This is a collection of small one-player puzzle games.
-\copyright This manual is copyright 2004-5 Simon Tatham. All rights
+\copyright This manual is copyright 2004-2008 Simon Tatham. All rights
reserved. You may distribute this documentation under the MIT licence.
See \k{licence} for the licence text in full.
\lcont{
-The Load and Save operations should preserve your entire game
+The Load and Save operations preserve your entire game
history (so you can save, reload, and still Undo and Redo things you
had done before saving).
(This section only applies to the Unix port.)
-In addition to specifying game parameters on the command line (see
-\k{common-cmdline}), you can also specify various options:
+In addition to being able to specify game parameters on the command
+line (see \k{common-cmdline}), there are various other options:
+
+\dt \cw{--game}
+
+\dt \cw{--load}
+
+\dd These options respectively determine whether the command-line
+argument is treated as specifying game parameters or a \i{save} file
+to \i{load}. Only one should be specified. If neither of these options
+is specified, a guess is made based on the format of the argument.
\dt \cw{--generate }\e{n}
\cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.solo}
-You have a square grid, which is divided into square or rectangular
-blocks. Each square must be filled in with a digit from 1 to the
-size of the grid, in such a way that
+You have a square grid, which is divided into as many equally sized
+sub-blocks as the grid has rows. Each square must be filled in with
+a digit from 1 to the size of the grid, in such a way that
\b every row contains only one occurrence of each digit
\b every block contains only one occurrence of each digit.
+\b (optionally, by default off) each of the square's two main
+diagonals contains only one occurrence of each digit.
+
You are given some of the numbers as clues; your aim is to place the
rest of the numbers correctly.
-The default puzzle size is 3\by\.3 (a 9\by\.9 actual grid, divided
-into nine 3\by\.3 blocks). You can also select sizes with
-rectangular blocks instead of square ones, such as 2\by\.3 (a
-6\by\.6 grid divided into six 3\by\.2 blocks).
+Under the default settings, the sub-blocks are square or
+rectangular. The default puzzle size is 3\by\.3 (a 9\by\.9 actual
+grid, divided into nine 3\by\.3 blocks). You can also select sizes
+with rectangular blocks instead of square ones, such as 2\by\.3 (a
+6\by\.6 grid divided into six 3\by\.2 blocks). Alternatively, you
+can select \q{jigsaw} mode, in which the sub-blocks are arbitrary
+shapes which differ between individual puzzles.
If you select a puzzle size which requires more than 9 digits, the
additional digits will be letters of the alphabet. For example, if
you select 3\by\.4 then the digits which go in your grid will be 1
to 9, plus \cq{a}, \cq{b} and \cq{c}.
-I first saw this puzzle in \i{Nikoli} \k{nikoli-solo}, although it's also
-been popularised by various newspapers under the name \q{\i{Sudoku}} or
-\q{Su Doku}.
+I first saw this puzzle in \i{Nikoli} \k{nikoli-solo}, although it's
+also been popularised by various newspapers under the name
+\q{Sudoku} or \q{Su Doku}. Howard Garns is considered the inventor
+of the modern form of the puzzle, and it was first published in
+\e{Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games}. A more elaborate treatment
+of the history of the puzzle can be found on Wikipedia
+\k{wikipedia-solo}.
\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}
+\B{wikipedia-solo} \W{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudoku}\cw{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudoku}
+
\H{solo-controls} \I{controls, for Solo}Solo controls
To play Solo, simply click the mouse in any empty square and then
the inverse of this: for example, if you select 2 columns and 3 rows,
each actual block will have 3 columns and 2 rows.)
+If you tick the \q{X} checkbox, Solo will apply the optional extra
+constraint that the two main diagonals of the grid also contain one
+of every digit. (This is sometimes known as \q{Sudoku-X} in
+newspapers.) In this mode, the squares on the two main diagonals
+will be shaded slightly so that you know it's enabled.
