This is a collection of small one-player puzzle games.
-\copyright This manual is copyright 2004-2008 Simon Tatham. All rights
+\copyright This manual is copyright 2004-2009 Simon Tatham. All rights
reserved. You may distribute this documentation under the MIT licence.
See \k{licence} for the licence text in full.
\H{sixteen-controls} \I{controls, for Sixteen}Sixteen controls
-This game is played with the mouse. Left-clicking on an arrow will
-move the appropriate row or column in the direction indicated.
-Right-clicking will move it in the opposite direction.
+Left-clicking on an arrow will move the appropriate row or column in
+the direction indicated. Right-clicking will move it in the opposite
+direction.
+
+Alternatively, use the cursor keys to move the position indicator
+around the edge of the grid, and use the return key to move the
+row/column in the direction indicated.
(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.)
Clicking with the left mouse button rotates the group anticlockwise.
Clicking with the right button rotates it clockwise.
+You can also move an outline square around the grid with the cursor
+keys; the square is the size above (2\by\.2 by default, or larger).
+Pressing the return key or space bar will rotate the current square
+anticlockwise or clockwise respectively.
+
(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.)
\H{twiddle-parameters} \I{parameters, for Twiddle}Twiddle parameters
instead of rotating tiles back into place you have to slide them
into place by moving a whole row at a time.
-As in Sixteen, \I{controls, for Netslide}control is with the mouse.
-See \k{sixteen-controls}.
+As in Sixteen, \I{controls, for Netslide}control is with the mouse or
+cursor keys. See \k{sixteen-controls}.
\I{parameters, for Netslide}The available game parameters have similar
meanings to those in Net (see \k{net-params}) and Sixteen (see
with Shift held down, you can colour a whole rectangle of squares
grey.
+You can also move around the grid with the cursor keys. Pressing the
+return key will cycle the current cell through empty --> black -->
+white --> empty, and the space bar does the same cycle in reverse.
+
(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.)
\H{pattern-parameters} \I{parameters, for Pattern}Pattern parameters
can select \q{jigsaw} mode, in which the sub-blocks are arbitrary
shapes which differ between individual puzzles.
+Another available mode is \q{killer}. In this mode, clues are not
+given in the form of filled-in squares; instead, the grid is divided
+into \q{cages} by coloured lines, and for each cage the game tells
+you what the sum of all the digits in that cage should be. Also, no
+digit may appear more than once within a cage, even if the cage
+crosses the boundaries of existing regions.
+
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}.
+to 9, plus \cq{a}, \cq{b} and \cq{c}. This cannot be selected for
+killer puzzles.
I first saw this puzzle in \i{Nikoli} \k{nikoli-solo}, although it's
also been popularised by various newspapers under the name
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.
+have pencil marks for multiple numbers in the same square. Squares
+containing filled-in numbers cannot also contain pencil marks.
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
a number, or when you left-click and press space. Right-clicking and
pressing space will also erase pencil marks.
+Alternatively, use the cursor keys to move the mark around the grid.
+Pressing the return key toggles the mark (from a normal mark to a
+pencil mark), and typing a number in is entered in the square in the
+appropriate way; typing in a 0 or using the space bar will clear a
+filled square.
+
(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.)
\H{solo-parameters} \I{parameters, for Solo}Solo parameters
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.
+If you tick the \q{Killer} checkbox, Solo will generate a set of
+of cages, which are randomly shaped and drawn in an outline of a
+different colour. Each of these regions contains a smaller clue
+which shows the digit sum of all the squares in this region.
+
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
space with no peg and no hole is not available for moving at all: it
is an obstacle which you must work around.
+You can also use the cursor keys to move a position indicator around
+the board. Pressing the return key while over a peg, followed by a
+cursor key, will jump the peg in that direction (if that is a legal
+move).
+
(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.)
\H{pegs-parameters} \I{parameters, for Pegs}Pegs parameters
right-clicking in the laser firing range above/below that column, or
to the left/right of that row.
+The cursor keys may also be used to move around the grid. Pressing the
+Enter key will add a new ball-location guess, and pressing Space will
+lock a cell or a row/column.
+
When an appropriate number of balls have been guessed a button will
-appear at the top-left corner of the grid; clicking that will mark
-your guesses.
+appear at the top-left corner of the grid; clicking that (with mouse or
+cursor) will mark your guesses.
If you click the \q{mark} button and your guesses are not correct,
the game will show you as little information as possible to
blank to \cw{/} to \cw{\\} back to blank. (Therefore, you can play
the game entirely with one button if you need to.)
+You can also use the cursor keys to move around the grid. Pressing the
+return or space keys will place a \cw{\\} or a \cw{/}, respectively,
+and will then cycle them as above.
+
(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.)
\H{slant-parameters} \I{parameters, for Slant}Slant parameters
stipples in multiple colours at once. (This is often useful at the
harder difficulty levels.)
+You can also use the cursor keys to move around the map: the colour of
+the cursor indicates the position of the colour you would drag (which
+is not obvious if you're on a region's boundary, since it depends on the
+direction from which you approached the boundary). Pressing the return
+key starts a drag of that colour, as above, which you control with the
+cursor keys; pressing the return key again finishes the drag. The
+space bar can be used similarly to create a stippled region.
+Double-pressing the return key (without moving the cursor) will clear
+the region, as a drag from an empty region does: this is useful with
+the cursor mode if you have filled the entire map in but need to
+correct the layout.
+
If you press L during play, the game will toggle display of a number
in each region of the map. This is useful if you want to discuss a
particular puzzle instance with a friend \dash having an unambiguous
in future. Left-clicking again on a highlighted island will unmark
it and restore your ability to modify it.
+You can also use the cursor keys to move around the grid: if possible
+the cursor will always move orthogonally, otherwise it will move
+towards the nearest island to the indicated direction. Pressing the
+return key followed by a cursor key will lay an island in that direction
+(if available); pressing the space bar followed by a cursor key will
+lay a \q{non-bridge} marker.
+
+You can mark an island as finished by pressing the return key twice.
+
Violations of the puzzle rules will be marked in red:
\b An island with too many bridges will be highlighted in red.
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.
+have pencil marks for multiple numbers in the same square. Squares
+containing filled-in numbers cannot also contain pencil marks.
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
As for Solo, the cursor keys can be used in conjunction with the digit
keys to set numbers or pencil marks. You can also use the 'M' key to
-auto-fill every numeric hint, ready for removal as required.
+auto-fill every numeric hint, ready for removal as required, or the 'H'
+key to do the same but also to remove all obvious hints.
+
+Alternatively, use the cursor keys to move the mark around the grid.
+Pressing the return key toggles the mark (from a normal mark to a
+pencil mark), and typing a number in is entered in the square in the
+appropriate way; typing in a 0 or using the space bar will clear a
+filled square.
(All the actions described in \k{common-actions} are also available.)
\A{licence} \I{MIT licence}\ii{Licence}
-This software is \i{copyright} 2004-2008 Simon Tatham.
+This software is \i{copyright} 2004-2009 Simon Tatham.
Portions copyright Richard Boulton, James Harvey, Mike Pinna, Jonas
-K\u00F6{oe}lker, Dariusz Olszewski, Michael Schierl and Lambros
-Lambrou.
+K\u00F6{oe}lker, Dariusz Olszewski, Michael Schierl, Lambros
+Lambrou and Bernd Schmidt.
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files
~mdw / sgt / puzzles / blobdiff