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1 | \title Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection |
2 | |
3 | \cfg{winhelp-filename}{puzzles.hlp} |
4 | \cfg{winhelp-contents-titlepage}{Contents} |
5 | |
6 | \cfg{text-filename}{puzzles.txt} |
7 | |
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8 | \cfg{html-contents-filename}{index.html} |
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9 | \cfg{html-template-filename}{%k.html} |
10 | \cfg{html-index-filename}{docindex.html} |
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11 | \cfg{html-leaf-level}{1} |
12 | \cfg{html-contents-depth-0}{1} |
13 | \cfg{html-contents-depth-1}{2} |
14 | \cfg{html-leaf-contains-contents}{true} |
15 | |
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16 | \cfg{info-filename}{puzzles.info} |
17 | |
18 | \cfg{ps-filename}{puzzles.ps} |
19 | \cfg{pdf-filename}{puzzles.pdf} |
20 | |
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21 | \define{by} \u00D7{x} |
22 | |
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23 | This is a collection of small one-player puzzle games. |
24 | |
25 | \copyright This manual is copyright 2004 Simon Tatham. All rights |
26 | reserved. You may distribute this documentation under the MIT licence. |
27 | See \k{licence} for the licence text in full. |
28 | |
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29 | \cfg{html-local-head}{<meta name="AppleTitle" content="Puzzles Help">} |
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30 | |
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31 | \versionid $Id$ |
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32 | |
33 | \C{intro} Introduction |
34 | |
35 | I wrote this collection because I thought there should be more small |
36 | desktop toys available: little games you can pop up in a window and |
37 | play for two or three minutes while you take a break from whatever |
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38 | else you were doing. And I was also annoyed that every time I found |
39 | a good game on (say) \i{Unix}, it wasn't available the next time I |
40 | was sitting at a \i{Windows} machine, or vice versa; so I arranged |
41 | that everything in my personal puzzle collection will happily run on |
42 | both, and have more recently done a port to Mac OS X as well. When I |
43 | find (or perhaps invent) further puzzle games that I like, they'll |
44 | be added to this collection and will immediately be available on |
45 | both platforms. And if anyone feels like writing any other front |
46 | ends - PocketPC, Mac OS pre-10, or whatever it might be - then all |
47 | the games in this framework will immediately become available on |
48 | another platform as well. |
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49 | |
50 | The actual games in this collection were mostly not my invention; I |
51 | saw them elsewhere, and rewrote them in a form that was more |
52 | convenient for me. I do not claim credit, in general, for inventing |
53 | the rules of any of these puzzles; all I claim is authorship of the |
54 | code (or at least those parts of the code that weren't contributed |
55 | by other people!). |
56 | |
57 | This collection is distributed under the \i{MIT licence} (see |
58 | \k{licence}). This means that you can do pretty much anything you like |
59 | with the game binaries or the code, except pretending you wrote them |
60 | yourself, or suing me if anything goes wrong. |
61 | |
62 | The most recent versions, and \i{source code}, can be found at |
63 | \I{website}\W{http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/}\cw{http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/}. |
64 | |
65 | Please report \I{feedback}\i{bugs} to |
66 | \W{mailto:anakin@pobox.com}\cw{anakin@pobox.com}. |
67 | You might find it helpful to read this article before reporting a bug: |
68 | |
69 | \W{http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html}\cw{http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html} |
70 | |
71 | \ii{Patches} are welcome. Especially if they provide a new front end |
72 | (to make all these games run on another platform), or a new game. |
73 | |
74 | |
75 | \C{common} \ii{Common features} |
76 | |
77 | This chapter describes features that are common to all the games. |
78 | |
79 | \H{common-actions} \I{controls}Common actions |
80 | |
81 | These actions are all available from the \I{Game menu}\q{Game} menu |
82 | and via \I{keys}keyboard shortcuts, in addition to any game-specific |
83 | actions. |
84 | |
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85 | (On Mac OS X, to conform with local user interface standards, these |
86 | actions are situated on the \I{File menu}\q{File} and \q{Edit |
87 | menu}\q{Edit} menus instead.) |
88 | |
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89 | \dt \ii\e{New game} (\q{N}, Ctrl+\q{N}) |
90 | |
91 | \dd Starts a new game, with a random initial state. |
92 | |
93 | \dt \ii\e{Restart game} (\q{R}) |
94 | |
