection will happily run on | ||
18 | both, and have more recently done a port to Mac OS X as well. When I | ||
19 | find (or perhaps invent) further puzzle games that I like, they'll | ||
20 | be added to this collection and will immediately be available on | ||
21 | both platforms. And if anyone feels like writing any other front | ||
22 | ends - PocketPC, Mac OS pre-10, or whatever it might be - then all | ||
23 | the games in this framework will immediately become available on | ||
24 | another platform as well. | ||
25 | |||
26 | The actual games in this collection were mostly not my invention; | ||
27 | they are re-implementations of existing game concepts within my | ||
28 | portable puzzle framework. I do not claim credit, in general, for | ||
29 | inventing the rules of any of these puzzles. (I don't even claim | ||
30 | authorship of all the code; some of the puzzles have been submitted | ||
31 | by other authors.) | ||
32 | |||
33 | This collection is distributed under the MIT licence (see appendix | ||
34 | A). This means that you can do pretty much anything you like with | ||
35 | the game binaries or the code, except pretending you wrote them | ||
36 | yourself, or suing me if anything goes wrong. | ||
37 | |||
38 | The most recent versions, and source code, can be found at | ||
39 | https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/. | ||
40 | |||
41 | Please report bugs to anakin@pobox.com. You might find it helpful to | ||
42 | read this article before reporting a bug: | ||
43 | |||
44 | https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html | ||
45 | |||
46 | Patches are welcome. Especially if they provide a new front end (to | ||
47 | make all these games run on another platform), or a new game. | ||
48 | |||
49 | #Chapter 2: Common features | ||
50 | |||
51 | This chapter describes features that are common to all the games. | ||
52 | |||
53 | #2.1 Common actions | ||
54 | |||
55 | These actions are all available from the `Game' menu and via | ||
56 | keyboard shortcuts, in addition to any game-specific actions. | ||
57 | |||
58 | (On Mac OS X, to conform with local user interface standards, these | ||
59 | actions are situated on the `File' and `Edit' menus instead.) | ||
60 | |||
61 | _New game_ (`N', Ctrl+`N') | ||
62 | |||
63 | Starts a new game, with a random initial state. | ||
64 | |||
65 | _Restart game_ | ||
66 | |||
67 | Resets the current game to its initial state. (This can be | ||
68 | undone.) | ||
69 | |||
70 | _Load_ | ||
71 | |||
72 | Loads a saved game from a file on disk. | ||
73 | |||
74 | _Save_ | ||
75 | |||
76 | Saves the current state of your game to a file on disk. | ||
77 | |||
78 | The Load and Save operations preserve your entire game history | ||
79 | (so you can save, reload, and still Undo and Redo things you had | ||
80 | done before saving). | ||
81 | |||
82 | _Print_ | ||
83 | |||
84 | Where supported (currently only on Windows), brings up a dialog | ||
85 | allowing you to print an arbitrary number of puzzles randomly | ||
86 | generated from the current parameters, optionally including | ||
87 | the current puzzle. (Only for puzzles which make sense to | ||
88 | print, of course - it's hard to think of a sensible printable | ||
89 | representation of Fifteen!) | ||
90 | |||
91 | _Undo_ (`U', Ctrl+`Z', Ctrl+`_') | ||
92 | |||
93 | Undoes a single move. (You can undo moves back to the start of | ||
94 | the session.) | ||
95 | |||
96 | _Redo_ (`R', Ctrl+`R') | ||
97 | |||
98 | Redoes a previously undone move. | ||
99 | |||
100 | _Copy_ | ||
101 | |||
102 | Copies the current state of your game to the clipboard in text | ||
103 | format, so that you can paste it into (say) an e-mail client or | ||
104 | a web message board if you're discussing the game with someone | ||
105 | else. (Not all games support this feature.) | ||
106 | |||
107 | _Solve_ | ||
108 | |||
109 | Transforms the puzzle instantly into its solved state. For some | ||
110 | games (Cube) this feature is not supported at all because it is | ||
111 | of no particular use. For other games (such as Pattern), the | ||
112 | solved state can be used to give you information, if you can't | ||
113 | see how a solution can exist at all or you want to know where | ||
114 | you made a mistake. For still other games (such as Sixteen), | ||
115 | automatic solution tells you nothing about how to _get_ to | ||
116 | the solution, but it does provide a useful way to get there | ||
117 | quickly so that you can experiment with set-piece moves and | ||
118 | transformations. | ||
119 | |||
120 | Some games (such as Solo) are capable of solving a game ID you | ||
121 | have typed in from elsewhere. Other games (such as Rectangles) | ||
122 | cannot solve a game ID they didn't invent themself, but when | ||
123 | they did invent the game ID they know what the solution is | ||
124 | already. Still other games (Pattern) can solve _some_ external | ||
125 | game IDs, but only if they aren't too difficult. | ||
126 | |||
127 | The `Solve' command adds the solved state to the end of the undo | ||
128 | chain for the puzzle. In other words, if you want to go back to | ||
129 | solving it yourself after seeing the answer, you can just press | ||
130 | Undo. | ||
131 | |||
132 | _Quit_ (`Q', Ctrl+`Q') | ||
133 | |||
134 | Closes the application entirely. | ||
135 | |||
136 | #2.2 Specifying games with the game ID | ||
137 | |||
138 | There are two ways to save a game specification out of a puzzle and | ||
139 | recreate it later, or recreate it in somebody else's copy of the | ||
140 | same puzzle. | ||
141 | |||
142 | The `Specific' and `Random Seed' options from the `Game' menu (or | ||
143 | the `File' menu, on Mac OS X) each show a piece of text (a `game | ||
144 | ID') which is sufficient to reconstruct precisely the same game at a | ||
145 | later date. | ||
146 | |||
147 | You can enter either of these pieces of text back into the program | ||
148 | (via the same `Specific' or `Random Seed' menu options) at a later | ||
149 | point, and it will recreate the same game. You can also use either | ||
150 | one as a command line argument (on Windows or Unix); see section 2.4 | ||
151 | for more detail. | ||
152 | |||
153 | The difference between the two forms is that a descriptive game ID | ||
154 | is a literal _description_ of the initial state of the game, whereas | ||
155 | a random seed is just a piece of arbitrary text which was provided | ||
156 | as input to the random number generator used to create the puzzle. | ||
157 | This means that: | ||
158 | |||
159 | - Descriptive game IDs tend to be longer in many puzzles | ||
160 | (although some, such as Cube (chapter 4), only need very short | ||
161 | descriptions). So a random seed is often a _quicker_ way to | ||
162 | note down the puzzle you're currently playing, or to tell it to | ||
163 | somebody else so they can play the same one as you. | ||
164 | |||
165 | - Any text at all is a valid random seed. The automatically | ||
166 | generated ones are fifteen-digit numbers, but anything will do; | ||
167 | you can type in your full name, or a word you just made up, and | ||
168 | a valid puzzle will be generated from it. This provides a way | ||
169 | for two or more people to race to complete the same puzzle: | ||
170 | you think of a random seed, then everybody types it in at the | ||
171 | same time, and nobody has an advantage due to having seen the | ||
172 | generated puzzle before anybody else. | ||
173 | |||
174 | - It is often possible to convert puzzles from other sources (such | ||
175 | as `nonograms' or `sudoku' from newspapers) into descriptive | ||
176 | game IDs suitable for use with these programs. | ||
177 | |||
178 | - Random seeds are not guaranteed to produce the same result | ||
179 | if you use them with a different _version_ of the puzzle | ||
180 | program. This is because the generation algorithm might have | ||
181 | been improved or modified in later versions of the code, and | ||
182 | will therefore produce a different result when given the same | ||
183 | sequence of random numbers. Use a descriptive game ID if you | ||
184 | aren't sure that it will be used on the same version of the | ||
185 | program as yours. | ||
186 | |||
187 | (Use the `About' menu option to find out the version number of | ||
188 | the program. Programs with the same version number running on | ||
189 | different platforms should still be random-seed compatible.) | ||
190 | |||
191 | A descriptive game ID starts with a piece of text which encodes the | ||
192 | _parameters_ of the current game (such as grid size). Then there is | ||
193 | a colon, and after that is the description of the game's initial | ||
194 | state. A random seed starts with a similar string of parameters, but | ||
195 | then it contains a hash sign followed by arbitrary data. | ||
196 | |||
197 | If you enter a descriptive game ID, the program will not be able | ||
198 | to show you the random seed which generated it, since it wasn't | ||
199 | generated _from_ a random seed. If you _enter_ a random seed, | ||
200 | however, the program will be able to show you the descriptive game | ||
201 | ID derived from that random seed. | ||
202 | |||
203 | Note that the game parameter strings are not always identical | ||
204 | between the two forms. For some games, there will be parameter | ||
205 | data provided with the random seed which is not included in the | ||
206 | descriptive game ID. This is because that parameter information is | ||
207 | only relevant when _generating_ puzzle grids, and is not important | ||
208 | when playing them. Thus, for example, the difficulty level in Solo | ||
209 | (chapter 11) is not mentioned in the descriptive game ID. | ||
210 | |||
211 | These additional parameters are also not set permanently if you type | ||
212 | in a game ID. For example, suppose you have Solo set to `Advanced' | ||
213 | difficulty level, and then a friend wants your help with a `Trivial' | ||
214 | puzzle; so the friend reads out a random seed specifying `Trivial' | ||
215 | difficulty, and you type it in. The program will generate you the | ||
216 | same `Trivial' grid which your friend was having trouble with, but | ||
217 | once you have finished playing it, when you ask for a new game it | ||
218 | will automatically go back to the `Advanced' difficulty which it was | ||
219 | previously set on. | ||
220 | |||
221 | #2.3 The `Type' menu | ||
222 | |||
223 | The `Type' menu, if present, may contain a list of preset game | ||
224 | settings. Selecting one of these will start a new random game with | ||
225 | the parameters specified. | ||
226 | |||
227 | The `Type' menu may also contain a `Custom' option which allows you | ||
228 | to fine-tune game parameters. The parameters available are specific | ||
229 | to each game and are described in the following sections. | ||
230 | |||
231 | #2.4 Specifying game parameters on the command line | ||
232 | |||
233 | (This section does not apply to the Mac OS X version.) | ||
234 | |||
235 | The games in this collection deliberately do not ever save | ||
236 | information on to the computer they run on: they have no high score | ||
237 | tables and no saved preferences. (This is because I expect at least | ||
238 | some people to play them at work, and those people will probably | ||
239 | appreciate leaving as little evidence as possible!) | ||
240 | |||
241 | However, if you do want to arrange for one of these games to default | ||
242 | to a particular set of parameters, you can specify them on the | ||
243 | command line. | ||
244 | |||
245 | The easiest way to do this is to set up the parameters you want | ||
246 | using the `Type' menu (see section 2.3), and then to select `Random | ||
247 | Seed' from the `Game' or `File' menu (see section 2.2). The text | ||
248 | in the `Game ID' box will be composed of two parts, separated by a | ||
249 | hash. The first of these parts represents the game parameters (the | ||
250 | size of the playing area, for example, and anything else you set | ||
251 | using the `Type' menu). | ||
252 | |||
253 | If you run the game with just that parameter text on the command | ||
254 | line, it will start up with the settings you specified. | ||
255 | |||
256 | For example: if you run Cube (see chapter 4), select `Octahedron' | ||
257 | from the `Type' menu, and then go to the game ID selection, you | ||
258 | will see a string of the form `o2x2#338686542711620'. Take only the | ||
259 | part before the hash (`o2x2'), and start Cube with that text on the | ||
260 | command line: `PREFIX-cube o2x2'. | ||
261 | |||
262 | If you copy the _entire_ game ID on to the command line, the game | ||
263 | will start up in the specific game that was described. This is | ||
264 | occasionally a more convenient way to start a particular game ID | ||
265 | than by pasting it into the game ID selection box. | ||
266 | |||
267 | (You could also retrieve the encoded game parameters using the | ||
268 | `Specific' menu option instead of `Random Seed', but if you do then | ||
269 | some options, such as the difficulty level in Solo, will be missing. | ||
270 | See section 2.2 for more details on this.) | ||
271 | |||
272 | #2.5 Unix command-line options | ||
273 | |||
274 | (This section only applies to the Unix port.) | ||
275 | |||
276 | In addition to being able to specify game parameters on the command | ||
277 | line (see section 2.4), there are various other options: | ||
278 | |||
279 | --game | ||
280 | |||
281 | --load | ||
282 | |||
283 | These options respectively determine whether the command-line | ||
284 | argument is treated as specifying game parameters or a save | ||
285 | file to load. Only one should be specified. If neither of these | ||
286 | options is specified, a guess is made based on the format of the | ||
287 | argument. | ||
288 | |||
289 | --generate _n_ | ||
290 | |||
291 | If this option is specified, instead of a puzzle being | ||
292 | displayed, a number of descriptive game IDs will be invented and | ||
293 | printed on standard output. This is useful for gaining access | ||
294 | to the game generation algorithms without necessarily using the | ||
295 | frontend. | ||
296 | |||
297 | If game parameters are specified on the command-line, they will | ||
298 | be used to generate the game IDs; otherwise a default set of | ||
299 | parameters will be used. | ||
300 | |||
301 | The most common use of this option is in conjunction with `-- | ||
302 | print', in which case its behaviour is slightly different; see | ||
303 | below. | ||
304 | |||
305 | --print _w_x_h_ | ||
306 | |||
307 | If this option is specified, instead of a puzzle being | ||
308 | displayed, a printed representation of one or more unsolved | ||
309 | puzzles is sent to standard output, in PostScript format. | ||
310 | |||
311 | On each page of puzzles, there will be _w_ across and _h_ down. | ||
312 | If there are more puzzles than _w_x_h_, more than one page will | ||
313 | be printed. | ||
314 | |||
315 | If `--generate' has also been specified, the invented game | ||
316 | IDs will be used to generate the printed output. Otherwise, | ||
317 | a list of game IDs is expected on standard input (which can | ||
318 | be descriptive or random seeds; see section 2.2), in the same | ||
319 | format produced by `--generate'. | ||
320 | |||
321 | For example: | ||
322 | |||
323 | PREFIX-net --generate 12 --print 2x3 7x7w | lpr | ||
324 | |||
325 | will generate two pages of printed Net puzzles (each of which | ||
326 | will have a 7x7 wrapping grid), and pipe the output to the `lpr' | ||
327 | command, which on many systems will send them to an actual | ||
328 | printer. | ||
329 | |||
330 | There are various other options which affect printing; see | ||
331 | below. | ||
332 | |||
333 | --save _file-prefix_ [ --save-suffix _file-suffix_ ] | ||
334 | |||
335 | If this option is specified, instead of a puzzle being | ||
336 | displayed, saved-game files for one or more unsolved puzzles are | ||
337 | written to files constructed from the supplied prefix and/or | ||
338 | suffix. | ||
339 | |||
340 | If `--generate' has also been specified, the invented game | ||
341 | IDs will be used to generate the printed output. Otherwise, | ||
342 | a list of game IDs is expected on standard input (which can | ||
343 | be descriptive or random seeds; see section 2.2), in the same | ||
344 | format produced by `--generate'. | ||
345 | |||
346 | For example: | ||
347 | |||
348 | PREFIX-net --generate 12 --save game --save-suffix .sav | ||
349 | |||
350 | will generate twelve Net saved-game files with the names | ||
351 | game0.sav to game11.sav. | ||
352 | |||
353 | --version | ||
354 | |||
355 | Prints version information about the game, and then quits. | ||
356 | |||
357 | The following options are only meaningful if `--print' is also | ||
358 | specified: | ||
359 | |||
360 | --with-solutions | ||
361 | |||
362 | The set of pages filled with unsolved puzzles will be followed | ||
363 | by the solutions to those puzzles. | ||
364 | |||
365 | --scale _n_ | ||
366 | |||
367 | Adjusts how big each puzzle is when printed. Larger numbers make | ||
368 | puzzles bigger; the default is 1.0. | ||
369 | |||
370 | --colour | ||
371 | |||
372 | Puzzles will be printed in colour, rather than in black and | ||
373 | white (if supported by the puzzle). | ||
374 | |||
375 | #Chapter 3: Net | ||
376 | |||
377 | (_Note:_ the Windows version of this game is called NETGAME.EXE to | ||
378 | avoid clashing with Windows's own NET.EXE.) | ||
379 | |||
380 | I originally saw this in the form of a Flash game called | ||
381 | FreeNet [1], written by Pavils Jurjans; there are several other | ||
382 | implementations under the name NetWalk. The computer prepares a | ||
383 | network by connecting up the centres of squares in a grid, and then | ||
384 | shuffles the network by rotating every tile randomly. Your job is | ||
385 | to rotate it all back into place. The successful solution will be | ||
386 | an entirely connected network, with no closed loops. As a visual | ||
387 | aid, all tiles which are connected to the one in the middle are | ||
388 | highlighted. | ||
389 | |||
390 | [1] http://www.jurjans.lv/stuff/net/FreeNet.htm | ||
391 | |||
392 | #3.1 Net controls | ||
393 | |||
394 | This game can be played with either the keyboard or the mouse. The | ||
395 | controls are: | ||
396 | |||
397 | _Select tile_: mouse pointer, arrow keys | ||
398 | |||
399 | _Rotate tile anticlockwise_: left mouse button, `A' key | ||
400 | |||
401 | _Rotate tile clockwise_: right mouse button, `D' key | ||
402 | |||
403 | _Rotate tile by 180 degrees_: `F' key | ||
404 | |||
405 | _Lock (or unlock) tile_: middle mouse button, shift-click, `S' key | ||
406 | |||
407 | You can lock a tile once you're sure of its orientation. You | ||
408 | can also unlock it again, but while it's locked you can't | ||
409 | accidentally turn it. | ||
410 | |||
