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#1: Marcus (aanet) on May 17, 2008 [HINT] [SPOILER]

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Very fun puzzle! I really like these puzzles that require something other than the usual line-counting strategy to solve. And the fact that it's small means that trying different strategies doesn't feel like too much work.

I agree with Marcus. I solved this, but it required every logic trick on the Advanced Puzzle solving page (except symmetry), often in rather tricky applications, and some tricks that aren't there yet (maybe "zig zag logic" should be, though this is the first time I've ever used it). If you can solve this without guessing, you are a PBN master.

Terrific puzzle and a real workout.

I agree with Meg's comment completely :)

Well, I did solve it. Not sure what techniques I used, though. Logic, intuition, maybe guessing (or educated guessing probably). (Trying to stop and decide which techniques I use is not my bag.)

This puzzle was fun. I made use of the save button when I thought I might be stuck so I knew if I got lost I could come back to that point, which was a point I knew it was right to that point. But I was OK to the end -- didn't have to go back at all.

I had fun with this. I also used the save button at points. I would like to think I solved this using logic alone but I have a feeling a couple would really be considered guessing. Loved it! Thanks

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I'm sad this is my last Marcus puzzle. I hope he comes back. Meanwhile, I.m going to miss him!

TCFW!

Really cute puzzle but trial & error combined with pattern logic were the only things that helped me solve after I got stuck. As soon as I figured out what the image was going to be, there was only one direction (logically) to apply the zig zag logic. There were some other places that I solved the clues based on how they related to other parts of the image (pattern logic). It would be difficult to convince me that these did not in some way constitute "guessing."

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amazing solve
i would like gator or infrapinklizzard to comment on their specific walkthrough

I focused on where the black could go.

Bottom row - obvious.
Left 2 clue in row 13 can only go in columns 1 and 2.
Also on row 13, R13C16 has to be black.
This makes it so that the black is complete in column 16, so the 2 clues in rows 5-8 cannot go in columns 15-17.
So the only place left for the remaining 1 clues in columns 15 and 17 are in rows 13 and 17. The 1 clue in column 17 has to go in row 13 as it would make row 17 invalid.
So the other 1 clue has to go in R17C15.
After more line/color logic, you should see how you have to make R13C10 black.
Also, looking at column 11 you need to place a black 2, red 2, then black 1. But blacks can only go in rows 5-8 and row 13. So the black 1 is forced into R13C11.

I'm not how much further I can get with line/color logic, so I'm going to switch to advanced. Looking at row 17 - column 9, the 2 clue will be completed with either R17C8 or R17C10. This makes either R19C8 or R19C10 a dot. So this lets us know that R19C10 has to be a dot. More line logic.

Next look at row 14. The right 2 clue has to be completed with either R14C18 or R14C20. Look at how this affects row 12. Either R12C18 will be a red or R12C20 will be a dot. But if R12C18 is red, then R12C20 is a dot. So in either case R12C20 is a dot. More line logic.

I'll have to finish this later, but the puzzle should be a little more than half-way done now.

how on earth did you know that i was asking for this?
i just posted my comment yesterday and you hadnt even seen this puzzle yet as far as i know
thanks though
that was perfect

I had previously solved this one (long time ago).

The next step I see is actually some smile logic. Looking at rows 12 and 13, there are two 1 clues and one 2 clue, respectively. Looking at columns 12-15, we have four 1 clues (one on each column). Hard to see at first, but this is smile logic. More line logic will now finish out the red.

We are left with just some black clues now. It's pretty easy to "see" where they will go, but it would actually be looking many moves ahead to prove it. So let's tackle it a different way.

Looking at row 8, now matter where you place the 2 clue R7C9 and R7C13 are always dots. It will finish normally from there.

So what do we have in this puzzle? Great color logic, two-way logic, smile logic, and affirmation logic all in a compact 20x20 with a great image (IMO). Absolutely stupendous puzzle to solve.

One of the best puzzles I've solved so far.

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good

Great solve!

Yikes! That was tough. It took me a bit of guess and check to finish this up.

adorable and very tough. I did guess a couple of times.

adorable and very tough. I did guess a couple of times.

Definitely used smile logic at the very end.

This was fun, thanks

A lot of fun, and an unexpected image at the end! But of course it made sense from the title and it was clear what it was. Feels like it should average 4 stars at least.

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