95 | \dd Resets the current game to its initial state. Undo is lost. |
96 | |
97 | \dt \ii\e{Undo} (\q{U}, Ctrl+\q{Z}, Ctrl+\q{_}) |
98 | |
99 | \dd Undoes a single move. (You can undo moves back to the start of the |
100 | game.) |
101 | |
102 | \dt \ii\e{Redo} (Ctrl+\q{R}) |
103 | |
104 | \dd Redoes a previous undone move. |
105 | |
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106 | \dt \ii\e{Copy} |
107 | |
108 | \dd Copies the current state of your game to the clipboard in text |
109 | format, so that you can paste it into (say) an e-mail client or a |
110 | web message board if you're discussing the game with someone else. |
111 | (Not all games support this feature.) |
112 | |
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113 | \dt \ii\e{Solve} |
114 | |
115 | \dd Transforms the puzzle instantly into its solved state. For some |
116 | games (Cube) this feature is not supported at all because it is of |
117 | no particular use. For other games (such as Pattern), the solved |
118 | state can be used to give you information, if you can't see how a |
119 | solution can exist at all or you want to know where you made a |
120 | mistake. For still other games (such as Sixteen), automatic solution |
121 | tells you nothing about how to \e{get} to the solution, but it does |
122 | provide a useful way to get there quickly so that you can experiment |
123 | with set-piece moves and transformations. |
124 | |
125 | \lcont{ |
126 | |
127 | Some games (such as Solo) are capable of solving a game ID you have |
128 | typed in from elsewhere. Other games (such as Rectangles) cannot |
129 | solve a game ID they didn't invent themself, but when they did |
130 | invent the game ID they know what the solution is already. Still |
131 | other games (Pattern) can solve \e{some} external game IDs, but only |
132 | if they aren't too difficult. |
133 | |
134 | } |
135 | |
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136 | \dt \I{exit}\ii\e{Quit} (\q{Q}, Ctrl+\q{Q}) |
137 | |
138 | \dd Closes the application entirely. |
139 | |
140 | \H{common-id} Recreating games with the \ii{game ID} |
141 | |
142 | The \q{\i{Specific...}} option from the \I{Game menu}\q{Game} menu |
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143 | (or the \q{File} menu, on Mac OS X) lets you see a short string (the |
144 | \q{game ID}) that captures the initial state of the current game. |
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145 | |
146 | The precise \I{ID format}format of the ID is specific to each game. |
147 | It consists of two parts delimited by a colon (e.g., \c{c4x4:4F01,0}); |
148 | the first part encodes \i\e{parameters} (such as grid size), while the |
149 | second part encodes a \i\e{seed}, which determines the \i{initial |
150 | state} of the game within those parameters. |
151 | |
152 | You can specify a new ID (or just a seed) here. Pressing \q{OK} starts |
153 | a new game with the specified ID (whether you changed it or not). |
154 | Pressing \q{Cancel} returns to the current game. |
155 | |
156 | You can also use the game ID (or just the encoded parameters) as a |
157 | \i{command line} argument; see \k{common-cmdline} for more detail. |
158 | |
159 | Game IDs are portable across platforms; you can use a game ID |
160 | generated by the Windows version of a game on the Unix version, etc. |
161 | |
162 | \H{common-type} The \q{Type} menu |
163 | |
164 | The \I{Type menu}\q{Type} menu, if present, may contain a list of |
165 | \i{preset} game settings. Selecting one of these will start a new |
166 | random game with the parameters specified. |
167 | |
168 | The \q{Type} menu may also contain a \q{\i{Custom...}} option which |
169 | allows you to fine-tune game \i{parameters}. The parameters available |
170 | are specific to each game and are described in the following sections. |
171 | |
172 | \H{common-cmdline} Specifying game parameters on the \i{command line} |
173 | |
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174 | (This section does not apply to the Mac OS X version.) |
175 | |
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176 | The games in this collection deliberately do not ever save |
177 | information on to the computer they run on: they have no high score |
178 | tables and no saved preferences. (This is because I expect at least |
179 | some people to play them at work, and those people will probably |
180 | appreciate leaving as little evidence as possible!) |
181 | |
182 | However, if you do want to arrange for one of these games to default |
183 | to a particular set of parameters, you can specify them on the |
184 | command line. |
185 | |
186 | The easiest way to do this is to set up the parameters you want |
187 | using the \q{Type} menu (see \k{common-type}), and then to select |
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188 | \q{Specific} from the \q{Game} or \q{File} menu (see \k{common-id}). |
189 | The text in the \q{Game ID} box will be composed of two parts, |
190 | separated by a colon. The first of these parts represents the game |