411 | The following controls are not necessary to complete the game, but | ||
412 | may be useful: | ||
413 | |||
414 | _Shift grid_: Shift + arrow keys | ||
415 | |||
416 | On grids that wrap, you can move the origin of the grid, so | ||
417 | that tiles that were on opposite sides of the grid can be seen | ||
418 | together. | ||
419 | |||
420 | _Move centre_: Ctrl + arrow keys | ||
421 | |||
422 | You can change which tile is used as the source of highlighting. | ||
423 | (It doesn't ultimately matter which tile this is, as every tile | ||
424 | will be connected to every other tile in a correct solution, | ||
425 | but it may be helpful in the intermediate stages of solving the | ||
426 | puzzle.) | ||
427 | |||
428 | _Jumble tiles_: `J' key | ||
429 | |||
430 | This key turns all tiles that are not locked to random | ||
431 | orientations. | ||
432 | |||
433 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
434 | |||
435 | #3.2 Net parameters | ||
436 | |||
437 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
438 | `Type' menu. | ||
439 | |||
440 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
441 | |||
442 | Size of grid in tiles. | ||
443 | |||
444 | _Walls wrap around_ | ||
445 | |||
446 | If checked, flow can pass from the left edge to the right edge, | ||
447 | and from top to bottom, and vice versa. | ||
448 | |||
449 | _Barrier probability_ | ||
450 | |||
451 | A number between 0.0 and 1.0 controlling whether an immovable | ||
452 | barrier is placed between two tiles to prevent flow between | ||
453 | them (a higher number gives more barriers). Since barriers | ||
454 | are immovable, they act as constraints on the solution (i.e., | ||
455 | hints). | ||
456 | |||
457 | The grid generation in Net has been carefully arranged so that | ||
458 | the barriers are independent of the rest of the grid. This | ||
459 | means that if you note down the random seed used to generate | ||
460 | the current puzzle (see section 2.2), change the _Barrier | ||
461 | probability_ parameter, and then re-enter the same random seed, | ||
462 | you should see exactly the same starting grid, with the only | ||
463 | change being the number of barriers. So if you're stuck on a | ||
464 | particular grid and need a hint, you could start up another | ||
465 | instance of Net, set up the same parameters but a higher barrier | ||
466 | probability, and enter the game seed from the original Net | ||
467 | window. | ||
468 | |||
469 | _Ensure unique solution_ | ||
470 | |||
471 | Normally, Net will make sure that the puzzles it presents have | ||
472 | only one solution. Puzzles with ambiguous sections can be more | ||
473 | difficult and more subtle, so if you like you can turn off this | ||
474 | feature and risk having ambiguous puzzles. (Also, finding _all_ | ||
475 | the possible solutions can be an additional challenge for an | ||
476 | advanced player.) | ||
477 | |||
478 | #Chapter 4: Cube | ||
479 | |||
480 | This is another one I originally saw as a web game. This one was a | ||
481 | Java game [2], by Paul Scott. You have a grid of 16 squares, six of | ||
482 | which are blue; on one square rests a cube. Your move is to use the | ||
483 | arrow keys to roll the cube through 90 degrees so that it moves to | ||
484 | an adjacent square. If you roll the cube on to a blue square, the | ||
485 | blue square is picked up on one face of the cube; if you roll a blue | ||
486 | face of the cube on to a non-blue square, the blueness is put down | ||
487 | again. (In general, whenever you roll the cube, the two faces that | ||
488 | come into contact swap colours.) Your job is to get all six blue | ||
489 | squares on to the six faces of the cube at the same time. Count your | ||
490 | moves and try to do it in as few as possible. | ||
491 | |||
492 | Unlike the original Java game, my version has an additional feature: | ||
493 | once you've mastered the game with a cube rolling on a square grid, | ||
494 | you can change to a triangular grid and roll any of a tetrahedron, | ||
495 | an octahedron or an icosahedron. | ||
496 | |||
497 | [2] http://www3.sympatico.ca/paulscott/cube/cube.htm | ||
498 | |||
499 | #4.1 Cube controls | ||
500 | |||
501 | This game can be played with either the keyboard or the mouse. | ||
502 | |||
503 | Left-clicking anywhere on the window will move the cube (or other | ||
504 | solid) towards the mouse pointer. | ||
505 | |||
506 | The arrow keys can also used to roll the cube on its square grid in | ||
507 | the four cardinal directions. On the triangular grids, the mapping | ||
508 | of arrow keys to directions is more approximate. Vertical movement | ||
509 | is disallowed where it doesn't make sense. The four keys surrounding | ||
510 | the arrow keys on the numeric keypad (`7', `9', `1', `3') can be | ||
511 | used for diagonal movement. | ||
512 | |||
513 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
514 | |||
515 | #4.2 Cube parameters | ||
516 | |||
517 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
518 | `Type' menu. | ||
519 | |||
520 | _Type of solid_ | ||
521 | |||
522 | Selects the solid to roll (and hence the shape of the grid): | ||
523 | tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, or icosahedron. | ||
524 | |||
525 | _Width / top_, _Height / bottom_ | ||
526 | |||
527 | On a square grid, horizontal and vertical dimensions. On a | ||
528 | triangular grid, the number of triangles on the top and bottom | ||
529 | rows respectively. | ||
530 | |||
531 | #Chapter 5: Fifteen | ||
532 | |||
533 | The old ones are the best: this is the good old `15-puzzle' with | ||
534 | sliding tiles. You have a 4x4 square grid; 15 squares contain | ||
535 | numbered tiles, and the sixteenth is empty. Your move is to choose a | ||
536 | tile next to the empty space, and slide it into the space. The aim | ||
537 | is to end up with the tiles in numerical order, with the space in | ||
538 | the bottom right (so that the top row reads 1,2,3,4 and the bottom | ||
539 | row reads 13,14,15,_space_). | ||
540 | |||
541 | #5.1 Fifteen controls | ||
542 | |||
543 | This game can be controlled with the mouse or the keyboard. | ||
544 | |||
545 | A left-click with the mouse in the row or column containing the | ||
546 | empty space will move as many tiles as necessary to move the space | ||
547 | to the mouse pointer. | ||
548 | |||
549 | The arrow keys will move a tile adjacent to the space in the | ||
550 | direction indicated (moving the space in the _opposite_ direction). | ||
551 | |||
552 | Pressing `h' will make a suggested move. Pressing `h' enough times | ||
553 | will solve the game, but it may scramble your progress while doing | ||
554 | so. | ||
555 | |||
556 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
557 | |||
558 | #5.2 Fifteen parameters | ||
559 | |||
560 | The only options available from the `Custom...' option on the `Type' | ||
561 | menu are _Width_ and _Height_, which are self-explanatory. (Once | ||
562 | you've changed these, it's not a `15-puzzle' any more, of course!) | ||
563 | |||
564 | #Chapter 6: Sixteen | ||
565 | |||
566 | Another sliding tile puzzle, visually similar to Fifteen (see | ||
567 | chapter 5) but with a different type of move. This time, there is no | ||
568 | hole: all 16 squares on the grid contain numbered squares. Your move | ||
569 | is to shift an entire row left or right, or shift an entire column | ||
570 | up or down; every time you do that, the tile you shift off the grid | ||
571 | re-appears at the other end of the same row, in the space you just | ||
572 | vacated. To win, arrange the tiles into numerical order (1,2,3,4 on | ||
573 | the top row, 13,14,15,16 on the bottom). When you've done that, try | ||
574 | playing on different sizes of grid. | ||
575 | |||
576 | I _might_ have invented this game myself, though only by accident | ||
577 | if so (and I'm sure other people have independently invented it). I | ||
578 | thought I was imitating a screensaver I'd seen, but I have a feeling | ||
579 | that the screensaver might actually have been a Fifteen-type puzzle | ||
580 | rather than this slightly different kind. So this might be the one | ||
581 | thing in my puzzle collection which represents creativity on my part | ||
582 | rather than just engineering. | ||
583 | |||
584 | #6.1 Sixteen controls | ||
585 | |||
586 | Left-clicking on an arrow will move the appropriate row or column in | ||
587 | the direction indicated. Right-clicking will move it in the opposite | ||
588 | direction. | ||
589 | |||
590 | Alternatively, use the cursor keys to move the position indicator | ||
591 | around the edge of the grid, and use the return key to move the | ||
592 | row/column in the direction indicated. | ||
593 | |||
594 | You can also move the tiles directly. Move the cursor onto a tile, | ||
595 | hold Control and press an arrow key to move the tile under the | ||
596 | cursor and move the cursor along with the tile. Or, hold Shift to | ||
597 | move only the tile. Pressing Enter simulates holding down Control | ||
598 | (press Enter again to release), while pressing Space simulates | ||
599 | holding down shift. | ||
600 | |||
601 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
602 | |||
603 | #6.2 Sixteen parameters | ||
604 | |||
605 | The parameters available from the `Custom...' option on the `Type' | ||
606 | menu are: | ||
607 | |||
608 | - _Width_ and _Height_, which are self-explanatory. | ||
609 | |||
610 | - You can ask for a limited shuffling operation to be performed on | ||
611 | the grid. By default, Sixteen will shuffle the grid in such a | ||
612 | way that any arrangement is about as probable as any other. You | ||
613 | can override this by requesting a precise number of shuffling | ||
614 | moves to be performed. Typically your aim is then to determine | ||
615 | the precise set of shuffling moves and invert them exactly, | ||
616 | so that you answer (say) a four-move shuffle with a four-move | ||
617 | solution. Note that the more moves you ask for, the more likely | ||
618 | it is that solutions shorter than the target length will turn | ||
619 | out to be possible. | ||
620 | |||
621 | #Chapter 7: Twiddle | ||
622 | |||
623 | Twiddle is a tile-rearrangement puzzle, visually similar to Sixteen | ||
624 | (see chapter 6): you are given a grid of square tiles, each | ||
625 | containing a number, and your aim is to arrange the numbers into | ||
626 | ascending order. | ||
627 | |||
628 | In basic Twiddle, your move is to rotate a square group of four | ||
629 | tiles about their common centre. (Orientation is not significant | ||
630 | in the basic puzzle, although you can select it.) On more advanced | ||
631 | settings, you can rotate a larger square group of tiles. | ||
632 | |||
633 | I first saw this type of puzzle in the GameCube game `Metroid | ||
634 | Prime 2'. In the Main Gyro Chamber in that game, there is a puzzle | ||
635 | you solve to unlock a door, which is a special case of Twiddle. I | ||
636 | developed this game as a generalisation of that puzzle. | ||
637 | |||
638 | #7.1 Twiddle controls | ||
639 | |||
640 | To play Twiddle, click the mouse in the centre of the square group | ||
641 | you wish to rotate. In the basic mode, you rotate a 2x2 square, | ||
642 | which means you have to click at a corner point where four tiles | ||
643 | meet. | ||
644 | |||
645 | In more advanced modes you might be rotating 3x3 or even more at a | ||
646 | time; if the size of the square is odd then you simply click in the | ||
647 | centre tile of the square you want to rotate. | ||
648 | |||
649 | Clicking with the left mouse button rotates the group anticlockwise. | ||
650 | Clicking with the right button rotates it clockwise. | ||
651 | |||
652 | You can also move an outline square around the grid with the cursor | ||
653 | keys; the square is the size above (2x2 by default, or larger). | ||
654 | Pressing the return key or space bar will rotate the current square | ||
655 | anticlockwise or clockwise respectively. | ||
656 | |||
657 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
658 | |||
659 | #7.2 Twiddle parameters | ||
660 | |||
661 | Twiddle provides several configuration options via the `Custom' | ||
662 | option on the `Type' menu: | ||
663 | |||
664 | - You can configure the width and height of the puzzle grid. | ||
665 | |||
666 | - You can configure the size of square block that rotates at a | ||
667 | time. | ||
668 | |||
669 | - You can ask for every square in the grid to be distinguishable | ||
670 | (the default), or you can ask for a simplified puzzle in which | ||
671 | there are groups of identical numbers. In the simplified puzzle | ||
672 | your aim is just to arrange all the 1s into the first row, all | ||
673 | the 2s into the second row, and so on. | ||
674 | |||
675 | - You can configure whether the orientation of tiles matters. If | ||
676 | you ask for an orientable puzzle, each tile will have a triangle | ||
677 | drawn in it. All the triangles must be pointing upwards to | ||
678 | complete the puzzle. | ||
679 | |||
680 | - You can ask for a limited shuffling operation to be performed | ||
681 | on the grid. By default, Twiddle will shuffle the grid so much | ||
682 | that any arrangement is about as probable as any other. You can | ||
683 | override this by requesting a precise number of shuffling moves | ||
684 | to be performed. Typically your aim is then to determine the | ||
685 | precise set of shuffling moves and invert them exactly, so that | ||
686 | you answer (say) a four-move shuffle with a four-move solution. | ||
687 | Note that the more moves you ask for, the more likely it is that | ||
688 | solutions shorter than the target length will turn out to be | ||
689 | possible. | ||
690 | |||
691 | #Chapter 8: Rectangles | ||
692 | |||
693 | You have a grid of squares, with numbers written in some (but | ||
694 | not all) of the squares. Your task is to subdivide the grid into | ||
695 | rectangles of various sizes, such that (a) every rectangle contains | ||
696 | exactly one numbered square, and (b) the area of each rectangle is | ||
697 | equal to the number written in its numbered square. | ||
698 | |||
699 | Credit for this game goes to the Japanese puzzle magazine Nikoli | ||
700 | [3]; I've also seen a Palm implementation at Puzzle Palace [4]. | ||
701 | Unlike Puzzle Palace's implementation, my version automatically | ||
702 | generates random grids of any size you like. The quality of puzzle | ||
703 | design is therefore not quite as good as hand-crafted puzzles would | ||
704 | be, but on the plus side you get an inexhaustible supply of puzzles | ||
705 | tailored to your own specification. | ||
706 | |||
707 | [3] http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/shikaku.html (beware of | ||
708 | Flash) | ||
709 | |||
710 | [4] | ||
711 | https://web.archive.org/web/20041024001459/http://www.puzzle.gr.jp/puzzle/sikaku/palm/index.html.en | ||
712 | |||
713 | #8.1 Rectangles controls | ||
714 | |||
715 | This game is played with the mouse or cursor keys. | ||
716 | |||
717 | Left-click any edge to toggle it on or off, or left-click and | ||
718 | drag to draw an entire rectangle (or line) on the grid in one go | ||
719 | (removing any existing edges within that rectangle). Right-clicking | ||
720 | and dragging will allow you to erase the contents of a rectangle | ||
721 | without affecting its edges. | ||
722 | |||
723 | Alternatively, use the cursor keys to move the position indicator | ||
724 | around the board. Pressing the return key then allows you to use the | ||
725 | cursor keys to drag a rectangle out from that position, and pressing | ||
726 | the return key again completes the rectangle. Using the space bar | ||
727 | instead of the return key allows you to erase the contents of a | ||
728 | rectangle without affecting its edges, as above. Pressing escape | ||
729 | cancels a drag. | ||
730 | |||
731 | When a rectangle of the correct size is completed, it will be | ||
732 | shaded. | ||
733 | |||
734 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
735 | |||
736 | #8.2 Rectangles parameters | ||
737 | |||
738 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
739 | `Type' menu. | ||
740 | |||
741 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
742 | |||
743 | Size of grid, in squares. | ||
744 | |||
745 | _Expansion factor_ | ||
746 | |||
747 | This is a mechanism for changing the type of grids generated by | ||
748 | the program. Some people prefer a grid containing a few large | ||
749 | rectangles to one containing many small ones. So you can ask | ||
750 | Rectangles to essentially generate a _smaller_ grid than the | ||
751 | size you specified, and then to expand it by adding rows and | ||
752 | columns. | ||
753 | |||
754 | The default expansion factor of zero means that Rectangles will | ||
755 | simply generate a grid of the size you ask for, and do nothing | ||
756 | further. If you set an expansion factor of (say) 0.5, it means | ||
757 | that each dimension of the grid will be expanded to half again | ||
758 | as big after generation. In other words, the initial grid will | ||
759 | be 2/3 the size in each dimension, and will be expanded to its | ||
760 | full size without adding any more rectangles. | ||
761 | |||
762 | Setting an expansion factor of around 0.5 tends to make the | ||
763 | game more difficult, and also (in my experience) rewards a | ||
764 | less deductive and more intuitive playing style. If you set it | ||
765 | _too_ high, though, the game simply cannot generate more than a | ||
766 | few rectangles to cover the entire grid, and the game becomes | ||
767 | trivial. | ||
768 | |||
769 | _Ensure unique solution_ | ||
770 | |||
771 | Normally, Rectangles will make sure that the puzzles it presents | ||
772 | have only one solution. Puzzles with ambiguous sections can be | ||
773 | more difficult and more subtle, so if you like you can turn off | ||
774 | this feature and risk having ambiguous puzzles. Also, finding | ||
775 | _all_ the possible solutions can be an additional challenge for | ||
776 | an advanced player. Turning off this option can also speed up | ||
777 | puzzle generation. | ||
778 | |||
779 | #Chapter 9: Netslide | ||
780 | |||
781 | This game combines the grid generation of Net (see chapter 3) with | ||
782 | the movement of Sixteen (see chapter 6): you have a Net grid, but | ||
783 | instead of rotating tiles back into place you have to slide them | ||
784 | into place by moving a whole row at a time. | ||
785 | |||
786 | As in Sixteen, control is with the mouse or cursor keys. See section | ||
787 | 6.1. | ||
788 | |||
789 | The available game parameters have similar meanings to those in Net | ||
790 | (see section 3.2) and Sixteen (see section 6.2). | ||
791 | |||
792 | Netslide was contributed to this collection by Richard Boulton. | ||
793 | |||
794 | #Chapter 10: Pattern | ||
795 | |||
796 | You have a grid of squares, which must all be filled in either black | ||
