Ho! Ho! Ho!
SOTR is running a Holiday Quiz. Below are some fiendish questions about the world of puzzling.
Instructions:
Answer as many questions as you can. You don’t have to answer all the questions. Submit your entry at the ENTRY FORM tab above. The highest scorer will receive a copy of Toteoki Specially Selected Fillomino published by Nikoli. Tie-break details at the submission page. You can ask questions by commenting on this post.
Let’s get the quiz started!
Q1: Inklings [2,2,2,4,6 points]
Imagine solving puzzles on transparent paper. Once completed, imagine the transparent paper being removed. You will be left with just the solution and some possible notations. An example showing a solved Heyawake is shown below.
Can you figure out what other puzzles have been solved based only on their inklings?
Q2: Architect [3 points]
This record-breaking feat of construction (in front of this man) was unveiled in 2011. What is it?
Q3: Secret Santa [4 points]
Ho! Ho! Ho! Have you been good? Who is this person dressed up as Santa Claus?
Q4: Instructionless [4 points]
Solve this puzzle…oh… I seem to have lost the instructions. Ok then, at least tell me what this puzzle type is.
Q5: Art Gallery [4 points]
This is the Japanese name of a puzzle type; its literal translation is “Art Gallery”. What puzzle type is this?
Q6: Turkish Art Gallery [2 points]
Speaking of art, Turkish Art Paint is better known in the puzzle community as what?
Q7: Christmas Trees [4 points]
Andrew, Tom, James, Ivan and Michael are having a Christmas party. They all decorated their trees. Swaroop and Grant arrived late – can you figure out which two trees (out of the given choices) would belong to Swaroop and Grant?
Q8: Transformations [4,5,4,5 points]
Some puzzles are more complicated than others. With a small tweak, certain puzzle types can become another type. Below is a list of well-known puzzle instructions being slightly altered.
For example: Fillomino rules apply; however each region must be rectangular (or square). All regions can only contain one given number and no regions can be formed if no given numbers are in it. Also, identical-sized regions can be adjacent to each other.
In this example, the Fillomino essentially becomes a Shikaku.
Can you figure out what these puzzles have become?
8a) Masyu rules apply; however all cells must be visited. There is no requirement of having to go straight after turning at a black circle. You can also go through white circles without having to turn immediately before or after each white circle.
8b) Nurikabe rules apply; however shaded cells do not have to be connected. You may have 2×2 areas of shaded cells.
8c) Spiral Galaxies rules apply; however some circles are black. Once you have completed the puzzle, shade in regions with black circles.
8d) Slitherlink rules apply; however clue numbers outside the loop represents the number of its edges that are not used by the loop.
Q9: Sudoku [5 points]
Below is a sudoku, what is so significant about this particular puzzle?
Submit your answers by 6th January at the ENTRY FORM tab above.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow 