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9 votes
2 answers
297 views

How do I constrain a puzzle and keep a singular solution?

I am tinkering with a puzzle framework that has the following rules: In a 6x6 grid of squares, arrange 8 strips of connected squares such that there exists exactly one strip of every length (i.e. a ...
Brandan's user avatar
  • 163
1 vote
1 answer
142 views

Feedback on a themed Nonogram/Hidato puzzle combo with a cell color gimmick

So, as you might know, the Christmas season is coming up. (17 days until Dec. 1 at the time of writing) I'm thinking of posting some Christmas-themed puzzles during that season, and just want some ...
CrSb0001's user avatar
  • 2,423
0 votes
0 answers
170 views

How to create a big, but good Hidato puzzle?

The goal of Hidato is to fill the grid with a series of consecutive numbers adjacent to each other orthogonally or diagonally, and all tiles are required to be filled in. So, as you may or may not ...
CrSb0001's user avatar
  • 2,423
11 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can experienced players tell when a Sudoku was randomly generated? Or if it's a shuffled version?

I'm trying to make a simple classic Sudoku game in JavaScript, and I'm wondering what considerations I should have in how experienced players might interpret the generated puzzles. I'm not very ...
bryc's user avatar
  • 321
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can you make a puzzle that looks correct until the very last piece?

Lately I've been enjoying a little game called Flow Fit: Sudoku. It's basically sudoku meets jigsaw. You need to place the pieces into predetermined slots, and numbers cannot repeat in the same rows/...
Vilx-'s user avatar
  • 1,393
31 votes
11 answers
4k views

Is there a puzzle that is only solvable by assuming there is a unique solution?

Is it possible to construct a puzzle that is: Solvable if you assume there is a single unique solution Not solvable if you do not make this assumption My intuition says that the answer is "No&...
Nathan Merrill's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
366 views

How to prevent overcluing in a Statue Park?

I'm interested in making some Statue Park puzzles. This genre seems easy to accidentally overclue. I have read Deusovi's grid-deduction creation guide, but all it had to say was this: When placing ...
bobble's user avatar
  • 10.4k
10 votes
0 answers
354 views

How do I construct a Japanese-style "grid deduction" puzzle? [duplicate]

Logic puzzles like Nurikabe, Slitherlink, and Battleships -- the ones we call grid-deduction puzzles -- can be a lot of fun. How do I go about constructing them? What's the best strategy for making ...
Deusovi's user avatar
  • 147k
4 votes
1 answer
514 views

Hamiltonian Puzzle Algorithm

I know how to create a Hamiltonian path or circuit for a given grid size (in which all nodes are free). However I just wonder how to create specific type of puzzles like the ones given below. I'm ...
Joseph's user avatar
  • 43
14 votes
2 answers
2k views

Creating a Sudoku where all clue numbers are orthogonally connected to the edges of the puzzle

I'm one of a group of people building a big puzzle hunt. I have what I think is a pretty good idea for a puzzle, but I'm having trouble constructing it. Basically, what I need to do is make a sudoku ...
Nellington's user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
2k views

How does one go about creating a new grid-deduction puzzle?

The grid-deduction tag covers puzzles like Sudoku, Kakuro, etc. where the goal is to fill in a grid of numbers [/letters/colours] in a unique way by logical deduction from some predetermined rules and ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
994 views

Try to design a uniquely solvable masyu

Warning: extreme difficulty Does there exist a 6x6 masyu puzzle with one black pearl in each row/column (without any white pearls) which is uniquely solvable? What about for 7x7 grids? In fact, what ...
Wen1now's user avatar
  • 9,253
11 votes
1 answer
1k views

Futoshiki Puzzle with the least amount of clue

You are supposed to create a new $5$x$5$ Futoshiki puzzle with the least amount of clues possible, but this puzzle needs a unique answer. In other words, What is the minimum number of clues for $5$...
Oray's user avatar
  • 30.4k
16 votes
2 answers
8k views

Creating a Kakuro puzzle with a unique solution

I start with a grid of black and white cells. I randomly populate the white cells from numbers (1-9) using Kakuro rules. Then I calculate the horizontal and vertical sums. I remove the numbers from ...
Surendra Jain's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
402 views

WITLESS Inscription 5

2 days ago, TheGreatEscaper had to take down Inscription 5 of WITLESS - A Puzzling Journey, due to (can you clarify TheGreatEscaper?) the lack of a solution. Can anyone think of a valid Inscription ...
boboquack's user avatar
  • 22k

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