797 | or white. Beside each row of the grid are listed the lengths of the | ||
798 | runs of black squares on that row; above each column are listed the | ||
799 | lengths of the runs of black squares in that column. Your aim is to | ||
800 | fill in the entire grid black or white. | ||
801 | |||
802 | I first saw this puzzle form around 1995, under the name | ||
803 | `nonograms'. I've seen it in various places since then, under | ||
804 | different names. | ||
805 | |||
806 | Normally, puzzles of this type turn out to be a meaningful picture | ||
807 | of something once you've solved them. However, since this version | ||
808 | generates the puzzles automatically, they will just look like random | ||
809 | groupings of squares. (One user has suggested that this is actually | ||
810 | a _good_ thing, since it prevents you from guessing the colour of | ||
811 | squares based on the picture, and forces you to use logic instead.) | ||
812 | The advantage, though, is that you never run out of them. | ||
813 | |||
814 | #10.1 Pattern controls | ||
815 | |||
816 | This game is played with the mouse. | ||
817 | |||
818 | Left-click in a square to colour it black. Right-click to colour it | ||
819 | white. If you make a mistake, you can middle-click, or hold down | ||
820 | Shift while clicking with any button, to colour the square in the | ||
821 | default grey (meaning `undecided') again. | ||
822 | |||
823 | You can click and drag with the left or right mouse button to colour | ||
824 | a vertical or horizontal line of squares black or white at a time | ||
825 | (respectively). If you click and drag with the middle button, or | ||
826 | with Shift held down, you can colour a whole rectangle of squares | ||
827 | grey. | ||
828 | |||
829 | You can also move around the grid with the cursor keys. Pressing the | ||
830 | return key will cycle the current cell through empty, then black, | ||
831 | then white, then empty, and the space bar does the same cycle in | ||
832 | reverse. | ||
833 | |||
834 | Moving the cursor while holding Control will colour the moved-over | ||
835 | squares black. Holding Shift will colour the moved-over squares | ||
836 | white, and holding both will colour them grey. | ||
837 | |||
838 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
839 | |||
840 | #10.2 Pattern parameters | ||
841 | |||
842 | The only options available from the `Custom...' option on the `Type' | ||
843 | menu are _Width_ and _Height_, which are self-explanatory. | ||
844 | |||
845 | #Chapter 11: Solo | ||
846 | |||
847 | You have a square grid, which is divided into as many equally sized | ||
848 | sub-blocks as the grid has rows. Each square must be filled in with | ||
849 | a digit from 1 to the size of the grid, in such a way that | ||
850 | |||
851 | - every row contains only one occurrence of each digit | ||
852 | |||
853 | - every column contains only one occurrence of each digit | ||
854 | |||
855 | - every block contains only one occurrence of each digit. | ||
856 | |||
857 | - (optionally, by default off) each of the square's two main | ||
858 | diagonals contains only one occurrence of each digit. | ||
859 | |||
860 | You are given some of the numbers as clues; your aim is to place the | ||
861 | rest of the numbers correctly. | ||
862 | |||
863 | Under the default settings, the sub-blocks are square or | ||
864 | rectangular. The default puzzle size is 3x3 (a 9x9 actual grid, | ||
865 | divided into nine 3x3 blocks). You can also select sizes with | ||
866 | rectangular blocks instead of square ones, such as 2x3 (a 6x6 grid | ||
867 | divided into six 3x2 blocks). Alternatively, you can select `jigsaw' | ||
868 | mode, in which the sub-blocks are arbitrary shapes which differ | ||
869 | between individual puzzles. | ||
870 | |||
871 | Another available mode is `killer'. In this mode, clues are not | ||
872 | given in the form of filled-in squares; instead, the grid is divided | ||
873 | into `cages' by coloured lines, and for each cage the game tells | ||
874 | you what the sum of all the digits in that cage should be. Also, | ||
875 | no digit may appear more than once within a cage, even if the cage | ||
876 | crosses the boundaries of existing regions. | ||
877 | |||
878 | If you select a puzzle size which requires more than 9 digits, the | ||
879 | additional digits will be letters of the alphabet. For example, if | ||
880 | you select 3x4 then the digits which go in your grid will be 1 to 9, | ||
881 | plus `a', `b' and `c'. This cannot be selected for killer puzzles. | ||
882 | |||
883 | I first saw this puzzle in Nikoli [5], although it's also been | ||
884 | popularised by various newspapers under the name `Sudoku' or `Su | ||
885 | Doku'. Howard Garns is considered the inventor of the modern form of | ||
886 | the puzzle, and it was first published in _Dell Pencil Puzzles and | ||
887 | Word Games_. A more elaborate treatment of the history of the puzzle | ||
888 | can be found on Wikipedia [6]. | ||
889 | |||
890 | [5] http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/sudoku.html (beware of Flash) | ||
891 | |||
892 | [6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudoku | ||
893 | |||
894 | #11.1 Solo controls | ||
895 | |||
896 | To play Solo, simply click the mouse in any empty square and then | ||
897 | type a digit or letter on the keyboard to fill that square. If you | ||
898 | make a mistake, click the mouse in the incorrect square and press | ||
899 | Space to clear it again (or use the Undo feature). | ||
900 | |||
901 | If you _right_-click in a square and then type a number, that | ||
902 | number will be entered in the square as a `pencil mark'. You can | ||
903 | have pencil marks for multiple numbers in the same square. Squares | ||
904 | containing filled-in numbers cannot also contain pencil marks. | ||
905 | |||
906 | The game pays no attention to pencil marks, so exactly what you | ||
907 | use them for is up to you: you can use them as reminders that a | ||
908 | particular square needs to be re-examined once you know more about | ||
909 | a particular number, or you can use them as lists of the possible | ||
910 | numbers in a given square, or anything else you feel like. | ||
911 | |||
912 | To erase a single pencil mark, right-click in the square and type | ||
913 | the same number again. | ||
914 | |||
915 | All pencil marks in a square are erased when you left-click and type | ||
916 | a number, or when you left-click and press space. Right-clicking and | ||
917 | pressing space will also erase pencil marks. | ||
918 | |||
919 | Alternatively, use the cursor keys to move the mark around the grid. | ||
920 | Pressing the return key toggles the mark (from a normal mark to a | ||
921 | pencil mark), and typing a number in is entered in the square in the | ||
922 | appropriate way; typing in a 0 or using the space bar will clear a | ||
923 | filled square. | ||
924 | |||
925 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
926 | |||
927 | #11.2 Solo parameters | ||
928 | |||
929 | Solo allows you to configure two separate dimensions of the puzzle | ||
930 | grid on the `Type' menu: the number of columns, and the number of | ||
931 | rows, into which the main grid is divided. (The size of a block is | ||
932 | the inverse of this: for example, if you select 2 columns and 3 | ||
933 | rows, each actual block will have 3 columns and 2 rows.) | ||
934 | |||
935 | If you tick the `X' checkbox, Solo will apply the optional extra | ||
936 | constraint that the two main diagonals of the grid also contain | ||
937 | one of every digit. (This is sometimes known as `Sudoku-X' in | ||
938 | newspapers.) In this mode, the squares on the two main diagonals | ||
939 | will be shaded slightly so that you know it's enabled. | ||
940 | |||
941 | If you tick the `Jigsaw' checkbox, Solo will generate randomly | ||
942 | shaped sub-blocks. In this mode, the actual grid size will be taken | ||
943 | to be the product of the numbers entered in the `Columns' and `Rows' | ||
944 | boxes. There is no reason why you have to enter a number greater | ||
945 | than 1 in both boxes; Jigsaw mode has no constraint on the grid | ||
946 | size, and it can even be a prime number if you feel like it. | ||
947 | |||
948 | If you tick the `Killer' checkbox, Solo will generate a set of | ||
949 | of cages, which are randomly shaped and drawn in an outline of a | ||
950 | different colour. Each of these regions contains a smaller clue | ||
951 | which shows the digit sum of all the squares in this region. | ||
952 | |||
953 | You can also configure the type of symmetry shown in the generated | ||
954 | puzzles. More symmetry makes the puzzles look prettier but may also | ||
955 | make them easier, since the symmetry constraints can force more | ||
956 | clues than necessary to be present. Completely asymmetric puzzles | ||
957 | have the freedom to contain as few clues as possible. | ||
958 | |||
959 | Finally, you can configure the difficulty of the generated puzzles. | ||
960 | Difficulty levels are judged by the complexity of the techniques | ||
961 | of deduction required to solve the puzzle: each level requires a | ||
962 | mode of reasoning which was not necessary in the previous one. In | ||
963 | particular, on difficulty levels `Trivial' and `Basic' there will be | ||
964 | a square you can fill in with a single number at all times, whereas | ||
965 | at `Intermediate' level and beyond you will have to make partial | ||
966 | deductions about the _set_ of squares a number could be in (or the | ||
967 | set of numbers that could be in a square). At `Unreasonable' level, | ||
968 | even this is not enough, and you will eventually have to make a | ||
969 | guess, and then backtrack if it turns out to be wrong. | ||
970 | |||
971 | Generating difficult puzzles is itself difficult: if you select one | ||
972 | of the higher difficulty levels, Solo may have to make many attempts | ||
973 | at generating a puzzle before it finds one hard enough for you. Be | ||
974 | prepared to wait, especially if you have also configured a large | ||
975 | puzzle size. | ||
976 | |||
977 | #Chapter 12: Mines | ||
978 | |||
979 | You have a grid of covered squares, some of which contain mines, but | ||
980 | you don't know which. Your job is to uncover every square which does | ||
981 | _not_ contain a mine. If you uncover a square containing a mine, you | ||
982 | lose. If you uncover a square which does not contain a mine, you | ||
983 | are told how many mines are contained within the eight surrounding | ||
984 | squares. | ||
985 | |||
986 | This game needs no introduction; popularised by Windows, it is | ||
987 | perhaps the single best known desktop puzzle game in existence. | ||
988 | |||
989 | This version of it has an unusual property. By default, it will | ||
990 | generate its mine positions in such a way as to ensure that you | ||
991 | never need to _guess_ where a mine is: you will always be able | ||
992 | to deduce it somehow. So you will never, as can happen in other | ||
993 | versions, get to the last four squares and discover that there are | ||
994 | two mines left but you have no way of knowing for sure where they | ||
995 | are. | ||
996 | |||
997 | #12.1 Mines controls | ||
998 | |||
999 | This game is played with the mouse. | ||
1000 | |||
1001 | If you left-click in a covered square, it will be uncovered. | ||
1002 | |||
1003 | If you right-click in a covered square, it will place a flag which | ||
1004 | indicates that the square is believed to be a mine. Left-clicking in | ||
1005 | a marked square will not uncover it, for safety. You can right-click | ||
1006 | again to remove a mark placed in error. | ||
1007 | |||
1008 | If you left-click in an _uncovered_ square, it will `clear around' | ||
1009 | the square. This means: if the square has exactly as many flags | ||
1010 | surrounding it as it should have mines, then all the covered squares | ||
1011 | next to it which are _not_ flagged will be uncovered. So once you | ||
1012 | think you know the location of all the mines around a square, you | ||
1013 | can use this function as a shortcut to avoid having to click on each | ||
1014 | of the remaining squares one by one. | ||
1015 | |||
1016 | If you uncover a square which has _no_ mines in the surrounding | ||
1017 | eight squares, then it is obviously safe to uncover those squares in | ||
1018 | turn, and so on if any of them also has no surrounding mines. This | ||
1019 | will be done for you automatically; so sometimes when you uncover a | ||
1020 | square, a whole new area will open up to be explored. | ||
1021 | |||
1022 | You can also use the cursor keys to move around the minefield. | ||
1023 | Pressing the return key in a covered square uncovers it, and in | ||
1024 | an uncovered square will clear around it (so it acts as the left | ||
1025 | button), pressing the space bar in a covered square will place a | ||
1026 | flag (similarly, it acts as the right button). | ||
1027 | |||
1028 | All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available. | ||
1029 | |||
1030 | Even Undo is available, although you might consider it cheating to | ||
1031 | use it. If you step on a mine, the program will only reveal the mine | ||
1032 | in question (unlike most other implementations, which reveal all of | ||
1033 | them). You can then Undo your fatal move and continue playing if you | ||
1034 | like. The program will track the number of times you died (and Undo | ||
1035 | will not reduce that counter), so when you get to the end of the | ||
1036 | game you know whether or not you did it without making any errors. | ||
1037 | |||
1038 | (If you really want to know the full layout of the grid, which other | ||
1039 | implementations will show you after you die, you can always use the | ||
1040 | Solve menu option.) | ||
1041 | |||
1042 | #12.2 Mines parameters | ||
1043 | |||
1044 | The options available from the `Custom...' option on the `Type' menu | ||
1045 | are: | ||
1046 | |||
1047 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1048 | |||
1049 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
1050 | |||
1051 | _Mines_ | ||
1052 | |||
1053 | Number of mines in the grid. You can enter this as an absolute | ||
1054 | mine count, or alternatively you can put a % sign on the end | ||
1055 | in which case the game will arrange for that proportion of the | ||
1056 | squares in the grid to be mines. | ||
1057 | |||
1058 | Beware of setting the mine count too high. At very high | ||
1059 | densities, the program may spend forever searching for a | ||
1060 | solvable grid. | ||
1061 | |||
1062 | _Ensure solubility_ | ||
1063 | |||
1064 | When this option is enabled (as it is by default), Mines will | ||
1065 | ensure that the entire grid can be fully deduced starting | ||
1066 | from the initial open space. If you prefer the riskier grids | ||
1067 | generated by other implementations, you can switch off this | ||
1068 | option. | ||
1069 | |||
1070 | #Chapter 13: Same Game | ||
1071 | |||
1072 | You have a grid of coloured squares, which you have to clear by | ||
1073 | highlighting contiguous regions of more than one coloured square; | ||
1074 | the larger the region you highlight, the more points you get (and | ||
1075 | the faster you clear the arena). | ||
1076 | |||
1077 | If you clear the grid you win. If you end up with nothing but single | ||
1078 | squares (i.e., there are no more clickable regions left) you lose. | ||
1079 | |||
1080 | Removing a region causes the rest of the grid to shuffle up: blocks | ||
1081 | that are suspended will fall down (first), and then empty columns | ||
1082 | are filled from the right. | ||
1083 | |||
1084 | Same Game was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
1085 | |||
1086 | #13.1 Same Game controls | ||
1087 | |||
1088 | This game can be played with either the keyboard or the mouse. | ||
1089 | |||
1090 | If you left-click an unselected region, it becomes selected | ||
1091 | (possibly clearing the current selection). | ||
1092 | |||
1093 | If you left-click the selected region, it will be removed (and the | ||
1094 | rest of the grid shuffled immediately). | ||
1095 | |||
1096 | If you right-click the selected region, it will be unselected. | ||
1097 | |||
1098 | The cursor keys move a cursor around the grid. Pressing the Space or | ||
1099 | Enter keys while the cursor is in an unselected region selects it; | ||
1100 | pressing Space or Enter again removes it as above. | ||
1101 | |||
1102 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1103 | |||
1104 | #13.2 Same Game parameters | ||
1105 | |||
1106 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1107 | `Type' menu. | ||
1108 | |||
1109 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1110 | |||
1111 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
1112 | |||
1113 | _No. of colours_ | ||
1114 | |||
1115 | Number of different colours used to fill the grid; the more | ||
1116 | colours, the fewer large regions of colour and thus the more | ||
1117 | difficult it is to successfully clear the grid. | ||
1118 | |||
1119 | _Scoring system_ | ||
1120 | |||
1121 | Controls the precise mechanism used for scoring. With the | ||
1122 | default system, `(n-2)^2', only regions of three squares or more | ||
1123 | will score any points at all. With the alternative `(n-1)^2' | ||
1124 | system, regions of two squares score a point each, and larger | ||
1125 | regions score relatively more points. | ||
1126 | |||
1127 | _Ensure solubility_ | ||
1128 | |||
1129 | If this option is ticked (the default state), generated grids | ||
1130 | will be guaranteed to have at least one solution. | ||
1131 | |||
1132 | If you turn it off, the game generator will not try to guarantee | ||
1133 | soluble grids; it will, however, still ensure that there are at | ||
1134 | least 2 squares of each colour on the grid at the start (since a | ||
1135 | grid with exactly one square of a given colour is _definitely_ | ||
1136 | insoluble). Grids generated with this option disabled may | ||
1137 | contain more large areas of contiguous colour, leading to | ||
1138 | opportunities for higher scores; they can also take less time to | ||
1139 | generate. | ||
1140 | |||
1141 | #Chapter 14: Flip | ||
1142 | |||
1143 | You have a grid of squares, some light and some dark. Your aim is to | ||
1144 | light all the squares up at the same time. You can choose any square | ||
1145 | and flip its state from light to dark or dark to light, but when you | ||
1146 | do so, other squares around it change state as well. | ||
1147 | |||
1148 | Each square contains a small diagram showing which other squares | ||
1149 | change when you flip it. | ||
1150 | |||
1151 | #14.1 Flip controls | ||
1152 | |||
1153 | This game can be played with either the keyboard or the mouse. | ||
1154 | |||
1155 | Left-click in a square to flip it and its associated squares, or use | ||