191 | parameters (the size of the playing area, for example, and anything |
192 | else you set using the \q{Type} menu). |
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193 | |
194 | If you run the game with just that parameter text on the command |
195 | line, it will start up with the settings you specified. |
196 | |
197 | For example: if you run Cube (see \k{cube}), select \q{Octahedron} |
198 | from the \q{Type} menu, and then go to the game ID selection, you |
199 | will see a string of the form \cq{o2x2:911A81,10}. Take only the |
200 | part before the colon (\cq{o2x2}), and start Cube with that text on |
201 | the command line: \cq{cube o2x2}. |
202 | |
203 | If you copy the \e{entire} game ID on to the command line, the game |
204 | will start up in the specific game that was described. This is |
205 | occasionally a more convenient way to start a particular game ID |
206 | than by pasting it into the game ID selection box. |
207 | |
208 | \C{net} \i{Net} |
209 | |
210 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.net} |
211 | |
212 | (\e{Note:} the \i{Windows} version of this game is called |
213 | \i\cw{NETGAME.EXE} to avoid clashing with Windows's own \cw{NET.EXE}.) |
214 | |
215 | I originally saw this in the form of a Flash game called \i{FreeNet} |
216 | \k{FreeNet}, written by Pavils Jurjans. The computer prepares a |
217 | network by connecting up the centres of squares in a grid, and then |
218 | shuffles the network by rotating every tile randomly. Your job is to |
219 | rotate it all back into place. The successful solution will be an |
220 | entirely connected network, with no closed loops. \#{Is it also true |
221 | that a correct solution will not contain any cycles?} As a visual aid, |
222 | all tiles which are connected to the one in the middle are |
223 | highlighted. |
224 | |
225 | \B{FreeNet} \W{http://www.jurjans.lv/stuff/net/FreeNet.htm}\cw{http://www.jurjans.lv/stuff/net/FreeNet.htm} |
226 | |
227 | \H{net-controls} \i{Net controls} |
228 | |
229 | \IM{Net controls} controls, for Net |
230 | \IM{Net controls} keys, for Net |
231 | \IM{Net controls} shortcuts (keyboard), for Net |
232 | |
233 | This game can be played with either the keyboard or the mouse. The |
234 | controls are: |
235 | |
236 | \dt \e{Select tile}: mouse pointer, arrow keys |
237 | |
238 | \dt \e{Rotate tile anticlockwise}: left mouse button, \q{A} key |
239 | |
240 | \dt \e{Rotate tile clockwise}: right mouse button, \q{D} key |
241 | |
242 | \dt \e{Lock (or unlock) tile}: middle mouse button, shift-click, \q{S} key |
243 | |
244 | \dd You can lock a tile once you're sure of its orientation. You can |
245 | also unlock it again, but while it's locked you can't accidentally |
246 | turn it. |
247 | |
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248 | \dt \e{Jumble tiles}: \q{J} key |
249 | |
250 | \dd This key turns all tiles that are not locked to random |
251 | orientations. |
252 | |
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253 | (All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.) |
254 | |
255 | \H{net-params} \I{parameters, for Net}Net parameters |
256 | |
257 | These parameters are available from the \q{Custom...} option on the |
258 | \q{Type} menu. |
259 | |
260 | \dt \e{Width}, \e{Height} |
261 | |
262 | \dd Size of grid in tiles. |
263 | |
264 | \dt \e{Walls wrap around} |
265 | |
266 | \dd If checked, flow can pass from the left edge to the right edge, |
267 | and from top to bottom, and vice versa. |
268 | |
269 | \dt \e{Barrier probability} |
270 | |
271 | \dd A number between 0.0 and 1.0 controlling whether an immovable |
272 | barrier is placed between two tiles to prevent flow between them (a |
273 | higher number gives more barriers). Since barriers are immovable, they |
274 | act as constraints on the solution (i.e., hints). |
275 | |
276 | \lcont{ |
277 | |
278 | The grid generation in Net has been carefully arranged so that the |
279 | barriers are independent of the rest of the grid. This means that if |
280 | you change the \e{Barrier probability} parameter, and then re-enter |
281 | the same game ID you were playing before (see \k{common-id}), you |
282 | should see exactly the same starting grid, with the only change |
283 | being the number of barriers. So if you're stuck on a particular |
284 | grid and need a hint, you could start up another instance of Net, |
285 | set up the same parameters but a higher barrier probability, and |
286 | enter the game seed from the original Net window. |
287 | |
288 | } |
289 | |
290 | \C{cube} \i{Cube} |
291 | |
292 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.cube} |
293 | |
294 | This is another one I originally saw as a web game. This one was a |
295 | Java game \k{cube-java-game}, by Paul Scott. You have a grid of 16 |
296 | squares, six of which are blue; on one square rests a cube. Your move |
297 | is to use the arrow keys to roll the cube through 90 degrees so that |
