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Why a Tiny Puzzle Can Be Harder Than a Big One

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A five-by-five board of separate rounded colored tiles rising in steps above a cream base inside an ivory paper canyon, with white lanterns and X marks.

Five lanterns on a 5×5 board. You can see every square, but can you spot the next move?

In Yodoku, each row, column and color needs one lantern. Lanterns can’t touch, even diagonally.

Where does the yellow lantern go?

The green lantern is already in place in Level 7. One of the outlined blue squares will hold another. What does that tell you about the yellow B squares?

Level 7, a five-by-five board. A’s two outlined candidates occupy row 1 columns 4 and 5. The placed lantern is at row 3 column 3. Dark Xs rule out B at row 1 columns 1 and 2.
White symbols mark lanterns. Outlined squares are possible spots; Xs mark squares you can rule out.
Show the next move

Blue A must use the top row, so neither yellow square in that row can hold a lantern. Yellow B has just one spot left: row 2, column 1.

You’ve found the next lantern without choosing which blue square is right.

Can two choices give you one answer?

Now look at Level 13. A lantern belongs in one of the outlined blue B squares. Imagine each position in turn: which yellow squares would it touch?

Level 13, a five-by-five board. Lanterns occupy row 1 column 2 and row 5 column 3. B’s outlined possibilities are row 2 column 4 and row 3 column 4. Dark Xs exclude D at row 2 column 5 and row 3 column 5.
Remember: lanterns can’t touch, even at a corner.
Show the answer

Either blue position rules out the two yellow squares marked with dark Xs. The only yellow square left is row 4, column 5.

Both choices lead you to the same move.

Now try a bigger garden

Level 4 has 36 squares, but it keeps giving you a single place to go. Start with blue C and purple F, then follow what those lanterns rule out.

Level 4, a six-by-six board, after placing the one-square B at row 2 column 4 and D at row 4 column 5. C has only row 3 column 1 left; F has only row 6 column 6.
C and F each have just one square left.
Show the solution and all three answers

Place C at row 3, column 1 and F at row 6, column 6. A must then go at row 1, column 2, which leaves E at row 5, column 3.

To check all three gardens, read each list as the lantern’s column, from the top row down:

  • Level 7 (5×5): 4, 1, 3, 5, 2.
  • Level 13 (5×5): 2, 4, 1, 5, 3.
  • Level 4 (6×6): 2, 4, 1, 5, 3, 6.

The little boards ask you to compare two possible moves. The bigger one keeps giving you a square to fill.

Download Yodoku for Android to try the next garden. You can also play the 4×4 puzzle in your browser first.

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