1156 | the cursor keys to choose a square and the space bar or Enter key to | ||
1157 | flip. | ||
1158 | |||
1159 | If you use the `Solve' function on this game, it will mark some of | ||
1160 | the squares in red. If you click once in every square with a red | ||
1161 | mark, the game should be solved. (If you click in a square _without_ | ||
1162 | a red mark, a red mark will appear in it to indicate that you will | ||
1163 | need to reverse that operation to reach the solution.) | ||
1164 | |||
1165 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1166 | |||
1167 | #14.2 Flip parameters | ||
1168 | |||
1169 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1170 | `Type' menu. | ||
1171 | |||
1172 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1173 | |||
1174 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
1175 | |||
1176 | _Shape type_ | ||
1177 | |||
1178 | This control determines the shape of the region which is flipped | ||
1179 | by clicking in any given square. The default setting, `Crosses', | ||
1180 | causes every square to flip itself and its four immediate | ||
1181 | neighbours (or three or two if it's at an edge or corner). The | ||
1182 | other setting, `Random', causes a random shape to be chosen for | ||
1183 | every square, so the game is different every time. | ||
1184 | |||
1185 | #Chapter 15: Guess | ||
1186 | |||
1187 | You have a set of coloured pegs, and have to reproduce a | ||
1188 | predetermined sequence of them (chosen by the computer) within a | ||
1189 | certain number of guesses. | ||
1190 | |||
1191 | Each guess gets marked with the number of correctly-coloured pegs | ||
1192 | in the correct places (in black), and also the number of correctly- | ||
1193 | coloured pegs in the wrong places (in white). | ||
1194 | |||
1195 | This game is also known (and marketed, by Hasbro, mainly) as a board | ||
1196 | game `Mastermind', with 6 colours, 4 pegs per row, and 10 guesses. | ||
1197 | However, this version allows custom settings of number of colours | ||
1198 | (up to 10), number of pegs per row, and number of guesses. | ||
1199 | |||
1200 | Guess was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
1201 | |||
1202 | #15.1 Guess controls | ||
1203 | |||
1204 | This game can be played with either the keyboard or the mouse. | ||
1205 | |||
1206 | With the mouse, drag a coloured peg from the tray on the left-hand | ||
1207 | side to its required position in the current guess; pegs may also | ||
1208 | be dragged from current and past guesses to copy them elsewhere. To | ||
1209 | remove a peg, drag it off its current position to somewhere invalid. | ||
1210 | |||
1211 | Right-clicking in the current guess adds a `hold' marker; pegs that | ||
1212 | have hold markers will be automatically added to the next guess | ||
1213 | after marking. | ||
1214 | |||
1215 | Alternatively, with the keyboard, the up and down cursor keys can | ||
1216 | be used to select a peg colour, the left and right keys to select a | ||
1217 | peg position, and the space bar or Enter key to place a peg of the | ||
1218 | selected colour in the chosen position. `D' or Backspace removes a | ||
1219 | peg, and Space adds a hold marker. | ||
1220 | |||
1221 | Pressing `h' or `?' will fill the current guess with a suggested | ||
1222 | guess. Using this is not recommended for 10 or more pegs as it is | ||
1223 | slow. | ||
1224 | |||
1225 | When the guess is complete, the smaller feedback pegs will be | ||
1226 | highlighted; clicking on these (or moving the peg cursor to them | ||
1227 | with the arrow keys and pressing the space bar or Enter key) will | ||
1228 | mark the current guess, copy any held pegs to the next guess, and | ||
1229 | move the `current guess' marker. | ||
1230 | |||
1231 | If you correctly position all the pegs the solution will be | ||
1232 | displayed below; if you run out of guesses (or select `Solve...') | ||
1233 | the solution will also be revealed. | ||
1234 | |||
1235 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1236 | |||
1237 | #15.2 Guess parameters | ||
1238 | |||
1239 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1240 | `Type' menu. The default game matches the parameters for the board | ||
1241 | game `Mastermind'. | ||
1242 | |||
1243 | _Colours_ | ||
1244 | |||
1245 | Number of colours the solution is chosen from; from 2 to 10 | ||
1246 | (more is harder). | ||
1247 | |||
1248 | _Pegs per guess_ | ||
1249 | |||
1250 | Number of pegs per guess (more is harder). | ||
1251 | |||
1252 | _Guesses_ | ||
1253 | |||
1254 | Number of guesses you have to find the solution in (fewer is | ||
1255 | harder). | ||
1256 | |||
1257 | _Allow blanks_ | ||
1258 | |||
1259 | Allows blank pegs to be given as part of a guess (makes it | ||
1260 | easier, because you know that those will never be counted as | ||
1261 | part of the solution). This is turned off by default. | ||
1262 | |||
1263 | Note that this doesn't allow blank pegs in the solution; if you | ||
1264 | really wanted that, use one extra colour. | ||
1265 | |||
1266 | _Allow duplicates_ | ||
1267 | |||
1268 | Allows the solution (and the guesses) to contain colours more | ||
1269 | than once; this increases the search space (making things | ||
1270 | harder), and is turned on by default. | ||
1271 | |||
1272 | #Chapter 16: Pegs | ||
1273 | |||
1274 | A number of pegs are placed in holes on a board. You can remove a | ||
1275 | peg by jumping an adjacent peg over it (horizontally or vertically) | ||
1276 | to a vacant hole on the other side. Your aim is to remove all but | ||
1277 | one of the pegs initially present. | ||
1278 | |||
1279 | This game, best known as `Peg Solitaire', is possibly one of the | ||
1280 | oldest puzzle games still commonly known. | ||
1281 | |||
1282 | #16.1 Pegs controls | ||
1283 | |||
1284 | To move a peg, drag it with the mouse from its current position to | ||
1285 | its final position. If the final position is exactly two holes away | ||
1286 | from the initial position, is currently unoccupied by a peg, and | ||
1287 | there is a peg in the intervening square, the move will be permitted | ||
1288 | and the intervening peg will be removed. | ||
1289 | |||
1290 | Vacant spaces which you can move a peg into are marked with holes. A | ||
1291 | space with no peg and no hole is not available for moving at all: it | ||
1292 | is an obstacle which you must work around. | ||
1293 | |||
1294 | You can also use the cursor keys to move a position indicator around | ||
1295 | the board. Pressing the return key while over a peg, followed by a | ||
1296 | cursor key, will jump the peg in that direction (if that is a legal | ||
1297 | move). | ||
1298 | |||
1299 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1300 | |||
1301 | #16.2 Pegs parameters | ||
1302 | |||
1303 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1304 | `Type' menu. | ||
1305 | |||
1306 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1307 | |||
1308 | Size of grid in holes. | ||
1309 | |||
1310 | _Board type_ | ||
1311 | |||
1312 | Controls whether you are given a board of a standard shape or | ||
1313 | a randomly generated shape. The two standard shapes currently | ||
1314 | supported are `Cross' and `Octagon' (also commonly known as the | ||
1315 | English and European traditional board layouts respectively). | ||
1316 | Selecting `Random' will give you a different board shape every | ||
1317 | time (but always one that is known to have a solution). | ||
1318 | |||
1319 | #Chapter 17: Dominosa | ||
1320 | |||
1321 | A normal set of dominoes - that is, one instance of every | ||
1322 | (unordered) pair of numbers from 0 to 6 - has been arranged | ||
1323 | irregularly into a rectangle; then the number in each square has | ||
1324 | been written down and the dominoes themselves removed. Your task is | ||
1325 | to reconstruct the pattern by arranging the set of dominoes to match | ||
1326 | the provided array of numbers. | ||
1327 | |||
1328 | This puzzle is widely credited to O. S. Adler, and takes part of its | ||
1329 | name from those initials. | ||
1330 | |||
1331 | #17.1 Dominosa controls | ||
1332 | |||
1333 | Left-clicking between any two adjacent numbers places a domino | ||
1334 | covering them, or removes one if it is already present. Trying to | ||
1335 | place a domino which overlaps existing dominoes will remove the ones | ||
1336 | it overlaps. | ||
1337 | |||
1338 | Right-clicking between two adjacent numbers draws a line between | ||
1339 | them, which you can use to remind yourself that you know those two | ||
1340 | numbers are _not_ covered by a single domino. Right-clicking again | ||
1341 | removes the line. | ||
1342 | |||
1343 | You can also use the cursor keys to move a cursor around the grid. | ||
1344 | When the cursor is half way between two adjacent numbers, pressing | ||
1345 | the return key will place a domino covering those numbers, or | ||
1346 | pressing the space bar will lay a line between the two squares. | ||
1347 | Repeating either action removes the domino or line. | ||
1348 | |||
1349 | Pressing a number key will highlight all occurrences of that number. | ||
1350 | Pressing that number again will clear the highlighting. Up to two | ||
1351 | different numbers can be highlighted at any given time. | ||
1352 | |||
1353 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1354 | |||
1355 | #17.2 Dominosa parameters | ||
1356 | |||
1357 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1358 | `Type' menu. | ||
1359 | |||
1360 | _Maximum number on dominoes_ | ||
1361 | |||
1362 | Controls the size of the puzzle, by controlling the size of the | ||
1363 | set of dominoes used to make it. Dominoes with numbers going | ||
1364 | up to N will give rise to an (N+2) x (N+1) rectangle; so, in | ||
1365 | particular, the default value of 6 gives an 8x7 grid. | ||
1366 | |||
1367 | _Ensure unique solution_ | ||
1368 | |||
1369 | Normally, Dominosa will make sure that the puzzles it presents | ||
1370 | have only one solution. Puzzles with ambiguous sections can be | ||
1371 | more difficult and sometimes more subtle, so if you like you | ||
1372 | can turn off this feature. Also, finding _all_ the possible | ||
1373 | solutions can be an additional challenge for an advanced player. | ||
1374 | Turning off this option can also speed up puzzle generation. | ||
1375 | |||
1376 | #Chapter 18: Untangle | ||
1377 | |||
1378 | You are given a number of points, some of which have lines drawn | ||
1379 | between them. You can move the points about arbitrarily; your aim is | ||
1380 | to position the points so that no line crosses another. | ||
1381 | |||
1382 | I originally saw this in the form of a Flash game called Planarity | ||
1383 | [7], written by John Tantalo. | ||
1384 | |||
1385 | [7] http://planarity.net | ||
1386 | |||
1387 | #18.1 Untangle controls | ||
1388 | |||
1389 | To move a point, click on it with the left mouse button and drag it | ||
1390 | into a new position. | ||
1391 | |||
1392 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1393 | |||
1394 | #18.2 Untangle parameters | ||
1395 | |||
1396 | There is only one parameter available from the `Custom...' option on | ||
1397 | the `Type' menu: | ||
1398 | |||
1399 | _Number of points_ | ||
1400 | |||
1401 | Controls the size of the puzzle, by specifying the number of | ||
1402 | points in the generated graph. | ||
1403 | |||
1404 | #Chapter 19: Black Box | ||
1405 | |||
1406 | A number of balls are hidden in a rectangular arena. You have to | ||
1407 | deduce the positions of the balls by firing lasers positioned at the | ||
1408 | edges of the arena and observing how their beams are deflected. | ||
1409 | |||
1410 | Beams will travel straight from their origin until they hit the | ||
1411 | opposite side of the arena (at which point they emerge), unless | ||
1412 | affected by balls in one of the following ways: | ||
1413 | |||
1414 | - A beam that hits a ball head-on is absorbed and will never re- | ||
1415 | emerge. This includes beams that meet a ball on the first rank | ||
1416 | of the arena. | ||
1417 | |||
1418 | - A beam with a ball in its front-left square and no ball ahead of | ||
1419 | it gets deflected 90 degrees to the right. | ||
1420 | |||
1421 | - A beam with a ball in its front-right square and no ball ahead | ||
1422 | of it gets similarly deflected to the left. | ||
1423 | |||
1424 | - A beam that would re-emerge from its entry location is | ||
1425 | considered to be `reflected'. | ||
1426 | |||
1427 | - A beam which would get deflected before entering the arena by a | ||
1428 | ball to the front-left or front-right of its entry point is also | ||
1429 | considered to be `reflected'. | ||
1430 | |||
1431 | Beams that are reflected appear as a `R'; beams that hit balls head- | ||
1432 | on appear as `H'. Otherwise, a number appears at the firing point | ||
1433 | and the location where the beam emerges (this number is unique to | ||
1434 | that shot). | ||
1435 | |||
1436 | You can place guesses as to the location of the balls, based on the | ||
1437 | entry and exit patterns of the beams; once you have placed enough | ||
1438 | balls a button appears enabling you to have your guesses checked. | ||
1439 | |||
1440 | Here is a diagram showing how the positions of balls can create each | ||
1441 | of the beam behaviours shown above: | ||
1442 | |||
1443 | 1RHR---- | ||
1444 | |..O.O...| | ||
1445 | 2........3 | ||
1446 | |........| | ||
1447 | |........| | ||
1448 | 3........| | ||
1449 | |......O.| | ||
1450 | H........| | ||
1451 | |.....O..| | ||
1452 | 12-RR--- | ||
1453 | |||
1454 | As shown, it is possible for a beam to receive multiple reflections | ||
1455 | before re-emerging (see turn 3). Similarly, a beam may be reflected | ||
1456 | (possibly more than once) before receiving a hit (the `H' on the | ||
1457 | left side of the example). | ||
1458 | |||
1459 | Note that any layout with more than 4 balls may have a non-unique | ||
1460 | solution. The following diagram illustrates this; if you know the | ||
1461 | board contains 5 balls, it is impossible to determine where the | ||
1462 | fifth ball is (possible positions marked with an x): | ||
1463 | |||
1464 | -------- | ||
1465 | |........| | ||
1466 | |........| | ||
1467 | |..O..O..| | ||
1468 | |...xx...| | ||
1469 | |...xx...| | ||
1470 | |..O..O..| | ||
1471 | |........| | ||
1472 | |........| | ||
1473 | -------- | ||
1474 | |||
1475 | For this reason, when you have your guesses checked, the game | ||
1476 | will check that your solution _produces the same results_ as the | ||
1477 | computer's, rather than that your solution is identical to the | ||
1478 | computer's. So in the above example, you could put the fifth ball at | ||
1479 | _any_ of the locations marked with an x, and you would still win. | ||
1480 | |||
1481 | Black Box was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
1482 | |||
1483 | #19.1 Black Box controls | ||
1484 | |||
1485 | To fire a laser beam, left-click in a square around the edge of | ||
1486 | the arena. The results will be displayed immediately. Clicking or | ||
1487 | holding the left button on one of these squares will highlight the | ||
1488 | current go (or a previous go) to confirm the exit point for that | ||
1489 | laser, if applicable. | ||
1490 | |||
1491 | To guess the location of a ball, left-click within the arena and a | ||
1492 | black circle will appear marking the guess; click again to remove | ||
1493 | the guessed ball. | ||
1494 | |||
1495 | Locations in the arena may be locked against modification by right- | ||
1496 | clicking; whole rows and columns may be similarly locked by right- | ||
1497 | clicking in the laser square above/below that column, or to the | ||
1498 | left/right of that row. | ||
1499 | |||
1500 | The cursor keys may also be used to move around the grid. Pressing | ||
1501 | the Enter key will fire a laser or add a new ball-location guess, | ||
1502 | and pressing Space will lock a cell, row, or column. | ||
1503 | |||
1504 | When an appropriate number of balls have been guessed, a button will | ||
1505 | appear at the top-left corner of the grid; clicking that (with mouse | ||
1506 | or cursor) will check your guesses. | ||
1507 | |||
1508 | If you click the `check' button and your guesses are not correct, | ||
1509 | the game will show you the minimum information necessary to | ||
1510 | demonstrate this to you, so you can try again. If your ball | ||
1511 | positions are not consistent with the beam paths you already know | ||
1512 | about, one beam path will be circled to indicate that it proves you | ||
1513 | wrong. If your positions match all the existing beam paths but are | ||
1514 | still wrong, one new beam path will be revealed (written in red) | ||
1515 | which is not consistent with your current guesses. | ||
1516 | |||
1517 | If you decide to give up completely, you can select Solve to reveal | ||
1518 | the actual ball positions. At this point, correctly-placed balls | ||
1519 | will be displayed as filled black circles, incorrectly-placed balls | ||
1520 | as filled black circles with red crosses, and missing balls as | ||
1521 | filled red circles. In addition, a red circle marks any laser you | ||
1522 | had already fired which is not consistent with your ball layout | ||
1523 | (just as when you press the `check' button), and red text marks | ||
1524 | any laser you _could_ have fired in order to distinguish your ball | ||
1525 | layout from the correct one. | ||
1526 | |||
1527 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1528 | |||
1529 | #19.2 Black Box parameters | ||
1530 | |||
1531 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1532 | `Type' menu. | ||
1533 | |||
1534 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1535 | |||
1536 | Size of grid in squares. There are 2 x _Width_ x _Height_ lasers | ||
1537 | per grid, two per row and two per column. | ||
1538 | |||
1539 | _No. of balls_ | ||
1540 | |||
1541 | Number of balls to place in the grid. This can be a single | ||
1542 | number, or a range (separated with a hyphen, like `2-6'), | ||
1543 | and determines the number of balls to place on the grid. | ||
1544 | The `reveal' button is only enabled if you have guessed an | ||
1545 | appropriate number of balls; a guess using a different number | ||
1546 | to the original solution is still acceptable, if all the beam | ||
1547 | inputs and outputs match. | ||
1548 | |||
1549 | #Chapter 20: Slant | ||
1550 | |||
1551 | You have a grid of squares. Your aim is to draw a diagonal line | ||
1552 | through each square, and choose which way each line slants so that | ||
1553 | the following conditions are met: | ||
1554 | |||
1555 | - The diagonal lines never form a loop. | ||
1556 | |||
1557 | - Any point with a circled number has precisely that many lines | ||
1558 | meeting at it. (Thus, a 4 is the centre of a cross shape, | ||
1559 | whereas a zero is the centre of a diamond shape - or rather, a | ||