298 | it moves to an adjacent square. If you roll the cube on to a blue |
299 | square, the blue square is picked up on one face of the cube; if you |
300 | roll a blue face of the cube on to a non-blue square, the blueness is |
301 | put down again. (In general, whenever you roll the cube, the two faces |
302 | that come into contact swap colours.) Your job is to get all six blue |
303 | squares on to the six faces of the cube at the same time. Count your |
304 | moves and try to do it in as few as possible. |
305 | |
306 | Unlike the original Java game, my version has an additional feature: |
307 | once you've mastered the game with a cube rolling on a square grid, |
308 | you can change to a triangular grid and roll any of a tetrahedron, an |
309 | octahedron or an icosahedron. |
310 | |
311 | \B{cube-java-game} \W{http://www3.sympatico.ca/paulscott/cube/cube.htm}\cw{http://www3.sympatico.ca/paulscott/cube/cube.htm} |
312 | |
313 | \H{cube-controls} \i{Cube controls} |
314 | |
315 | \IM{Cube controls} controls, for Cube |
316 | \IM{Cube controls} keys, for Cube |
317 | \IM{Cube controls} shortcuts (keyboard), for Cube |
318 | |
319 | This game is played with the keyboard. The arrow keys are used to roll the |
320 | cube (or other solid). |
321 | |
322 | On the triangular grids, the mapping of arrow keys to directions is |
323 | more approximate. Vertical movement is disallowed where it doesn't |
324 | make sense. The four keys surrounding the arrow keys on the numeric |
325 | keypad (\q{7}, \q{9}, \q{1}, \q{3}) can be used for diagonal movement. |
326 | |
327 | (All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.) |
328 | |
329 | \H{cube-params} \I{parameters, for Cube}Cube parameters |
330 | |
331 | These parameters are available from the \q{Custom...} option on the |
332 | \q{Type} menu. |
333 | |
334 | \dt \e{Type of solid} |
335 | |
336 | \dd Selects the solid to roll (and hence the shape of the grid): |
337 | tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, or icosahedron. |
338 | |
339 | \dt \e{Width / top}, \e{Height / bottom} |
340 | |
341 | \dd On a square grid, horizontal and vertical dimensions. On a |
342 | triangular grid, the number of triangles on the top and bottom rows |
343 | respectively. |
344 | |
345 | |
346 | \C{fifteen} \i{Fifteen} |
347 | |
348 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.fifteen} |
349 | |
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350 | The old ones are the best: this is the good old \q{\i{15-puzzle}} |
351 | with sliding tiles. You have a 4\by\.4 square grid; 15 squares |
352 | contain numbered tiles, and the sixteenth is empty. Your move is to |
353 | choose a tile next to the empty space, and slide it into the space. |
354 | The aim is to end up with the tiles in numerical order, with the |
355 | space in the bottom right (so that the top row reads 1,2,3,4 and the |
356 | bottom row reads 13,14,15,\e{space}). |
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357 | |
358 | \H{fifteen-controls} \i{Fifteen controls} |
359 | |
360 | \IM{Fifteen controls} controls, for Fifteen |
361 | \IM{Fifteen controls} keys, for Fifteen |
362 | \IM{Fifteen controls} shortcuts (keyboard), for Fifteen |
363 | |
364 | This game can be controlled with the mouse or the keyboard. |
365 | |
366 | A left-click with the mouse in the row or column containing the empty |
367 | space will move as many tiles as necessary to move the space to the |
368 | mouse pointer. |
369 | |
370 | The arrow keys will move a tile adjacent to the space in the direction |
371 | indicated (moving the space in the \e{opposite} direction). |
372 | |
373 | (All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.) |
374 | |
375 | \H{fifteen-params} \I{parameters, for Fifteen}Fifteen parameters |
376 | |
377 | The only options available from the \q{Custom...} option on the \q{Type} |
378 | menu are \e{Width} and \e{Height}, which are self-explanatory. (Once |
379 | you've changed these, it's not a \q{15-puzzle} any more, of course!) |
380 | |
381 | |
382 | \C{sixteen} \i{Sixteen} |
383 | |
384 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.sixteen} |
385 | |
386 | Another sliding tile puzzle, visually similar to Fifteen (see |
387 | \k{fifteen}) but with a different type of move. This time, there is no |
388 | hole: all 16 squares on the grid contain numbered squares. Your move |
389 | is to shift an entire row left or right, or shift an entire column up |
390 | or down; every time you do that, the tile you shift off the grid |
391 | re-appears at the other end of the same row, in the space you just |
392 | vacated. To win, arrange the tiles into numerical order (1,2,3,4 on |
393 | the top row, 13,14,15,16 on the bottom). When you've done that, try |
394 | playing on different sizes of grid. |
395 | |
396 | I \e{might} have invented this game myself, though only by accident if |
397 | so (and I'm sure other people have independently invented it). I |
398 | thought I was imitating a screensaver I'd seen, but I have a feeling |