+
+If you tick the \q{Jigsaw} checkbox, Solo will generate randomly
+shaped sub-blocks. In this mode, the actual grid size will be taken
+to be the product of the numbers entered in the \q{Columns} and
+\q{Rows} boxes. There is no reason why you have to enter a number
+greater than 1 in both boxes; Jigsaw mode has no constraint on the
+grid size, and it can even be a prime number if you feel like it.
+
You can also configure the type of symmetry shown in the generated
puzzles. More symmetry makes the puzzles look prettier but may also
make them easier, since the symmetry constraints can force more
\dd Size of grid in squares.
-\dt \e{Recursion depth}
-
-\dd Determines how much guesswork and backtracking you will need to
-do to solve the puzzle. When this is set to zero (as it is for all
-of the \q{Easy} options in the menu), you should always be able to
-deduce the state of an edge without having to guess. If you increase
-it, you will have to guess more and more.
-
-\lcont{
-
-Setting a high value for this option is liable to consume a lot of
-CPU time and memory. Be warned!
+\dt \e{Difficulty}
-}
+\dd Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle.
+\#{FIXME: what distinguishes Easy, Medium, and Hard? In particular,
+when are backtracking/guesswork required, if ever?}
\C{inertia} \i{Inertia}
tightly-packed islands.
+\C{unequal} \i{Unequal}
+
+\cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.unequal}
+
+You have a square grid; each square may contain a digit from 1 to
+the size of the grid, and some squares have greater-than signs between
+them. Your aim is to fully populate the grid with numbers such that:
+
+\b Each row contains only one occurrence of each digit
+
+\b Each column contains only one occurrence of each digit
+
+\b All the greater-than signs are satisfied.
+
+In \q{Trivial} mode (available via the \q{Custom} game type
+selector), there are no greater-than signs; the puzzle is to solve
+the \i{Latin square} only.
+
+At the time of writing, this puzzle is appearing in the Guardian
+weekly under the name \q{\i{Futoshiki}}.
+
+Unequal was contributed to this collection by James Harvey.
+
+\H{unequal-controls} \i{Unequal controls}
+
+\IM{Unequal controls} controls, for Unequal
+
+Unequal shares much of its control system with Solo.
+
+To play Unequal, simply click the mouse in any empty square and then
+type a digit or letter on the keyboard to fill that square. If you
+make a mistake, click the mouse in the incorrect square and press
+Space to clear it again (or use the Undo feature).
+
+If you \e{right}-click in a square and then type a number, that
+number will be entered in the square as a \q{pencil mark}. You can
+have pencil marks for multiple numbers in the same square.
+
+The game pays no attention to pencil marks, so exactly what you use
+them for is up to you: you can use them as reminders that a
+particular square needs to be re-examined once you know more about a
+particular number, or you can use them as lists of the possible
+numbers in a given square, or anything else you feel like.
+
+To erase a single pencil mark, right-click in the square and type
+the same number again.
+
+All pencil marks in a square are erased when you left-click and type
+a number, or when you left-click and press space. Right-clicking and
+pressing space will also erase pencil marks.
+
+(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.)
+
+\H{unequal-parameters} \I{parameters, for Unequal}Unequal parameters
+
+These parameters are available from the \q{Custom...} option on the
+\q{Type} menu.
+
+\dt \e{Size (s*s)}
+
+\dd Size of grid.
+
+\dt \e{Difficulty}
+
+\dd Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. At Trivial
+level, there are no greater-than signs; the puzzle is to solve the
+Latin square only. At Recursive level (only available via the
+\q{Custom} game type selector) backtracking will be required, but
+the solution should still be unique. The levels in between require
+increasingly complex reasoning to avoid having to backtrack.
+
+
+
+\C{galaxies} \i{Galaxies}
+
+\cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.galaxies}
+
+You have a rectangular grid containing a number of dots. Your aim is
+to draw edges along the grid lines which divide the rectangle into
+regions in such a way that every region is 180\u00b0{-degree}
+rotationally symmetric, and contains exactly one dot which is
+located at its centre of symmetry.
+
+This puzzle was invented by \i{Nikoli} \k{nikoli-galaxies}, under
+the name \q{Tentai Show}; its name is commonly translated into
+English as \q{Spiral Galaxies}.