1560 | partial diamond shape, because a zero can never appear in the | ||
1561 | middle of the grid because that would immediately cause a loop.) | ||
1562 | |||
1563 | Credit for this puzzle goes to Nikoli [8]. | ||
1564 | |||
1565 | [8] http://www.nikoli.co.jp/ja/puzzles/gokigen_naname (in Japanese) | ||
1566 | |||
1567 | #20.1 Slant controls | ||
1568 | |||
1569 | Left-clicking in a blank square will place a \ in it (a line leaning | ||
1570 | to the left, i.e. running from the top left of the square to the | ||
1571 | bottom right). Right-clicking in a blank square will place a / in it | ||
1572 | (leaning to the right, running from top right to bottom left). | ||
1573 | |||
1574 | Continuing to click either button will cycle between the three | ||
1575 | possible square contents. Thus, if you left-click repeatedly in a | ||
1576 | blank square it will change from blank to \ to / back to blank, and | ||
1577 | if you right-click repeatedly the square will change from blank to / | ||
1578 | to \ back to blank. (Therefore, you can play the game entirely with | ||
1579 | one button if you need to.) | ||
1580 | |||
1581 | You can also use the cursor keys to move around the grid. Pressing | ||
1582 | the return or space keys will place a \ or a /, respectively, and | ||
1583 | will then cycle them as above. You can also press / or \ to place a | ||
1584 | / or \, respectively, independent of what is already in the cursor | ||
1585 | square. Backspace removes any line from the cursor square. | ||
1586 | |||
1587 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1588 | |||
1589 | #20.2 Slant parameters | ||
1590 | |||
1591 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1592 | `Type' menu. | ||
1593 | |||
1594 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1595 | |||
1596 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
1597 | |||
1598 | _Difficulty_ | ||
1599 | |||
1600 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. At Hard | ||
1601 | level, you are required to do deductions based on knowledge of | ||
1602 | _relationships_ between squares rather than always being able to | ||
1603 | deduce the exact contents of one square at a time. (For example, | ||
1604 | you might know that two squares slant in the same direction, | ||
1605 | even if you don't yet know what that direction is, and this | ||
1606 | might enable you to deduce something about still other squares.) | ||
1607 | Even at Hard level, guesswork and backtracking should never be | ||
1608 | necessary. | ||
1609 | |||
1610 | #Chapter 21: Light Up | ||
1611 | |||
1612 | You have a grid of squares. Some are filled in black; some of the | ||
1613 | black squares are numbered. Your aim is to `light up' all the empty | ||
1614 | squares by placing light bulbs in some of them. | ||
1615 | |||
1616 | Each light bulb illuminates the square it is on, plus all squares | ||
1617 | in line with it horizontally or vertically unless a black square is | ||
1618 | blocking the way. | ||
1619 | |||
1620 | To win the game, you must satisfy the following conditions: | ||
1621 | |||
1622 | - All non-black squares are lit. | ||
1623 | |||
1624 | - No light is lit by another light. | ||
1625 | |||
1626 | - All numbered black squares have exactly that number of lights | ||
1627 | adjacent to them (in the four squares above, below, and to the | ||
1628 | side). | ||
1629 | |||
1630 | Non-numbered black squares may have any number of lights adjacent to | ||
1631 | them. | ||
1632 | |||
1633 | Credit for this puzzle goes to Nikoli [9]. | ||
1634 | |||
1635 | Light Up was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
1636 | |||
1637 | [9] http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/akari.html (beware of Flash) | ||
1638 | |||
1639 | #21.1 Light Up controls | ||
1640 | |||
1641 | Left-clicking in a non-black square will toggle the presence of a | ||
1642 | light in that square. Right-clicking in a non-black square toggles a | ||
1643 | mark there to aid solving; it can be used to highlight squares that | ||
1644 | cannot be lit, for example. | ||
1645 | |||
1646 | You may not place a light in a marked square, nor place a mark in a | ||
1647 | lit square. | ||
1648 | |||
1649 | The game will highlight obvious errors in red. Lights lit by other | ||
1650 | lights are highlighted in this way, as are numbered squares which do | ||
1651 | not (or cannot) have the right number of lights next to them. | ||
1652 | |||
1653 | Thus, the grid is solved when all non-black squares have yellow | ||
1654 | highlights and there are no red lights. | ||
1655 | |||
1656 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1657 | |||
1658 | #21.2 Light Up parameters | ||
1659 | |||
1660 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1661 | `Type' menu. | ||
1662 | |||
1663 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1664 | |||
1665 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
1666 | |||
1667 | _%age of black squares_ | ||
1668 | |||
1669 | Rough percentage of black squares in the grid. | ||
1670 | |||
1671 | This is a hint rather than an instruction. If the grid generator | ||
1672 | is unable to generate a puzzle to this precise specification, it | ||
1673 | will increase the proportion of black squares until it can. | ||
1674 | |||
1675 | _Symmetry_ | ||
1676 | |||
1677 | Allows you to specify the required symmetry of the black squares | ||
1678 | in the grid. (This does not affect the difficulty of the puzzles | ||
1679 | noticeably.) | ||
1680 | |||
1681 | _Difficulty_ | ||
1682 | |||
1683 | `Easy' means that the puzzles should be soluble without | ||
1684 | backtracking or guessing, `Hard' means that some guesses will | ||
1685 | probably be necessary. | ||
1686 | |||
1687 | #Chapter 22: Map | ||
1688 | |||
1689 | You are given a map consisting of a number of regions. Your task is | ||
1690 | to colour each region with one of four colours, in such a way that | ||
1691 | no two regions sharing a boundary have the same colour. You are | ||
1692 | provided with some regions already coloured, sufficient to make the | ||
1693 | remainder of the solution unique. | ||
1694 | |||
1695 | Only regions which share a length of border are required to be | ||
1696 | different colours. Two regions which meet at only one _point_ (i.e. | ||
1697 | are diagonally separated) may be the same colour. | ||
1698 | |||
1699 | I believe this puzzle is original; I've never seen an implementation | ||
1700 | of it anywhere else. The concept of a four-colouring puzzle was | ||
1701 | suggested by Owen Dunn; credit must also go to Nikoli and to Verity | ||
1702 | Allan for inspiring the train of thought that led to me realising | ||
1703 | Owen's suggestion was a viable puzzle. Thanks also to Gareth Taylor | ||
1704 | for many detailed suggestions. | ||
1705 | |||
1706 | #22.1 Map controls | ||
1707 | |||
1708 | To colour a region, click the left mouse button on an existing | ||
1709 | region of the desired colour and drag that colour into the new | ||
1710 | region. | ||
1711 | |||
1712 | (The program will always ensure the starting puzzle has at least one | ||
1713 | region of each colour, so that this is always possible!) | ||
1714 | |||
1715 | If you need to clear a region, you can drag from an empty region, or | ||
1716 | from the puzzle boundary if there are no empty regions left. | ||
1717 | |||
1718 | Dragging a colour using the _right_ mouse button will stipple the | ||
1719 | region in that colour, which you can use as a note to yourself that | ||
1720 | you think the region _might_ be that colour. A region can contain | ||
1721 | stipples in multiple colours at once. (This is often useful at the | ||
1722 | harder difficulty levels.) | ||
1723 | |||
1724 | You can also use the cursor keys to move around the map: the colour | ||
1725 | of the cursor indicates the position of the colour you would drag | ||
1726 | (which is not obvious if you're on a region's boundary, since it | ||
1727 | depends on the direction from which you approached the boundary). | ||
1728 | Pressing the return key starts a drag of that colour, as above, | ||
1729 | which you control with the cursor keys; pressing the return key | ||
1730 | again finishes the drag. The space bar can be used similarly to | ||
1731 | create a stippled region. Double-pressing the return key (without | ||
1732 | moving the cursor) will clear the region, as a drag from an empty | ||
1733 | region does: this is useful with the cursor mode if you have filled | ||
1734 | the entire map in but need to correct the layout. | ||
1735 | |||
1736 | If you press L during play, the game will toggle display of a number | ||
1737 | in each region of the map. This is useful if you want to discuss a | ||
1738 | particular puzzle instance with a friend - having an unambiguous | ||
1739 | name for each region is much easier than trying to refer to them all | ||
1740 | by names such as `the one down and right of the brown one on the top | ||
1741 | border'. | ||
1742 | |||
1743 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1744 | |||
1745 | #22.2 Map parameters | ||
1746 | |||
1747 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1748 | `Type' menu. | ||
1749 | |||
1750 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1751 | |||
1752 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
1753 | |||
1754 | _Regions_ | ||
1755 | |||
1756 | Number of regions in the generated map. | ||
1757 | |||
1758 | _Difficulty_ | ||
1759 | |||
1760 | In `Easy' mode, there should always be at least one region whose | ||
1761 | colour can be determined trivially. In `Normal' and `Hard' | ||
1762 | modes, you will have to use increasingly complex logic to deduce | ||
1763 | the colour of some regions. However, it will always be possible | ||
1764 | without having to guess or backtrack. | ||
1765 | |||
1766 | In `Unreasonable' mode, the program will feel free to generate | ||
1767 | puzzles which are as hard as it can possibly make them: the | ||
1768 | only constraint is that they should still have a unique | ||
1769 | solution. Solving Unreasonable puzzles may require guessing and | ||
1770 | backtracking. | ||
1771 | |||
1772 | #Chapter 23: Loopy | ||
1773 | |||
1774 | You are given a grid of dots, marked with yellow lines to indicate | ||
1775 | which dots you are allowed to connect directly together. Your aim is | ||
1776 | to use some subset of those yellow lines to draw a single unbroken | ||
1777 | loop from dot to dot within the grid. | ||
1778 | |||
1779 | Some of the spaces between the lines contain numbers. These numbers | ||
1780 | indicate how many of the lines around that space form part of the | ||
1781 | loop. The loop you draw must correctly satisfy all of these clues to | ||
1782 | be considered a correct solution. | ||
1783 | |||
1784 | In the default mode, the dots are arranged in a grid of squares; | ||
1785 | however, you can also play on triangular or hexagonal grids, or even | ||
1786 | more exotic ones. | ||
1787 | |||
1788 | Credit for the basic puzzle idea goes to Nikoli [10]. | ||
1789 | |||
1790 | Loopy was originally contributed to this collection by Mike Pinna, | ||
1791 | and subsequently enhanced to handle various types of non-square grid | ||
1792 | by Lambros Lambrou. | ||
1793 | |||
1794 | [10] http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/slitherlink.html (beware of | ||
1795 | Flash) | ||
1796 | |||
1797 | #23.1 Loopy controls | ||
1798 | |||
1799 | Click the left mouse button on a yellow line to turn it black, | ||
1800 | indicating that you think it is part of the loop. Click again to | ||
1801 | turn the line yellow again (meaning you aren't sure yet). | ||
1802 | |||
1803 | If you are sure that a particular line segment is _not_ part of the | ||
1804 | loop, you can click the right mouse button to remove it completely. | ||
1805 | Again, clicking a second time will turn the line back to yellow. | ||
1806 | |||
1807 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1808 | |||
1809 | #23.2 Loopy parameters | ||
1810 | |||
1811 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1812 | `Type' menu. | ||
1813 | |||
1814 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1815 | |||
1816 | Size of grid, measured in number of regions across and down. For | ||
1817 | square grids, it's clear how this is counted; for other types of | ||
1818 | grid you may have to think a bit to see how the dimensions are | ||
1819 | measured. | ||
1820 | |||
1821 | _Grid type_ | ||
1822 | |||
1823 | Allows you to choose between a selection of types of tiling. | ||
1824 | Some have all the faces the same but may have multiple different | ||
1825 | types of vertex (e.g. the _Cairo_ or _Kites_ mode); others | ||
1826 | have all the vertices the same but may have different types of | ||
1827 | face (e.g. the _Great Hexagonal_). The square, triangular and | ||
1828 | honeycomb grids are fully regular, and have all their vertices | ||
1829 | _and_ faces the same; this makes them the least confusing to | ||
1830 | play. | ||
1831 | |||
1832 | _Difficulty_ | ||
1833 | |||
1834 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. | ||
1835 | |||
1836 | #Chapter 24: Inertia | ||
1837 | |||
1838 | You are a small green ball sitting in a grid full of obstacles. Your | ||
1839 | aim is to collect all the gems without running into any mines. | ||
1840 | |||
1841 | You can move the ball in any orthogonal _or diagonal_ direction. | ||
1842 | Once the ball starts moving, it will continue until something stops | ||
1843 | it. A wall directly in its path will stop it (but if it is moving | ||
1844 | diagonally, it will move through a diagonal gap between two other | ||
1845 | walls without stopping). Also, some of the squares are `stops'; when | ||
1846 | the ball moves on to a stop, it will stop moving no matter what | ||
1847 | direction it was going in. Gems do _not_ stop the ball; it picks | ||
1848 | them up and keeps on going. | ||
1849 | |||
1850 | Running into a mine is fatal. Even if you picked up the last gem in | ||
1851 | the same move which then hit a mine, the game will count you as dead | ||
1852 | rather than victorious. | ||
1853 | |||
1854 | This game was originally implemented for Windows by Ben Olmstead | ||
1855 | [11], who was kind enough to release his source code on request so | ||
1856 | that it could be re-implemented for this collection. | ||
1857 | |||
1858 | [11] http://xn13.com/ | ||
1859 | |||
1860 | #24.1 Inertia controls | ||
1861 | |||
1862 | You can move the ball in any of the eight directions using the | ||
1863 | numeric keypad. Alternatively, if you click the left mouse button | ||
1864 | on the grid, the ball will begin a move in the general direction of | ||
1865 | where you clicked. | ||
1866 | |||
1867 | If you use the `Solve' function on this game, the program will | ||
1868 | compute a path through the grid which collects all the remaining | ||
1869 | gems and returns to the current position. A hint arrow will appear | ||
1870 | on the ball indicating the direction in which you should move to | ||
1871 | begin on this path. If you then move in that direction, the arrow | ||
1872 | will update to indicate the next direction on the path. You can | ||
1873 | also press Space to automatically move in the direction of the hint | ||
1874 | arrow. If you move in a different direction from the one shown | ||
1875 | by the arrow, arrows will be shown only if the puzzle is still | ||
1876 | solvable. | ||
1877 | |||
1878 | All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available. In | ||
1879 | particular, if you do run into a mine and die, you can use the Undo | ||
1880 | function and resume playing from before the fatal move. The game | ||
1881 | will keep track of the number of times you have done this. | ||
1882 | |||
1883 | #24.2 Inertia parameters | ||
1884 | |||
1885 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1886 | `Type' menu. | ||
1887 | |||
1888 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1889 | |||
1890 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
1891 | |||
1892 | #Chapter 25: Tents | ||
1893 | |||
1894 | You have a grid of squares, some of which contain trees. Your aim is | ||
1895 | to place tents in some of the remaining squares, in such a way that | ||
1896 | the following conditions are met: | ||
1897 | |||
1898 | - There are exactly as many tents as trees. | ||
1899 | |||
1900 | - The tents and trees can be matched up in such a way that each | ||
1901 | tent is directly adjacent (horizontally or vertically, but not | ||
1902 | diagonally) to its own tree. However, a tent may be adjacent to | ||
1903 | other trees as well as its own. | ||
1904 | |||
1905 | - No two tents are adjacent horizontally, vertically _or | ||
1906 | diagonally_. | ||
1907 | |||
1908 | - The number of tents in each row, and in each column, matches the | ||
1909 | numbers given round the sides of the grid. | ||
1910 | |||
1911 | This puzzle can be found in several places on the Internet, and was | ||
1912 | brought to my attention by e-mail. I don't know who I should credit | ||
1913 | for inventing it. | ||
1914 | |||
1915 | #25.1 Tents controls | ||
1916 | |||
1917 | Left-clicking in a blank square will place a tent in it. Right- | ||
1918 | clicking in a blank square will colour it green, indicating that you | ||
1919 | are sure it _isn't_ a tent. Clicking either button in an occupied | ||
1920 | square will clear it. | ||
1921 | |||
1922 | If you _drag_ with the right button along a row or column, every | ||
1923 | blank square in the region you cover will be turned green, and no | ||
1924 | other squares will be affected. (This is useful for clearing the | ||
1925 | remainder of a row once you have placed all its tents.) | ||
1926 | |||
1927 | You can also use the cursor keys to move around the grid. Pressing | ||
1928 | the return key over an empty square will place a tent, and pressing | ||
1929 | the space bar over an empty square will colour it green; either key | ||
1930 | will clear an occupied square. Holding Shift and pressing the cursor | ||
1931 | keys will colour empty squares green. Holding Control and pressing | ||
1932 | the cursor keys will colour green both empty squares and squares | ||
1933 | with tents. | ||
1934 | |||
1935 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
1936 | |||
1937 | #25.2 Tents parameters | ||
1938 | |||
1939 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
1940 | `Type' menu. | ||
1941 | |||
1942 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
1943 | |||
1944 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
1945 | |||
1946 | _Difficulty_ | ||
1947 | |||
1948 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. More difficult | ||
1949 | puzzles require more complex deductions, but at present none | ||
1950 | of the available difficulty levels requires guesswork or | ||
1951 | backtracking. | ||
1952 | |||
1953 | #Chapter 26: Bridges | ||
1954 | |||
1955 | You have a set of islands distributed across the playing area. | ||