399 | that the screensaver might actually have been a Fifteen-type puzzle |
400 | rather than this slightly different kind. So this might be the one |
401 | thing in my puzzle collection which represents creativity on my part |
402 | rather than just engineering. |
403 | |
404 | \H{sixteen-controls} \I{controls, for Sixteen}Sixteen controls |
405 | |
406 | This game is played with the mouse. Left-clicking on an arrow will |
407 | move the appropriate row or column in the direction indicated. |
408 | Right-clicking will move it in the opposite direction. |
409 | |
410 | (All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.) |
411 | |
412 | \H{sixteen-params} \I{parameters, for Sixteen}Sixteen parameters |
413 | |
414 | The only parameters available from the \q{Custom...} option on the |
415 | \q{Type} menu are \e{Width} and \e{Height}, which are |
416 | self-explanatory. |
417 | |
418 | |
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419 | \C{twiddle} \i{Twiddle} |
420 | |
421 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.twiddle} |
422 | |
423 | Twiddle is a tile-rearrangement puzzle, visually similar to Sixteen |
424 | (see \k{sixteen}): you are given a grid of square tiles, each |
425 | containing a number, and your aim is to arrange the numbers into |
426 | ascending order. |
427 | |
428 | In basic Twiddle, your move is to rotate a square group of four |
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429 | tiles about their common centre. (Orientation is not significant in |
430 | the basic puzzle, although you can select it.) On more advanced |
431 | settings, you can rotate a larger square group of tiles. |
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432 | |
433 | I first saw this type of puzzle in the GameCube game \q{Metroid |
434 | Prime 2}. In the Main Gyro Chamber in that game, there is a puzzle |
435 | you solve to unlock a door, which is a special case of Twiddle. I |
436 | developed this game as a generalisation of that puzzle. |
437 | |
438 | \H{twiddle-controls} \I{controls, for Twiddle}Twiddle controls |
439 | |
440 | To play Twiddle, click the mouse in the centre of the square group |
441 | you wish to rotate. In the basic mode, you rotate a 2\by\.2 square, |
442 | which means you have to click at a corner point where four tiles |
443 | meet. |
444 | |
445 | In more advanced modes you might be rotating 3\by\.3 or even more at |
446 | a time; if the size of the square is odd then you simply click in |
447 | the centre tile of the square you want to rotate. |
448 | |
449 | Clicking with the left mouse button rotates the group anticlockwise. |
450 | Clicking with the right button rotates it clockwise. |
451 | |
452 | (All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.) |
453 | |
454 | \H{twiddle-parameters} \I{parameters, for Twiddle}Twiddle parameters |
455 | |
456 | Twiddle provides several configuration options via the \q{Custom} |
457 | option on the \q{Type} menu: |
458 | |
459 | \b You can configure the width and height of the puzzle grid. |
460 | |
461 | \b You can configure the size of square block that rotates at a time. |
462 | |
463 | \b You can ask for every square in the grid to be distinguishable |
464 | (the default), or you can ask for a simplified puzzle in which there |
465 | are groups of identical numbers. In the simplified puzzle your aim |
466 | is just to arrange all the 1s into the first row, all the 2s into |
467 | the second row, and so on. |
468 | |
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469 | \b You can configure whether the orientation of tiles matters. If |
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470 | you ask for an orientable puzzle, each tile will have a triangle |
471 | drawn in it. All the triangles must be pointing upwards to complete |
472 | the puzzle. |
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473 | |
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474 | |
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475 | \C{rectangles} \i{Rectangles} |
476 | |
477 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.rectangles} |
478 | |
479 | You have a grid of squares, with numbers written in some (but not all) |
480 | of the squares. Your task is to subdivide the grid into rectangles of |
481 | various sizes, such that (a) every rectangle contains exactly one |
482 | numbered square, and (b) the area of each rectangle is equal to the |
483 | number written in its numbered square. |
484 | |
485 | Credit for this game goes to the Japanese puzzle magazine \i{Nikoli} |
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486 | \k{nikoli-rect}; I've also seen a Palm implementation at \i{Puzzle Palace} |
487 | \k{puzzle-palace-rect}. Unlike Puzzle Palace's implementation, my version |
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488 | automatically generates random grids of any size you like. The quality |
489 | of puzzle design is therefore not quite as good as hand-crafted |
490 | puzzles would be (in particular, a unique solution cannot be |