+
+Galaxies was contributed to this collection by James Harvey.
+
+\B{nikoli-galaxies} \W{http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/astronomical_show/}\cw{http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/astronomical_show/}
+
+\H{galaxies-controls} \i{Galaxies controls}
+
+\IM{Galaxies controls} controls, for Galaxies
+
+Left-click on any grid line to draw an edge if there isn't one
+already, or to remove one if there is. When you create a valid
+region (one which is closed, contains exactly one dot, is
+180\u00b0{-degree} symmetric about that dot, and contains no
+extraneous edges inside it) it will be highlighted automatically; so
+your aim is to have the whole grid highlighted in that way.
+
+During solving, you might know that a particular grid square belongs
+to a specific dot, but not be sure of where the edges go and which
+other squares are connected to the dot. In order to mark this so you
+don't forget, you can right-click on the dot and drag, which will
+create an arrow marker pointing at the dot. Drop that in a square of
+your choice and it will remind you which dot it's associated with.
+You can also right-click on existing arrows to pick them up and move
+them, or destroy them by dropping them off the edge of the grid.
+(Also, if you're not sure which dot an arrow is pointing at, you can
+pick it up and move it around to make it clearer. It will swivel
+constantly as you drag it, to stay pointed at its parent dot.)
+
+(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.)
+
+\H{galaxies-parameters} \I{parameters, for Galaxies}Galaxies parameters
+
+These parameters are available from the \q{Custom...} option on the
+\q{Type} menu.
+
+\dt \e{Width}, \e{Height}
+
+\dd Size of grid in squares.
+
+\dt \e{Difficulty}
+
+\dd Controls the difficulty of the generated puzzle. More difficult
+puzzles require more complex deductions, and the \q{Unreasonable}
+difficulty level may require backtracking.
+
+
+
+\C{filling} \i{Filling}
+
+\cfg{winhelp-topic}{games.filling}
+
+You have a grid of squares, some of which contain digits, and the
+rest of which are empty. Your job is to fill in digits in the empty
+squares, in such a way that each connected region of squares all
+containing the same digit has an area equal to that digit.
+
+(\q{Connected region}, for the purposes of this game, does not count
+diagonally separated squares as adjacent.)
+
+For example, it follows that no square can contain a zero, and that
+two adjacent squares can not both contain a one. No region has an
+area greater than 9 (because then its area would not be a single
+digit).
+
+Credit for this puzzle goes to \i{Nikoli} \k{nikoli-fillomino}.
+
+Filling was contributed to this collection by Jonas K\u00F6{oe}lker.
+
+\B{nikoli-fillomino}
+\W{http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/fillomino/}\cw{http://www.nikoli.co.jp/en/puzzles/fillomino/}
+
+\H{filling-controls} \I{controls, for Filling}Filling controls
+
+To play Filling, simply click the mouse in any empty square and then
+type a digit on the keyboard to fill that square. By dragging the
+mouse, you can select multiple squares to fill with a single keypress.
+If you make a mistake, click the mouse in the incorrect square and
+press 0, Space, Backspace or Enter to clear it again (or use the Undo
+feature).
+
+(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.)
+
+\H{filling-parameters} \I{parameters, for Filling}Filling parameters
+
+Filling allows you to configure the number of rows and columns of the
+grid, through the \q{Type} menu.
+
+
+
\A{licence} \I{MIT licence}\ii{Licence}
-This software is \i{copyright} 2004-2006 Simon Tatham.
+This software is \i{copyright} 2004-2008 Simon Tatham.
-Portions copyright Richard Boulton, James Harvey and Mike Pinna.
+Portions copyright Richard Boulton, James Harvey, Mike Pinna, Jonas
+K\u00F6{oe}lker, Dariusz Olszewski and Michael Schierl.
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files
-(the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction,
+(the \q{Software}), to deal in the Software without restriction,
including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge,
publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software,
and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so,
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
-THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED \q{AS IS}, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS
~mdw / sgt / puzzles / blobdiff