1956 | Each island contains a number. Your aim is to connect the islands | ||
1957 | together with bridges, in such a way that: | ||
1958 | |||
1959 | - Bridges run horizontally or vertically. | ||
1960 | |||
1961 | - The number of bridges terminating at any island is equal to the | ||
1962 | number written in that island. | ||
1963 | |||
1964 | - Two bridges may run in parallel between the same two islands, | ||
1965 | but no more than two may do so. | ||
1966 | |||
1967 | - No bridge crosses another bridge. | ||
1968 | |||
1969 | - All the islands are connected together. | ||
1970 | |||
1971 | There are some configurable alternative modes, which involve | ||
1972 | changing the parallel-bridge limit to something other than 2, and | ||
1973 | introducing the additional constraint that no sequence of bridges | ||
1974 | may form a loop from one island back to the same island. The rules | ||
1975 | stated above are the default ones. | ||
1976 | |||
1977 | Credit for this puzzle goes to Nikoli [12]. | ||
1978 | |||
1979 | Bridges was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
1980 | |||
1981 | [12] http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/hashiwokakero.html (beware | ||
1982 | of Flash) | ||
1983 | |||
1984 | #26.1 Bridges controls | ||
1985 | |||
1986 | To place a bridge between two islands, click the mouse down on one | ||
1987 | island and drag it towards the other. You do not need to drag all | ||
1988 | the way to the other island; you only need to move the mouse far | ||
1989 | enough for the intended bridge direction to be unambiguous. (So you | ||
1990 | can keep the mouse near the starting island and conveniently throw | ||
1991 | bridges out from it in many directions.) | ||
1992 | |||
1993 | Doing this again when a bridge is already present will add another | ||
1994 | parallel bridge. If there are already as many bridges between the | ||
1995 | two islands as permitted by the current game rules (i.e. two by | ||
1996 | default), the same dragging action will remove all of them. | ||
1997 | |||
1998 | If you want to remind yourself that two islands definitely _do not_ | ||
1999 | have a bridge between them, you can right-drag between them in the | ||
2000 | same way to draw a `non-bridge' marker. | ||
2001 | |||
2002 | If you think you have finished with an island (i.e. you have placed | ||
2003 | all its bridges and are confident that they are in the right | ||
2004 | places), you can mark the island as finished by left-clicking on it. | ||
2005 | This will highlight it and all the bridges connected to it, and you | ||
2006 | will be prevented from accidentally modifying any of those bridges | ||
2007 | in future. Left-clicking again on a highlighted island will unmark | ||
2008 | it and restore your ability to modify it. | ||
2009 | |||
2010 | You can also use the cursor keys to move around the grid: if | ||
2011 | possible the cursor will always move orthogonally, otherwise it | ||
2012 | will move towards the nearest island to the indicated direction. | ||
2013 | Holding Control and pressing a cursor key will lay a bridge in that | ||
2014 | direction (if available); Shift and a cursor key will lay a `non- | ||
2015 | bridge' marker. Pressing the return key followed by a cursor key | ||
2016 | will also lay a bridge in that direction. | ||
2017 | |||
2018 | You can mark an island as finished by pressing the space bar or by | ||
2019 | pressing the return key twice. | ||
2020 | |||
2021 | By pressing a number key, you can jump to the nearest island with | ||
2022 | that number. Letters `a', ..., `f' count as 10, ..., 15 and `0' as | ||
2023 | 16. | ||
2024 | |||
2025 | Violations of the puzzle rules will be marked in red: | ||
2026 | |||
2027 | - An island with too many bridges will be highlighted in red. | ||
2028 | |||
2029 | - An island with too few bridges will be highlighted in red if it | ||
2030 | is definitely an error (as opposed to merely not being finished | ||
2031 | yet): if adding enough bridges would involve having to cross | ||
2032 | another bridge or remove a non-bridge marker, or if the island | ||
2033 | has been highlighted as complete. | ||
2034 | |||
2035 | - A group of islands and bridges may be highlighted in red if it | ||
2036 | is a closed subset of the puzzle with no way to connect it to | ||
2037 | the rest of the islands. For example, if you directly connect | ||
2038 | two 1s together with a bridge and they are not the only two | ||
2039 | islands on the grid, they will light up red to indicate that | ||
2040 | such a group cannot be contained in any valid solution. | ||
2041 | |||
2042 | - If you have selected the (non-default) option to disallow loops | ||
2043 | in the solution, a group of bridges which forms a loop will be | ||
2044 | highlighted. | ||
2045 | |||
2046 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2047 | |||
2048 | #26.2 Bridges parameters | ||
2049 | |||
2050 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2051 | `Type' menu. | ||
2052 | |||
2053 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
2054 | |||
2055 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
2056 | |||
2057 | _Difficulty_ | ||
2058 | |||
2059 | Difficulty level of puzzle. | ||
2060 | |||
2061 | _Allow loops_ | ||
2062 | |||
2063 | This is set by default. If cleared, puzzles will be generated in | ||
2064 | such a way that they are always soluble without creating a loop, | ||
2065 | and solutions which do involve a loop will be disallowed. | ||
2066 | |||
2067 | _Max. bridges per direction_ | ||
2068 | |||
2069 | Maximum number of bridges in any particular direction. The | ||
2070 | default is 2, but you can change it to 1, 3 or 4. In general, | ||
2071 | fewer is easier. | ||
2072 | |||
2073 | _%age of island squares_ | ||
2074 | |||
2075 | Gives a rough percentage of islands the generator will try and | ||
2076 | lay before finishing the puzzle. Certain layouts will not manage | ||
2077 | to lay enough islands; this is an upper bound. | ||
2078 | |||
2079 | _Expansion factor (%age)_ | ||
2080 | |||
2081 | The grid generator works by picking an existing island at random | ||
2082 | (after first creating an initial island somewhere). It then | ||
2083 | decides on a direction (at random), and then works out how far | ||
2084 | it could extend before creating another island. This parameter | ||
2085 | determines how likely it is to extend as far as it can, rather | ||
2086 | than choosing somewhere closer. | ||
2087 | |||
2088 | High expansion factors usually mean easier puzzles with fewer | ||
2089 | possible islands; low expansion factors can create lots of | ||
2090 | tightly-packed islands. | ||
2091 | |||
2092 | #Chapter 27: Unequal | ||
2093 | |||
2094 | You have a square grid; each square may contain a digit from 1 to | ||
2095 | the size of the grid, and some squares have clue signs between them. | ||
2096 | Your aim is to fully populate the grid with numbers such that: | ||
2097 | |||
2098 | - Each row contains only one occurrence of each digit | ||
2099 | |||
2100 | - Each column contains only one occurrence of each digit | ||
2101 | |||
2102 | - All the clue signs are satisfied. | ||
2103 | |||
2104 | There are two modes for this game, `Unequal' and `Adjacent'. | ||
2105 | |||
2106 | In `Unequal' mode, the clue signs are greater-than symbols | ||
2107 | indicating one square's value is greater than its neighbour's. In | ||
2108 | this mode not all clues may be visible, particularly at higher | ||
2109 | difficulty levels. | ||
2110 | |||
2111 | In `Adjacent' mode, the clue signs are bars indicating one square's | ||
2112 | value is numerically adjacent (i.e. one higher or one lower) than | ||
2113 | its neighbour. In this mode all clues are always visible: absence of | ||
2114 | a bar thus means that a square's value is definitely not numerically | ||
2115 | adjacent to that neighbour's. | ||
2116 | |||
2117 | In `Trivial' difficulty level (available via the `Custom' game type | ||
2118 | selector), there are no greater-than signs in `Unequal' mode; the | ||
2119 | puzzle is to solve the Latin square only. | ||
2120 | |||
2121 | At the time of writing, the `Unequal' mode of this puzzle is | ||
2122 | appearing in the Guardian weekly under the name `Futoshiki'. | ||
2123 | |||
2124 | Unequal was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
2125 | |||
2126 | #27.1 Unequal controls | ||
2127 | |||
2128 | Unequal shares much of its control system with Solo. | ||
2129 | |||
2130 | To play Unequal, simply click the mouse in any empty square and then | ||
2131 | type a digit or letter on the keyboard to fill that square. If you | ||
2132 | make a mistake, click the mouse in the incorrect square and press | ||
2133 | Space to clear it again (or use the Undo feature). | ||
2134 | |||
2135 | If you _right_-click in a square and then type a number, that | ||
2136 | number will be entered in the square as a `pencil mark'. You can | ||
2137 | have pencil marks for multiple numbers in the same square. Squares | ||
2138 | containing filled-in numbers cannot also contain pencil marks. | ||
2139 | |||
2140 | The game pays no attention to pencil marks, so exactly what you | ||
2141 | use them for is up to you: you can use them as reminders that a | ||
2142 | particular square needs to be re-examined once you know more about | ||
2143 | a particular number, or you can use them as lists of the possible | ||
2144 | numbers in a given square, or anything else you feel like. | ||
2145 | |||
2146 | To erase a single pencil mark, right-click in the square and type | ||
2147 | the same number again. | ||
2148 | |||
2149 | All pencil marks in a square are erased when you left-click and type | ||
2150 | a number, or when you left-click and press space. Right-clicking and | ||
2151 | pressing space will also erase pencil marks. | ||
2152 | |||
2153 | As for Solo, the cursor keys can be used in conjunction with the | ||
2154 | digit keys to set numbers or pencil marks. You can also use the `M' | ||
2155 | key to auto-fill every numeric hint, ready for removal as required, | ||
2156 | or the `H' key to do the same but also to remove all obvious hints. | ||
2157 | |||
2158 | Alternatively, use the cursor keys to move the mark around the grid. | ||
2159 | Pressing the return key toggles the mark (from a normal mark to a | ||
2160 | pencil mark), and typing a number in is entered in the square in the | ||
2161 | appropriate way; typing in a 0 or using the space bar will clear a | ||
2162 | filled square. | ||
2163 | |||
2164 | Left-clicking a clue will mark it as done (grey it out), or unmark | ||
2165 | it if it is already marked. Holding Control or Shift and pressing | ||
2166 | an arrow key likewise marks any clue adjacent to the cursor in the | ||
2167 | given direction. | ||
2168 | |||
2169 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2170 | |||
2171 | #27.2 Unequal parameters | ||
2172 | |||
2173 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2174 | `Type' menu. | ||
2175 | |||
2176 | _Mode_ | ||
2177 | |||
2178 | Mode of the puzzle (`Unequal' or `Adjacent') | ||
2179 | |||
2180 | _Size (s*s)_ | ||
2181 | |||
2182 | Size of grid. | ||
2183 | |||
2184 | _Difficulty_ | ||
2185 | |||
2186 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. At Trivial | ||
2187 | level, there are no greater-than signs; the puzzle is to solve | ||
2188 | the Latin square only. At Recursive level (only available via | ||
2189 | the `Custom' game type selector) backtracking will be required, | ||
2190 | but the solution should still be unique. The levels in between | ||
2191 | require increasingly complex reasoning to avoid having to | ||
2192 | backtrack. | ||
2193 | |||
2194 | #Chapter 28: Galaxies | ||
2195 | |||
2196 | You have a rectangular grid containing a number of dots. Your aim is | ||
2197 | to draw edges along the grid lines which divide the rectangle into | ||
2198 | regions in such a way that every region is 180-degree rotationally | ||
2199 | symmetric, and contains exactly one dot which is located at its | ||
2200 | centre of symmetry. | ||
2201 | |||
2202 | This puzzle was invented by Nikoli [13], under the name `Tentai | ||
2203 | Show'; its name is commonly translated into English as `Spiral | ||
2204 | Galaxies'. | ||
2205 | |||
2206 | Galaxies was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
2207 | |||
2208 | [13] http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/astronomical_show.html | ||
2209 | |||
2210 | #28.1 Galaxies controls | ||
2211 | |||
2212 | Left-click on any grid line to draw an edge if there isn't one | ||
2213 | already, or to remove one if there is. When you create a valid | ||
2214 | region (one which is closed, contains exactly one dot, is 180-degree | ||
2215 | symmetric about that dot, and contains no extraneous edges inside | ||
2216 | it) it will be highlighted automatically; so your aim is to have the | ||
2217 | whole grid highlighted in that way. | ||
2218 | |||
2219 | During solving, you might know that a particular grid square belongs | ||
2220 | to a specific dot, but not be sure of where the edges go and which | ||
2221 | other squares are connected to the dot. In order to mark this so you | ||
2222 | don't forget, you can right-click on the dot and drag, which will | ||
2223 | create an arrow marker pointing at the dot. Drop that in a square of | ||
2224 | your choice and it will remind you which dot it's associated with. | ||
2225 | You can also right-click on existing arrows to pick them up and move | ||
2226 | them, or destroy them by dropping them off the edge of the grid. | ||
2227 | (Also, if you're not sure which dot an arrow is pointing at, you can | ||
2228 | pick it up and move it around to make it clearer. It will swivel | ||
2229 | constantly as you drag it, to stay pointed at its parent dot.) | ||
2230 | |||
2231 | You can also use the cursor keys to move around the grid squares and | ||
2232 | lines. Pressing the return key when over a grid line will draw or | ||
2233 | clear its edge, as above. Pressing the return key when over a dot | ||
2234 | will pick up an arrow, to be dropped the next time the return key | ||
2235 | is pressed; this can also be used to move existing arrows around, | ||
2236 | removing them by dropping them on a dot or another arrow. | ||
2237 | |||
2238 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2239 | |||
2240 | #28.2 Galaxies parameters | ||
2241 | |||
2242 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2243 | `Type' menu. | ||
2244 | |||
2245 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
2246 | |||
2247 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
2248 | |||
2249 | _Difficulty_ | ||
2250 | |||
2251 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. More difficult | ||
2252 | puzzles require more complex deductions, and the `Unreasonable' | ||
2253 | difficulty level may require backtracking. | ||
2254 | |||
2255 | #Chapter 29: Filling | ||
2256 | |||
2257 | You have a grid of squares, some of which contain digits, and the | ||
2258 | rest of which are empty. Your job is to fill in digits in the empty | ||
2259 | squares, in such a way that each connected region of squares all | ||
2260 | containing the same digit has an area equal to that digit. | ||
2261 | |||
2262 | (`Connected region', for the purposes of this game, does not count | ||
2263 | diagonally separated squares as adjacent.) | ||
2264 | |||
2265 | For example, it follows that no square can contain a zero, and that | ||
2266 | two adjacent squares can not both contain a one. No region has an | ||
2267 | area greater than 9 (because then its area would not be a single | ||
2268 | digit). | ||
2269 | |||
2270 | Credit for this puzzle goes to Nikoli [14]. | ||
2271 | |||
2272 | Filling was contributed to this collection by Jonas Koelker. | ||
2273 | |||
2274 | [14] http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/fillomino.html | ||
2275 | |||
2276 | #29.1 Filling controls | ||
2277 | |||
2278 | To play Filling, simply click the mouse in any empty square and | ||
2279 | then type a digit on the keyboard to fill that square. By dragging | ||
2280 | the mouse, you can select multiple squares to fill with a single | ||
2281 | keypress. If you make a mistake, click the mouse in the incorrect | ||
2282 | square and press 0, Space, Backspace or Enter to clear it again (or | ||
2283 | use the Undo feature). | ||
2284 | |||
2285 | You can also move around the grid with the cursor keys; typing a | ||
2286 | digit will fill the square containing the cursor with that number; | ||
2287 | typing 0 will clear it. You can also select multiple squares for | ||
2288 | numbering or clearing with the return and arrow keys, before typing | ||
2289 | a digit to fill or clear the highlighted squares (as above). The | ||
2290 | space bar adds and removes single squares to and from the selection. | ||
2291 | Backspace and escape remove all squares from the selection. | ||
2292 | |||
2293 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2294 | |||
2295 | #29.2 Filling parameters | ||
2296 | |||
2297 | Filling allows you to configure the number of rows and columns of | ||
2298 | the grid, through the `Type' menu. | ||
2299 | |||
2300 | #Chapter 30: Keen | ||
2301 | |||
2302 | You have a square grid; each square may contain a digit from 1 to | ||
2303 | the size of the grid. The grid is divided into blocks of varying | ||
2304 | shape and size, with arithmetic clues written in them. Your aim is | ||
2305 | to fully populate the grid with digits such that: | ||
2306 | |||
2307 | - Each row contains only one occurrence of each digit | ||
2308 | |||
2309 | - Each column contains only one occurrence of each digit | ||
2310 | |||
2311 | - The digits in each block can be combined to form the number | ||
2312 | stated in the clue, using the arithmetic operation given in the | ||
2313 | clue. That is: | ||
2314 | |||
2315 | - An addition clue means that the sum of the digits in the | ||
2316 | block must be the given number. For example, `15+' means the | ||
2317 | contents of the block adds up to fifteen. | ||
2318 | |||
2319 | - A multiplication clue (e.g. `60*'), similarly, means that | ||
2320 | the product of the digits in the block must be the given | ||
2321 | number. | ||
2322 | |||
2323 | - A subtraction clue will always be written in a block of | ||
2324 | size two, and it means that one of the digits in the block | ||
2325 | is greater than the other by the given amount. For example, | ||
2326 | `2-' means that one of the digits in the block is 2 more | ||
2327 | than the other, or equivalently that one digit minus the | ||
2328 | other one is 2. The two digits could be either way round, | ||
2329 | though. | ||
2330 | |||
2331 | - A division clue (e.g. `3/'), similarly, is always in a block | ||
2332 | of size two and means that one digit divided by the other is | ||
2333 | equal to the given amount. | ||
2334 | |||