491 | guaranteed), but on the plus side you get an inexhaustible supply of |
492 | puzzles tailored to your own specification. |
493 | |
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494 | \B{nikoli-rect} \W{http://www.nikoli.co.jp/puzzles/7/index_text-e.htm}\cw{http://www.nikoli.co.jp/puzzles/7/index_text-e.htm} |
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495 | |
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496 | \B{puzzle-palace-rect} \W{http://www.puzzle.gr.jp/puzzle/sikaku/palm/index.html.en}\cw{http://www.puzzle.gr.jp/puzzle/sikaku/palm/index.html.en} |
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497 | |
498 | \H{rectangles-controls} \I{controls, for Rectangles}Rectangles controls |
499 | |
500 | This game is played with the mouse. |
501 | |
502 | Left-click any edge to toggle it on or off, or click and drag to draw |
503 | an entire rectangle (or line) on the grid in one go (removing any |
504 | existing edges within that rectangle). |
505 | |
506 | When a rectangle of the correct size is completed, it will be shaded. |
507 | |
508 | (All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.) |
509 | |
510 | \H{rectangles-params} \I{parameters, for Rectangles}Rectangles parameters |
511 | |
aea3ed9a |
512 | The \q{Custom...} option on the \q{Type} menu offers you \e{Width} |
513 | and \e{Height} parameters, which are self-explanatory. |
514 | |
515 | \q{Expansion factor} is a mechanism for changing the type of grids |
516 | generated by the program. Some people prefer a grid containing a few |
517 | large rectangles to one containing many small ones. So you can ask |
518 | Rectangles to essentially generate a \e{smaller} grid than the size |
519 | you specified, and then to expand it by adding rows and columns. |
520 | |
521 | The default expansion factor of zero means that Rectangles will |
522 | simply generate a grid of the size you ask for, and do nothing |
523 | further. If you set an expansion factor of (say) 0.5, it means that |
524 | each dimension of the grid will be expanded to half again as big |
525 | after generation. In other words, the initial grid will be 2/3 the |
526 | size in each dimension, and will be expanded to its full size |
527 | without adding any more rectangles. |
528 | |
4a03dbb4 |
529 | Setting an expansion factor of around 0.5 tends to make the game |
530 | more difficult, and also (in my experience) rewards a less deductive |
531 | and more intuitive playing style. If you set it \e{too} high, |
532 | though, the game simply cannot generate more than a few rectangles |
533 | to cover the entire grid, and the game becomes trivial. |
aea3ed9a |
534 | |
535 | \H{rectangles-cmdline} \I{command line, for Rectangles}Additional |
536 | command-line configuration |
537 | |
538 | The expansion factor parameter, described in \k{rectangles-params}, |
539 | is not mentioned by default in the game ID (see \k{common-id}). So |
540 | if you set your expansion factor to (say) 0.75, and then you |
1d8e8ad8 |
541 | generate an 11\by\.11 grid, then the game ID will simply say |
aea3ed9a |
542 | \c{11x11:}\e{numbers}. This means that if you send the game ID to |
543 | another player and they paste it into their copy of Rectangles, |
544 | their game will not be automatically configured to use the same |
545 | expansion factor in any subsequent grids it generates. (I don't |
546 | think the average person examining a single grid sent to them by |
547 | another player would want their configuration modified to that |
548 | extent.) |
549 | |
550 | If you are specifying a game ID or game parameters on the command |
551 | line (see \k{common-cmdline}) and you do want to configure the |
552 | expansion factor, you can do it by suffixing the letter \cq{e} to |
553 | the parameters, followed by the expansion factor as a decimal |
554 | number. For example: |
555 | |
556 | \b \cq{rect 11x11e0.75} starts Rectangles with a grid size of |
557 | 11\u00d7{x}11 and an expansion factor of 0.75. |
558 | |
559 | \b \cq{rect 11x11e0.75:g11c6e5e4a2_4e9c3b3d3b5g2b6c4k4g30a8n3j1g6a2} |
560 | starts Rectangles with a grid size of 11\u00d7{x}11, an expansion |
561 | factor of 0.75, \e{and} a specific game selected. |
e91825f8 |
562 | |
6ae37301 |
563 | |
e91825f8 |
564 | \C{netslide} \i{Netslide} |
565 | |
566 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.netslide} |
567 | |
568 | This game was submitted by Richard Boulton. It combines the grid |
569 | generation of Net (see \k{net}) with the movement of Sixteen (see |
570 | \k{sixteen}): you have a Net grid, but instead of rotating tiles back |
571 | into place you have to slide them into place by moving a whole row at |
572 | a time. |
573 | |
e91825f8 |
574 | As in Sixteen, \I{controls, for Netslide}control is with the mouse. |
575 | See \k{sixteen-controls}. |
576 | |
577 | \I{parameters, for Netslide}Game parameters are the same as for Net |
578 | (see \k{net-params}). |
579 | |
6ae37301 |
580 | |
b6b0369e |
581 | \C{pattern} \i{Pattern} |
582 | |
