Yes you read right... I kinda invented something. "Linesweeper" is not too unlike popular Japanese puzzles except I guess it's not Japanese since I made it (so we I guess we should call it one of those "British Puzzles?") but this is all fluff. I should tell you all how you can play it online and where you can do so.
Linesweeper is hosted on the website of a great guy called Otto Janko, (I've mentioned his excellent site before) and he has kindly made a Javascript applet for what would have otherwise been solely a pen and paper based grid puzzle so you can actually just do it all in your browser right now!
There is a good explanation on the main page on how to solve... but it's in German so unless you want to use a translator to figure out the rules I'll just explain it here.
LINESWEEPER RULES!
1. The object is to create a path through the grid which forms a single closed loop. You can only ever move up, down, left or right (not diagonally).
2. The loop can't cross itself or have a fork in it, just one uninterrupted loop.
3. The numbered cells can't be passed through and tell you exactly how many of the 8 surrounding cells should contain some part of the solution path. (e.g. "0" means the 8 surrounding cells can't be passed through at all).
NB: There is only ever one solution and no guesswork is required.
There are 20 puzzles on the site at the moment and I've already written another 5 personally and perhaps other puzzle authors out there will create their own problems in the future? Watch this space!
Linesweeper is hosted on the website of a great guy called Otto Janko, (I've mentioned his excellent site before) and he has kindly made a Javascript applet for what would have otherwise been solely a pen and paper based grid puzzle so you can actually just do it all in your browser right now!
There is a good explanation on the main page on how to solve... but it's in German so unless you want to use a translator to figure out the rules I'll just explain it here.
LINESWEEPER RULES!
1. The object is to create a path through the grid which forms a single closed loop. You can only ever move up, down, left or right (not diagonally).
2. The loop can't cross itself or have a fork in it, just one uninterrupted loop.
3. The numbered cells can't be passed through and tell you exactly how many of the 8 surrounding cells should contain some part of the solution path. (e.g. "0" means the 8 surrounding cells can't be passed through at all).
NB: There is only ever one solution and no guesswork is required.
There are 20 puzzles on the site at the moment and I've already written another 5 personally and perhaps other puzzle authors out there will create their own problems in the future? Watch this space!
After a month of people attempting the puzzles. It has been found that Puzzle 19 is by far the most difficult so if you want to try and become the master of Linesweeper right now, I challenge you to visit the link below.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.janko.at/Raetsel/Linesweeper/019.a.htm
An excellent puzzle, thank you!
ReplyDeleteHaving done all those on Janko's wonderful website I searched on Google in the hope of finding more, which is why I am here.
I guess I'll have to try to construct some myself...
Well done and thanks again!
Martin
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