2335 | Note that a block may contain the same digit more than once | ||
2336 | (provided the identical ones are not in the same row and | ||
2337 | column). This rule is precisely the opposite of the rule in | ||
2338 | Solo's `Killer' mode (see chapter 11). | ||
2339 | |||
2340 | This puzzle appears in the Times under the name `KenKen'. | ||
2341 | |||
2342 | #30.1 Keen controls | ||
2343 | |||
2344 | Keen shares much of its control system with Solo (and Unequal). | ||
2345 | |||
2346 | To play Keen, simply click the mouse in any empty square and then | ||
2347 | type a digit on the keyboard to fill that square. If you make a | ||
2348 | mistake, click the mouse in the incorrect square and press Space to | ||
2349 | clear it again (or use the Undo feature). | ||
2350 | |||
2351 | If you _right_-click in a square and then type a number, that | ||
2352 | number will be entered in the square as a `pencil mark'. You can | ||
2353 | have pencil marks for multiple numbers in the same square. Squares | ||
2354 | containing filled-in numbers cannot also contain pencil marks. | ||
2355 | |||
2356 | The game pays no attention to pencil marks, so exactly what you | ||
2357 | use them for is up to you: you can use them as reminders that a | ||
2358 | particular square needs to be re-examined once you know more about | ||
2359 | a particular number, or you can use them as lists of the possible | ||
2360 | numbers in a given square, or anything else you feel like. | ||
2361 | |||
2362 | To erase a single pencil mark, right-click in the square and type | ||
2363 | the same number again. | ||
2364 | |||
2365 | All pencil marks in a square are erased when you left-click and type | ||
2366 | a number, or when you left-click and press space. Right-clicking and | ||
2367 | pressing space will also erase pencil marks. | ||
2368 | |||
2369 | As for Solo, the cursor keys can be used in conjunction with the | ||
2370 | digit keys to set numbers or pencil marks. Use the cursor keys to | ||
2371 | move a highlight around the grid, and type a digit to enter it in | ||
2372 | the highlighted square. Pressing return toggles the highlight into a | ||
2373 | mode in which you can enter or remove pencil marks. | ||
2374 | |||
2375 | Pressing M will fill in a full set of pencil marks in every square | ||
2376 | that does not have a main digit in it. | ||
2377 | |||
2378 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2379 | |||
2380 | #30.2 Keen parameters | ||
2381 | |||
2382 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2383 | `Type' menu. | ||
2384 | |||
2385 | _Grid size_ | ||
2386 | |||
2387 | Specifies the size of the grid. Lower limit is 3; upper limit is | ||
2388 | 9 (because the user interface would become more difficult with | ||
2389 | `digits' bigger than 9!). | ||
2390 | |||
2391 | _Difficulty_ | ||
2392 | |||
2393 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. At Unreasonable | ||
2394 | level, some backtracking will be required, but the solution | ||
2395 | should still be unique. The remaining levels require | ||
2396 | increasingly complex reasoning to avoid having to backtrack. | ||
2397 | |||
2398 | _Multiplication only_ | ||
2399 | |||
2400 | If this is enabled, all boxes will be multiplication boxes. With | ||
2401 | this rule, the puzzle is known as `Inshi No Heya'. | ||
2402 | |||
2403 | #Chapter 31: Towers | ||
2404 | |||
2405 | You have a square grid. On each square of the grid you can build | ||
2406 | a tower, with its height ranging from 1 to the size of the grid. | ||
2407 | Around the edge of the grid are some numeric clues. | ||
2408 | |||
2409 | Your task is to build a tower on every square, in such a way that: | ||
2410 | |||
2411 | - Each row contains every possible height of tower once | ||
2412 | |||
2413 | - Each column contains every possible height of tower once | ||
2414 | |||
2415 | - Each numeric clue describes the number of towers that can be | ||
2416 | seen if you look into the square from that direction, assuming | ||
2417 | that shorter towers are hidden behind taller ones. For example, | ||
2418 | in a 5x5 grid, a clue marked `5' indicates that the five tower | ||
2419 | heights must appear in increasing order (otherwise you would | ||
2420 | not be able to see all five towers), whereas a clue marked `1' | ||
2421 | indicates that the tallest tower (the one marked 5) must come | ||
2422 | first. | ||
2423 | |||
2424 | In harder or larger puzzles, some towers will be specified for you | ||
2425 | as well as the clues round the edge, and some edge clues may be | ||
2426 | missing. | ||
2427 | |||
2428 | This puzzle appears on the web under various names, particularly | ||
2429 | `Skyscrapers', but I don't know who first invented it. | ||
2430 | |||
2431 | #31.1 Towers controls | ||
2432 | |||
2433 | Towers shares much of its control system with Solo, Unequal and | ||
2434 | Keen. | ||
2435 | |||
2436 | To play Towers, simply click the mouse in any empty square and then | ||
2437 | type a digit on the keyboard to fill that square with a tower of | ||
2438 | the given height. If you make a mistake, click the mouse in the | ||
2439 | incorrect square and press Space to clear it again (or use the Undo | ||
2440 | feature). | ||
2441 | |||
2442 | If you _right_-click in a square and then type a number, that | ||
2443 | number will be entered in the square as a `pencil mark'. You can | ||
2444 | have pencil marks for multiple numbers in the same square. A square | ||
2445 | containing a tower cannot also contain pencil marks. | ||
2446 | |||
2447 | The game pays no attention to pencil marks, so exactly what you | ||
2448 | use them for is up to you: you can use them as reminders that a | ||
2449 | particular square needs to be re-examined once you know more about | ||
2450 | a particular number, or you can use them as lists of the possible | ||
2451 | numbers in a given square, or anything else you feel like. | ||
2452 | |||
2453 | To erase a single pencil mark, right-click in the square and type | ||
2454 | the same number again. | ||
2455 | |||
2456 | All pencil marks in a square are erased when you left-click and type | ||
2457 | a number, or when you left-click and press space. Right-clicking and | ||
2458 | pressing space will also erase pencil marks. | ||
2459 | |||
2460 | As for Solo, the cursor keys can be used in conjunction with the | ||
2461 | digit keys to set numbers or pencil marks. Use the cursor keys to | ||
2462 | move a highlight around the grid, and type a digit to enter it in | ||
2463 | the highlighted square. Pressing return toggles the highlight into a | ||
2464 | mode in which you can enter or remove pencil marks. | ||
2465 | |||
2466 | Pressing M will fill in a full set of pencil marks in every square | ||
2467 | that does not have a main digit in it. | ||
2468 | |||
2469 | Left-clicking a clue will mark it as done (grey it out), or unmark | ||
2470 | it if it is already marked. Holding Control or Shift and pressing an | ||
2471 | arrow key likewise marks any clue in the given direction. | ||
2472 | |||
2473 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2474 | |||
2475 | #31.2 Towers parameters | ||
2476 | |||
2477 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2478 | `Type' menu. | ||
2479 | |||
2480 | _Grid size_ | ||
2481 | |||
2482 | Specifies the size of the grid. Lower limit is 3; upper limit is | ||
2483 | 9 (because the user interface would become more difficult with | ||
2484 | `digits' bigger than 9!). | ||
2485 | |||
2486 | _Difficulty_ | ||
2487 | |||
2488 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. At Unreasonable | ||
2489 | level, some backtracking will be required, but the solution | ||
2490 | should still be unique. The remaining levels require | ||
2491 | increasingly complex reasoning to avoid having to backtrack. | ||
2492 | |||
2493 | #Chapter 32: Singles | ||
2494 | |||
2495 | You have a grid of white squares, all of which contain numbers. Your | ||
2496 | task is to colour some of the squares black (removing the number) so | ||
2497 | as to satisfy all of the following conditions: | ||
2498 | |||
2499 | - No number occurs more than once in any row or column. | ||
2500 | |||
2501 | - No black square is horizontally or vertically adjacent to any | ||
2502 | other black square. | ||
2503 | |||
2504 | - The remaining white squares must all form one contiguous region | ||
2505 | (connected by edges, not just touching at corners). | ||
2506 | |||
2507 | Credit for this puzzle goes to Nikoli [15] who call it Hitori. | ||
2508 | |||
2509 | Singles was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
2510 | |||
2511 | [15] http://www.nikoli.com/en/puzzles/hitori.html (beware of Flash) | ||
2512 | |||
2513 | #32.1 Singles controls | ||
2514 | |||
2515 | Left-clicking on an empty square will colour it black; left-clicking | ||
2516 | again will restore the number. Right-clicking will add a circle | ||
2517 | (useful for indicating that a cell is definitely not black). | ||
2518 | |||
2519 | You can also use the cursor keys to move around the grid. Pressing | ||
2520 | the return or space keys will turn a square black or add a circle | ||
2521 | respectively, and pressing the key again will restore the number or | ||
2522 | remove the circle. | ||
2523 | |||
2524 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2525 | |||
2526 | #32.2 Singles parameters | ||
2527 | |||
2528 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2529 | `Type' menu. | ||
2530 | |||
2531 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
2532 | |||
2533 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
2534 | |||
2535 | _Difficulty_ | ||
2536 | |||
2537 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. | ||
2538 | |||
2539 | #Chapter 33: Magnets | ||
2540 | |||
2541 | A rectangular grid has been filled with a mixture of magnets (that | ||
2542 | is, dominoes with one positive end and one negative end) and blank | ||
2543 | dominoes (that is, dominoes with two neutral poles). These dominoes | ||
2544 | are initially only seen in silhouette. Around the grid are placed a | ||
2545 | number of clues indicating the number of positive and negative poles | ||
2546 | contained in certain columns and rows. | ||
2547 | |||
2548 | Your aim is to correctly place the magnets and blank dominoes such | ||
2549 | that all the clues are satisfied, with the additional constraint | ||
2550 | that no two similar magnetic poles may be orthogonally adjacent | ||
2551 | (since they repel). Neutral poles do not repel, and can be adjacent | ||
2552 | to any other pole. | ||
2553 | |||
2554 | Credit for this puzzle goes to Janko [16]. | ||
2555 | |||
2556 | Magnets was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
2557 | |||
2558 | [16] http://www.janko.at/Raetsel/Magnete/index.htm | ||
2559 | |||
2560 | #33.1 Magnets controls | ||
2561 | |||
2562 | Left-clicking on an empty square places a magnet at that position | ||
2563 | with the positive pole on the square and the negative pole on the | ||
2564 | other half of the magnet; left-clicking again reverses the polarity, | ||
2565 | and a third click removes the magnet. | ||
2566 | |||
2567 | Right-clicking on an empty square places a blank domino there. | ||
2568 | Right-clicking again places two question marks on the domino, | ||
2569 | signifying `this cannot be blank' (which can be useful to note | ||
2570 | deductions while solving), and right-clicking again empties the | ||
2571 | domino. | ||
2572 | |||
2573 | Left-clicking a clue will mark it as done (grey it out), or unmark | ||
2574 | it if it is already marked. | ||
2575 | |||
2576 | You can also use the cursor keys to move a cursor around the grid. | ||
2577 | Pressing the return key will lay a domino with a positive pole at | ||
2578 | that position; pressing again reverses the polarity and then removes | ||
2579 | the domino, as with left-clicking. Using the space bar allows | ||
2580 | placement of blank dominoes and cannot-be-blank hints, as for right- | ||
2581 | clicking. | ||
2582 | |||
2583 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2584 | |||
2585 | #33.2 Magnets parameters | ||
2586 | |||
2587 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2588 | `Type' menu. | ||
2589 | |||
2590 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
2591 | |||
2592 | Size of grid in squares. There will be half _Width_ x _Height_ | ||
2593 | dominoes in the grid: if this number is odd then one square will | ||
2594 | be blank. | ||
2595 | |||
2596 | (Grids with at least one odd dimension tend to be easier to | ||
2597 | solve.) | ||
2598 | |||
2599 | _Difficulty_ | ||
2600 | |||
2601 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. At Tricky | ||
2602 | level, you are required to make more deductions about empty | ||
2603 | dominoes and row/column counts. | ||
2604 | |||
2605 | _Strip clues_ | ||
2606 | |||
2607 | If true, some of the clues around the grid are removed at | ||
2608 | generation time, making the puzzle more difficult. | ||
2609 | |||
2610 | #Chapter 34: Signpost | ||
2611 | |||
2612 | You have a grid of squares; each square (except the last one) | ||
2613 | contains an arrow, and some squares also contain numbers. Your job | ||
2614 | is to connect the squares to form a continuous list of numbers | ||
2615 | starting at 1 and linked in the direction of the arrows - so the | ||
2616 | arrow inside the square with the number 1 will point to the square | ||
2617 | containing the number 2, which will point to the square containing | ||
2618 | the number 3, etc. Each square can be any distance away from the | ||
2619 | previous one, as long as it is somewhere in the direction of the | ||
2620 | arrow. | ||
2621 | |||
2622 | By convention the first and last numbers are shown; one or more | ||
2623 | interim numbers may also appear at the beginning. | ||
2624 | |||
2625 | Credit for this puzzle goes to Janko [17], who call it `Pfeilpfad' | ||
2626 | (`arrow path'). | ||
2627 | |||
2628 | Signpost was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
2629 | |||
2630 | [17] http://janko.at/Raetsel/Pfeilpfad/index.htm | ||
2631 | |||
2632 | #34.1 Signpost controls | ||
2633 | |||
2634 | To play Signpost, you connect squares together by dragging from | ||
2635 | one square to another, indicating that they are adjacent in the | ||
2636 | sequence. Drag with the left button from a square to its successor, | ||
2637 | or with the right button from a square to its predecessor. | ||
2638 | |||
2639 | If you connect together two squares in this way and one of them has | ||
2640 | a number in it, the appropriate number will appear in the other | ||
2641 | square. If you connect two non-numbered squares, they will be | ||
2642 | assigned temporary algebraic labels: on the first occasion, they | ||
2643 | will be labelled `a' and `a+1', and then `b' and `b+1', and so on. | ||
2644 | Connecting more squares on to the ends of such a chain will cause | ||
2645 | them all to be labelled with the same letter. | ||
2646 | |||
2647 | When you left-click or right-click in a square, the legal squares to | ||
2648 | connect it to will be shown. | ||
2649 | |||
2650 | The arrow in each square starts off black, and goes grey once you | ||
2651 | connect the square to its successor. Also, each square which needs | ||
2652 | a predecessor has a small dot in the bottom left corner, which | ||
2653 | vanishes once you link a square to it. So your aim is always to | ||
2654 | connect a square with a black arrow to a square with a dot. | ||
2655 | |||
2656 | To remove any links for a particular square (both incoming and | ||
2657 | outgoing), left-drag it off the grid. To remove a whole chain, | ||
2658 | right-drag any square in the chain off the grid. | ||
2659 | |||
2660 | You can also use the cursor keys to move around the grid squares | ||
2661 | and lines. Pressing the return key when over a square starts a link | ||
2662 | operation, and pressing the return key again over a square will | ||
2663 | finish the link, if allowable. Pressing the space bar over a square | ||
2664 | will show the other squares pointing to it, and allow you to form a | ||
2665 | backward link, and pressing the space bar again cancels this. | ||
2666 | |||
2667 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2668 | |||
2669 | #34.2 Signpost parameters | ||
2670 | |||
2671 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2672 | `Type' menu. | ||
2673 | |||
2674 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
2675 | |||
2676 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
2677 | |||
2678 | _Force start/end to corners_ | ||
2679 | |||
2680 | If true, the start and end squares are always placed in opposite | ||
2681 | corners (the start at the top left, and the end at the bottom | ||
2682 | right). If false the start and end squares are placed randomly | ||
2683 | (although always both shown). | ||
2684 | |||
2685 | #Chapter 35: Range | ||
2686 | |||
2687 | You have a grid of squares; some squares contain numbers. Your job | ||
2688 | is to colour some of the squares black, such that several criteria | ||
2689 | are satisfied: | ||
2690 | |||
2691 | - no square with a number is coloured black. | ||
2692 | |||
2693 | - no two black squares are adjacent (horizontally or vertically). | ||
2694 | |||
2695 | - for any two white squares, there is a path between them using | ||
2696 | only white squares. | ||
2697 | |||
2698 | - for each square with a number, that number denotes the total | ||
2699 | number of white squares reachable from that square going in a | ||
2700 | straight line in any horizontal or vertical direction until | ||
2701 | hitting a wall or a black square; the square with the number is | ||
2702 | included in the total (once). | ||
2703 | |||
2704 | For instance, a square containing the number one must have four | ||
2705 | black squares as its neighbours by the last criterion; but then it's | ||
2706 | impossible for it to be connected to any outside white square, which | ||
2707 | violates the second to last criterion. So no square will contain the | ||
2708 | number one. | ||
2709 | |||
2710 | Credit for this puzzle goes to Nikoli, who have variously called it | ||
2711 | `Kurodoko', `Kuromasu' or `Where is Black Cells'. [18]. | ||
2712 | |||
2713 | Range was contributed to this collection by Jonas Koelker. | ||
2714 | |||
2715 | [18] http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/where_is_black_cells.html | ||
2716 | |||
2717 | #35.1 Range controls | ||
2718 | |||
2719 | Click with the left button to paint a square black, or with the | ||
2720 | right button to mark a square with a dot to indicate that you are | ||
2721 | sure it should _not_ be painted black. Repeated clicking with either | ||
2722 | button will cycle the square through the three possible states | ||
2723 | (filled, dotted or empty) in opposite directions. | ||
2724 | |||
2725 | You can also use the cursor keys to move around the grid squares. | ||