583 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.pattern} |
584 | |
585 | You have a grid of squares, which must all be filled in either black |
586 | or white. Beside each row of the grid are listed the lengths of the |
587 | runs of black squares on that row; above each column are listed the |
588 | lengths of the runs of black squares in that column. Your aim is to |
589 | fill in the entire grid black or white. |
590 | |
591 | I first saw this puzzle form around 1995, under the name |
2e1e03ff |
592 | \q{\i{nonograms}}. I've seen it in various places since then, under |
b6b0369e |
593 | different names. |
594 | |
595 | Normally, puzzles of this type turn out to be a meaningful picture |
596 | of something once you've solved them. However, since this version |
597 | generates the puzzles automatically, they will just look like random |
598 | groupings of squares. (One user has suggested that this is actually |
599 | a \e{good} thing, since it prevents you from guessing the colour of |
600 | squares based on the picture, and forces you to use logic instead.) |
601 | The advantage, though, is that you never run out of them. |
602 | |
2e1e03ff |
603 | \H{pattern-controls} \I{controls, for Pattern}Pattern controls |
b6b0369e |
604 | |
605 | This game is played with the mouse. |
606 | |
607 | Left-click in a square to colour it black. Right-click to colour it |
608 | white. If you make a mistake, you can middle-click, or hold down |
609 | Shift while clicking with any button, to colour the square in the |
610 | default grey (meaning \q{undecided}) again. |
611 | |
612 | You can click and drag with the left or right mouse button to colour |
613 | a vertical or horizontal line of squares black or white at a time |
614 | (respectively). If you click and drag with the middle button, or |
615 | with Shift held down, you can colour a whole rectangle of squares |
616 | grey. |
617 | |
2e1e03ff |
618 | (All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.) |
619 | |
b6b0369e |
620 | \H{pattern-parameters} \I{parameters, for Pattern}Pattern parameters |
621 | |
622 | The only options available from the \q{Custom...} option on the \q{Type} |
623 | menu are \e{Width} and \e{Height}, which are self-explanatory. |
e91825f8 |
624 | |
6ae37301 |
625 | |
1d8e8ad8 |
626 | \C{solo} \i{Solo} |
627 | |
628 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.solo} |
629 | |
630 | You have a square grid, which is divided into square or rectangular |
631 | blocks. Each square must be filled in with a digit from 1 to the |
632 | size of the grid, in such a way that |
633 | |
634 | \b every row contains only one occurrence of each digit |
635 | |
636 | \b every column contains only one occurrence of each digit |
637 | |
638 | \b every block contains only one occurrence of each digit. |
639 | |
640 | You are given some of the numbers as clues; your aim is to place the |
641 | rest of the numbers correctly. |
642 | |
643 | The default puzzle size is 3\by\.3 (a 9\by\.9 actual grid, divided |
644 | into nine 3\by\.3 blocks). You can also select sizes with |
645 | rectangular blocks instead of square ones, such as 2\by\.3 (a |
646 | 6\by\.6 grid divided into six 3\by\.2 blocks). |
647 | |
648 | If you select a puzzle size which requires more than 9 digits, the |
649 | additional digits will be letters of the alphabet. For example, if |
650 | you select 3\by\.4 then the digits which go in your grid will be 1 |
651 | to 9, plus \cq{a}, \cq{b} and \cq{c}. |
652 | |
6ae37301 |
653 | I first saw this puzzle in \i{Nikoli} \k{nikoli-solo}, although it's also |
1d8e8ad8 |
654 | been popularised by various newspapers under the name \q{Sudoku} or |
655 | \q{Su Doku}. |
656 | |
6ae37301 |
657 | \B{nikoli-solo} \W{http://www.nikoli.co.jp/puzzles/1/index_text-e.htm}\cw{http://www.nikoli.co.jp/puzzles/1/index_text-e.htm} |
658 | |
1d8e8ad8 |
659 | \H{solo-controls} \I{controls, for Solo}Solo controls |
660 | |
661 | To play Solo, simply click the mouse in any empty square and then |
662 | type a digit or letter on the keyboard to fill that square. If you |
663 | make a mistake, click the mouse in the incorrect square and press |
664 | Space to clear it again (or use the Undo feature). |
665 | |
666 | (All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.) |
667 | |
668 | \H{solo-parameters} \I{parameters, for Solo}Solo parameters |
669 | |
670 | Solo allows you to configure two separate dimensions of the puzzle |
6ae37301 |
671 | grid on the \q{Type} menu: the number of columns, and the number of |
672 | rows, into which the main grid is divided. (The size of a block is |
673 | the inverse of this: for example, if you select 2 columns and 3 rows, |
674 | each actual block will have 3 columns and 2 rows.) |
1d8e8ad8 |
675 | |
ef57b17d |
676 | You can also configure the type of symmetry shown in the generated |
677 | puzzles. More symmetry makes the puzzles look prettier but may also |
678 | make them easier, since the symmetry constraints can force more |
679 | clues than necessary to be present. Completely asymmetric puzzles |