2726 | Pressing Return does the same as clicking with the left button, | ||
2727 | while pressing Space does the same as a right button click. Moving | ||
2728 | with the cursor keys while holding Shift will place dots in all | ||
2729 | squares that are moved through. | ||
2730 | |||
2731 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2732 | |||
2733 | #35.2 Range parameters | ||
2734 | |||
2735 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2736 | `Type' menu. | ||
2737 | |||
2738 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
2739 | |||
2740 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
2741 | |||
2742 | #Chapter 36: Pearl | ||
2743 | |||
2744 | You have a grid of squares. Your job is to draw lines between the | ||
2745 | centres of horizontally or vertically adjacent squares, so that the | ||
2746 | lines form a single closed loop. In the resulting grid, some of the | ||
2747 | squares that the loop passes through will contain corners, and some | ||
2748 | will be straight horizontal or vertical lines. (And some squares can | ||
2749 | be completely empty - the loop doesn't have to pass through every | ||
2750 | square.) | ||
2751 | |||
2752 | Some of the squares contain black and white circles, which are clues | ||
2753 | that the loop must satisfy. | ||
2754 | |||
2755 | A black circle in a square indicates that that square is a corner, | ||
2756 | but neither of the squares adjacent to it in the loop is also a | ||
2757 | corner. | ||
2758 | |||
2759 | A white circle indicates that the square is a straight edge, but _at | ||
2760 | least one_ of the squares adjacent to it in the loop is a corner. | ||
2761 | |||
2762 | (In both cases, the clue only constrains the two squares adjacent | ||
2763 | _in the loop_, that is, the squares that the loop passes into after | ||
2764 | leaving the clue square. The squares that are only adjacent _in the | ||
2765 | grid_ are not constrained.) | ||
2766 | |||
2767 | Credit for this puzzle goes to Nikoli, who call it `Masyu'. [19] | ||
2768 | |||
2769 | Thanks to James Harvey for assistance with the implementation. | ||
2770 | |||
2771 | [19] http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/masyu.html (beware of Flash) | ||
2772 | |||
2773 | #36.1 Pearl controls | ||
2774 | |||
2775 | Click with the left button on a grid edge to draw a segment of the | ||
2776 | loop through that edge, or to remove a segment once it is drawn. | ||
2777 | |||
2778 | Drag with the left button through a series of squares to draw more | ||
2779 | than one segment of the loop in one go. Alternatively, drag over an | ||
2780 | existing part of the loop to undraw it, or to undraw part of it and | ||
2781 | then go in a different direction. | ||
2782 | |||
2783 | Click with the right button on a grid edge to mark it with a cross, | ||
2784 | indicating that you are sure the loop does not go through that edge. | ||
2785 | (For instance, if you have decided which of the squares adjacent | ||
2786 | to a white clue has to be a corner, but don't yet know which way | ||
2787 | the corner turns, you might mark the one way it _can't_ go with a | ||
2788 | cross.) | ||
2789 | |||
2790 | Alternatively, use the cursor keys to move the cursor. Use the Enter | ||
2791 | key to begin and end keyboard `drag' operations. Use the Space, | ||
2792 | Escape or Backspace keys to cancel the drag. Or, hold Control while | ||
2793 | dragging with the cursor keys to toggle segments as you move between | ||
2794 | squares. | ||
2795 | |||
2796 | Pressing Control-Shift-arrowkey or Shift-arrowkey simulates a left | ||
2797 | or right click, respectively, on the edge in the direction of the | ||
2798 | key. | ||
2799 | |||
2800 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2801 | |||
2802 | #36.2 Pearl parameters | ||
2803 | |||
2804 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2805 | `Type' menu. | ||
2806 | |||
2807 | #Chapter 37: Undead | ||
2808 | |||
2809 | You are given a grid of squares, some of which contain diagonal | ||
2810 | mirrors. Every square which is not a mirror must be filled with one | ||
2811 | of three types of undead monster: a ghost, a vampire, or a zombie. | ||
2812 | |||
2813 | Vampires can be seen directly, but are invisible when reflected in | ||
2814 | mirrors. Ghosts are the opposite way round: they can be seen in | ||
2815 | mirrors, but are invisible when looked at directly. Zombies are | ||
2816 | visible by any means. | ||
2817 | |||
2818 | You are also told the total number of each type of monster in the | ||
2819 | grid. Also around the edge of the grid are written numbers, which | ||
2820 | indicate how many monsters can be seen if you look into the grid | ||
2821 | along a row or column starting from that position. (The diagonal | ||
2822 | mirrors are reflective on both sides. If your reflected line of | ||
2823 | sight crosses the same monster more than once, the number will count | ||
2824 | it each time it is visible, not just once.) | ||
2825 | |||
2826 | This puzzle type was invented by David Millar, under the name | ||
2827 | `Haunted Mirror Maze'. See [20] for more details. | ||
2828 | |||
2829 | Undead was contributed to this collection by Steffen Bauer. | ||
2830 | |||
2831 | [20] http://www.janko.at/Raetsel/Spukschloss/index.htm | ||
2832 | |||
2833 | #37.1 Undead controls | ||
2834 | |||
2835 | Undead has a similar control system to Solo, Unequal and Keen. | ||
2836 | |||
2837 | To play Undead, click the mouse in any empty square and then type | ||
2838 | a letter on the keyboard indicating the type of monster: `G' for | ||
2839 | a ghost, `V' for a vampire, or `Z' for a zombie. If you make a | ||
2840 | mistake, click the mouse in the incorrect square and press Space to | ||
2841 | clear it again (or use the Undo feature). | ||
2842 | |||
2843 | If you _right_-click in a square and then type a letter, the | ||
2844 | corresponding monster will be shown in reduced size in that square, | ||
2845 | as a `pencil mark'. You can have pencil marks for multiple monsters | ||
2846 | in the same square. A square containing a full-size monster cannot | ||
2847 | also contain pencil marks. | ||
2848 | |||
2849 | The game pays no attention to pencil marks, so exactly what you | ||
2850 | use them for is up to you: you can use them as reminders that a | ||
2851 | particular square needs to be re-examined once you know more about | ||
2852 | a particular monster, or you can use them as lists of the possible | ||
2853 | monster in a given square, or anything else you feel like. | ||
2854 | |||
2855 | To erase a single pencil mark, right-click in the square and type | ||
2856 | the same letter again. | ||
2857 | |||
2858 | All pencil marks in a square are erased when you left-click and type | ||
2859 | a monster letter, or when you left-click and press Space. Right- | ||
2860 | clicking and pressing space will also erase pencil marks. | ||
2861 | |||
2862 | As for Solo, the cursor keys can be used in conjunction with the | ||
2863 | letter keys to place monsters or pencil marks. Use the cursor keys | ||
2864 | to move a highlight around the grid, and type a monster letter to | ||
2865 | enter it in the highlighted square. Pressing return toggles the | ||
2866 | highlight into a mode in which you can enter or remove pencil marks. | ||
2867 | |||
2868 | If you prefer plain letters of the alphabet to cute monster | ||
2869 | pictures, you can press `A' to toggle between showing the monsters | ||
2870 | as monsters or showing them as letters. | ||
2871 | |||
2872 | Left-clicking a clue will mark it as done (grey it out), or unmark | ||
2873 | it if it is already marked. | ||
2874 | |||
2875 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2876 | |||
2877 | #37.2 Undead parameters | ||
2878 | |||
2879 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2880 | `Type' menu. | ||
2881 | |||
2882 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
2883 | |||
2884 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
2885 | |||
2886 | _Difficulty_ | ||
2887 | |||
2888 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. | ||
2889 | |||
2890 | #Chapter 38: Unruly | ||
2891 | |||
2892 | You are given a grid of squares, which you must colour either black | ||
2893 | or white. Some squares are provided as clues; the rest are left for | ||
2894 | you to fill in. Each row and column must contain the same number | ||
2895 | of black and white squares, and no row or column may contain three | ||
2896 | consecutive squares of the same colour. | ||
2897 | |||
2898 | This puzzle type was invented by Adolfo Zanellati, under the name | ||
2899 | `Tohu wa Vohu'. See [21] for more details. | ||
2900 | |||
2901 | Unruly was contributed to this collection by Lennard Sprong. | ||
2902 | |||
2903 | [21] http://www.janko.at/Raetsel/Tohu-Wa-Vohu/index.htm | ||
2904 | |||
2905 | #38.1 Unruly controls | ||
2906 | |||
2907 | To play Unruly, click the mouse in a square to change its colour. | ||
2908 | Left-clicking an empty square will turn it black, and right-clicking | ||
2909 | will turn it white. Keep clicking the same button to cycle through | ||
2910 | the three possible states for the square. If you middle-click in a | ||
2911 | square it will be reset to empty. | ||
2912 | |||
2913 | You can also use the cursor keys to move around the grid. Pressing | ||
2914 | the return or space keys will turn an empty square black or white | ||
2915 | respectively (and then cycle the colours in the same way as the | ||
2916 | mouse buttons), and pressing Backspace will reset a square to empty. | ||
2917 | |||
2918 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2919 | |||
2920 | #38.2 Unruly parameters | ||
2921 | |||
2922 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2923 | `Type' menu. | ||
2924 | |||
2925 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
2926 | |||
2927 | Size of grid in squares. (Note that the rules of the game | ||
2928 | require both the width and height to be even numbers.) | ||
2929 | |||
2930 | _Difficulty_ | ||
2931 | |||
2932 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. | ||
2933 | |||
2934 | _Unique rows and columns_ | ||
2935 | |||
2936 | If enabled, no two rows are permitted to have exactly the same | ||
2937 | pattern, and likewise columns. (A row and a column can match, | ||
2938 | though.) | ||
2939 | |||
2940 | #Chapter 39: Flood | ||
2941 | |||
2942 | You are given a grid of squares, coloured at random in multiple | ||
2943 | colours. In each move, you can flood-fill the top left square in a | ||
2944 | colour of your choice (i.e. every square reachable from the starting | ||
2945 | square by an orthogonally connected path of squares all the same | ||
2946 | colour will be filled in the new colour). As you do this, more and | ||
2947 | more of the grid becomes connected to the starting square. | ||
2948 | |||
2949 | Your aim is to make the whole grid the same colour, in as few moves | ||
2950 | as possible. The game will set a limit on the number of moves, based | ||
2951 | on running its own internal solver. You win if you can make the | ||
2952 | whole grid the same colour in that many moves or fewer. | ||
2953 | |||
2954 | I saw this game (with a fixed grid size, fixed number of colours, | ||
2955 | and fixed move limit) at http://floodit.appspot.com (no longer | ||
2956 | accessible). | ||
2957 | |||
2958 | #39.1 Flood controls | ||
2959 | |||
2960 | To play Flood, click the mouse in a square. The top left corner and | ||
2961 | everything connected to it will be flood-filled with the colour of | ||
2962 | the square you clicked. Clicking a square the same colour as the top | ||
2963 | left corner has no effect, and therefore does not count as a move. | ||
2964 | |||
2965 | You can also use the cursor keys to move a cursor (outline black | ||
2966 | square) around the grid. Pressing the return key will fill the top | ||
2967 | left corner in the colour of the square under the cursor. | ||
2968 | |||
2969 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
2970 | |||
2971 | #39.2 Flood parameters | ||
2972 | |||
2973 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
2974 | `Type' menu. | ||
2975 | |||
2976 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
2977 | |||
2978 | Size of the grid, in squares. | ||
2979 | |||
2980 | _Colours_ | ||
2981 | |||
2982 | Number of colours used to fill the grid. Must be at least 3 | ||
2983 | (with two colours there would only be one legal move at any | ||
2984 | stage, hence no choice to make at all), and at most 10. | ||
2985 | |||
2986 | _Extra moves permitted_ | ||
2987 | |||
2988 | Controls the difficulty of the puzzle, by increasing the move | ||
2989 | limit. In each new grid, Flood will run an internal solver to | ||
2990 | generate its own solution, and then the value in this field | ||
2991 | will be added to the length of Flood's solution to generate the | ||
2992 | game's move limit. So a value of 0 requires you to be just as | ||
2993 | efficient as Flood's automated solver, and a larger value makes | ||
2994 | it easier. | ||
2995 | |||
2996 | (Note that Flood's internal solver will not necessarily find the | ||
2997 | shortest possible solution, though I believe it's pretty close. | ||
2998 | For a real challenge, set this value to 0 and then try to solve | ||
2999 | a grid in _strictly fewer_ moves than the limit you're given!) | ||
3000 | |||
3001 | #Chapter 40: Tracks | ||
3002 | |||
3003 | You are given a grid of squares, some of which are filled with train | ||
3004 | tracks. You need to complete the track from A to B so that the | ||
3005 | rows and columns contain the same number of track segments as are | ||
3006 | indicated in the clues to the top and right of the grid. | ||
3007 | |||
3008 | There are only straight and 90 degree curved rails, and the track | ||
3009 | may not cross itself. | ||
3010 | |||
3011 | Tracks was contributed to this collection by James Harvey. | ||
3012 | |||
3013 | #40.1 Tracks controls | ||
3014 | |||
3015 | Left-clicking on an edge between two squares adds a track segment | ||
3016 | between the two squares. Right-clicking on an edge adds a cross on | ||
3017 | the edge, indicating no track is possible there. | ||
3018 | |||
3019 | Left-clicking in a square adds a colour indicator showing that | ||
3020 | you know the square must contain a track, even if you don't know | ||
3021 | which edges it crosses yet. Right-clicking in a square adds a cross | ||
3022 | indicating it contains no track segment. | ||
3023 | |||
3024 | Left- or right-dragging between squares allows you to lay a straight | ||
3025 | line of is-track or is-not-track indicators, useful for filling in | ||
3026 | rows or columns to match the clue. | ||
3027 | |||
3028 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
3029 | |||
3030 | #40.2 Tracks parameters | ||
3031 | |||
3032 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
3033 | `Type' menu. | ||
3034 | |||
3035 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
3036 | |||
3037 | Size of the grid, in squares. | ||
3038 | |||
3039 | _Difficulty_ | ||
3040 | |||
3041 | Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle: at Tricky | ||
3042 | level, you are required to make more deductions regarding | ||
3043 | disregarding moves that would lead to impossible crossings | ||
3044 | later. | ||
3045 | |||
3046 | _Disallow consecutive 1 clues_ | ||
3047 | |||
3048 | Controls whether the Tracks game generation permits two adjacent | ||
3049 | rows or columns to have a 1 clue, or permits the row or column | ||
3050 | of the track's endpoint to have a 1 clue. By default this is | ||
3051 | not permitted, to avoid long straight boring segments of track | ||
3052 | and make the games more twiddly and interesting. If you want to | ||
3053 | restore the possibility, turn this option off. | ||
3054 | |||
3055 | #Chapter 41: Palisade | ||
3056 | |||
3057 | You're given a grid of squares, some of which contain numbers. Your | ||
3058 | goal is to subdivide the grid into contiguous regions, all of the | ||
3059 | same (given) size, such that each square containing a number is | ||
3060 | adjacent to exactly that many edges (including those between the | ||
3061 | inside and the outside of the grid). | ||
3062 | |||
3063 | Credit for this puzzle goes to Nikoli, who call it `Five Cells'. | ||
3064 | [22]. | ||
3065 | |||
3066 | Palisade was contributed to this collection by Jonas Koelker. | ||
3067 | |||
3068 | [22] http://nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/five_cells.html | ||
3069 | |||
3070 | #41.1 Palisade controls | ||
3071 | |||
3072 | Left-click to place an edge. Right-click to indicate `no edge'. | ||
3073 | Alternatively, the arrow keys will move a keyboard cursor. Holding | ||
3074 | Control while pressing an arrow key will place an edge. Press Shift- | ||
3075 | arrowkey to switch off an edge. Repeat an action to perform its | ||
3076 | inverse. | ||
3077 | |||
3078 | (All the actions described in section 2.1 are also available.) | ||
3079 | |||
3080 | #41.2 Palisade parameters | ||
3081 | |||
3082 | These parameters are available from the `Custom...' option on the | ||
3083 | `Type' menu. | ||
3084 | |||
3085 | _Width_, _Height_ | ||
3086 | |||
3087 | Size of grid in squares. | ||
3088 | |||
3089 | _Region size_ | ||
3090 | |||
3091 | The size of the regions into which the grid must be subdivided. | ||
3092 | |||
3093 | #Appendix A: Licence | ||
3094 | |||
3095 | This software is copyright 2004-2014 Simon Tatham. | ||
3096 | |||
3097 | Portions copyright Richard Boulton, James Harvey, Mike Pinna, Jonas | ||
3098 | Koelker, Dariusz Olszewski, Michael Schierl, Lambros Lambrou, Bernd | ||
3099 | Schmidt, Steffen Bauer, Lennard Sprong and Rogier Goossens. | ||
3100 | |||
3101 | Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person | ||
3102 | obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files | ||
3103 | (the `Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, | ||
3104 | including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, | ||
3105 | publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, | ||
3106 | and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, | ||
3107 | subject to the following conditions: | ||
3108 | |||
3109 | The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be | ||
3110 | included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. | ||
3111 | |||
3112 | THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED `AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, | ||
3113 | EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES | ||
3114 | OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND | ||
3115 | NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS | ||
3116 | BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN | ||
3117 | ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN | ||
3118 | CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE | ||
3119 | SOFTWARE. | ||
3120 | |||