680 | have the freedom to contain as few clues as possible. |
681 | |
7c568a48 |
682 | Finally, you can configure the difficulty of the generated puzzles. |
683 | Difficulty levels are judged by the complexity of the techniques of |
684 | deduction required to solve the puzzle: each level requires a mode |
685 | of reasoning which was not necessary in the previous one. In |
686 | particular, on difficulty levels \q{Trivial} and \q{Basic} there |
687 | will be a square you can fill in with a single number at all times, |
688 | whereas at \q{Intermediate} level and beyond you will have to make |
689 | partial deductions about the \e{set} of squares a number could be in |
690 | (or the set of numbers that could be in a square). None of the |
691 | difficulty levels generated by this program ever requires making a |
692 | guess and backtracking if it turns out to be wrong. |
693 | |
694 | Generating difficult puzzles is itself difficult: if you select |
695 | \q{Intermediate} or \q{Advanced} difficulty, Solo may have to make |
696 | many attempts at generating a puzzle before it finds one hard enough |
697 | for you. Be prepared to wait, especially if you have also configured |
698 | a large puzzle size. |
699 | |
ef57b17d |
700 | \H{solo-cmdline} \I{command line, for Solo}Additional command-line |
701 | configuration |
702 | |
7c568a48 |
703 | The symmetry and difficulty parameters (described in |
704 | \k{solo-parameters}) are not mentioned by default in the game ID |
705 | (see \k{common-id}). So if (for example) you set your symmetry to |
706 | 4-way rotational and your difficulty to \q{Advanced}, and then you |
707 | generate a 3\by\.4 grid, then the game ID will simply say |
708 | \c{3x4:}\e{numbers}. This means that if you send the game ID to |
709 | another player and they paste it into their copy of Solo, their game |
710 | will not be automatically configured to use the same symmetry and |
711 | difficulty settings in any subsequent grids it generates. (I don't |
712 | think the average person examining a single grid sent to them by |
713 | another player would want their configuration modified to that |
714 | extent.) |
ef57b17d |
715 | |
716 | If you are specifying a game ID or game parameters on the command |
717 | line (see \k{common-cmdline}) and you do want to configure the |
718 | symmetry, you can do it by suffixing additional text to the |
719 | parameters: |
720 | |
721 | \b \cq{m4} for 4-way mirror symmetry |
722 | |
723 | \b \cq{r4} for 4-way rotational symmetry |
724 | |
725 | \b \cq{r2} for 2-way rotational symmetry |
726 | |
727 | \b \cq{a} for no symmetry at all (stands for \q{asymmetric}) |
728 | |
7c568a48 |
729 | \b \cq{dt} for Trivial difficulty level |
730 | |
731 | \b \cq{db} for Basic difficulty level |
732 | |
733 | \b \cq{di} for Intermediate difficulty level |
734 | |
735 | \b \cq{da} for Advanced difficulty level |
736 | |
ef57b17d |
737 | So, for example, you can make Solo generate asymmetric 3x4 grids by |
738 | running \cq{solo 3x4a}, or 4-way rotationally symmetric 2x3 grids by |
7c568a48 |
739 | running \cq{solo 2x3r4}, or \q{Advanced}-level 2x3 grids by running |
740 | \cq{solo 2x3da}. |
ef57b17d |
741 | |
742 | |
e91825f8 |
743 | \A{licence} \I{MIT licence}\ii{Licence} |
744 | |
8a771ea7 |
745 | This software is \i{copyright} 2004-2005 Simon Tatham. |
e91825f8 |
746 | |
747 | Portions copyright Richard Boulton. |
748 | |
749 | Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person |
750 | obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files |
751 | (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, |
752 | including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, |
753 | publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, |
754 | and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, |
755 | subject to the following conditions: |
756 | |
757 | The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be |
758 | included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. |
759 | |
760 | THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, |
761 | EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF |
762 | MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND |
763 | NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS |
764 | BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN |
765 | ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN |
766 | CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE |
767 | SOFTWARE. |
768 | |
769 | \IM{specific...} Specific..., menu option |
770 | \IM{custom...} Custom..., menu option |
771 | |
772 | \IM{game ID} game ID |
773 | \IM{game ID} ID, game |
774 | \IM{ID format} ID format |
775 | \IM{ID format} format, ID |
776 | \IM{ID format} game ID, format |
777 | |
778 | \IM{keys} keys |
779 | \IM{keys} shortcuts (keyboard) |
780 | |
781 | \IM{initial state} initial state |
782 | \IM{initial state} state, initial |
783 | |
784 | \IM{MIT licence} MIT licence |
785 | \IM{MIT licence} licence, MIT |