Puzzles Game

[Gervie]

Game: Maths: Subtraction

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, April 2001.


Object: Subtract two given numbers.
This game is ideal for children to learn mathematics, but anybody can test his/her maths with it...

Click the Start button. Zillions will show two numbers that you have to subtract.
Click the buttons at the top to key in the result. The red frame shows the current place for the answer digit. The last digit has to fit into the last frame. If the first frame has to stay empty, click the 'arrow right' button.

If the you have keyed in the correct answer, the counter at the top left will increase by one.
You lose if you give a wrong answer.

Variant 2: Subtract a 2-digit number from a bigger number.
Variant 3: Subtract a 3-digit number from a bigger number.

Design of fancy digits: from 'Image It!' clipart collection.


More related freeware as well as real puzzles and games see my home page http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Updated 05/12/01
corrected sensitive area of Start button.

Download Maths: Subtraction Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Max

Invented (in 1987) and implemented by Karl Scherer, November 2000.


Object: Tile the given shapes with blue, yellow and red MAX tiles.
MAX contains 7 variants with 19 problems altogether.

Adjacent tiles must have different colours!
(You may want to exercise with the other MAX Variants first because their smaller shapes are easier to solve.)

See the description in the downloaded package for instructions on how to handle the tiles.


I have collected more than 200 interesting shapes that can be tiled with the MAX tiles, of which a small selection is presented here.
Using the 6-pointed star as the board, I later developed MAX into a 2-player game.
The MAX puzzle as well as the MAX boardgame (which includes the puzzle) can be ordered from my web page.

Background design: Fractal T001100g by Karl Scherer


More related freeware as well as real puzzles and games see my home page http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Updated 08/09/03
made solution available via Help/Show Solution

Download Max Now!/url]

 

[Gervie]

Game: Max-Solver

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, December 2001
MAX puzzle and game © Karl Scherer.

Automatically fill any user-defined playing area with copies of the MAX tile (see MAX game). (32 variants with customizable playing area)

The first 16 variants MAX-Solver are pure tiling problems. They do not require the MAX-game rule saying that only three colours are allowed and that adjacent tiles must differ in colour. In the second set of 16 variants, with the same shapes to be filled, MAX-Solver obeys this special MAX rule. In this second set you can select a special 'TURBO' mode to accelerate the search 10 times and more. However, in some cases the turbo mode may finish quickly and not find a solution at all when in fact there is one. But it is always worth trying out the turbo mode first.

The MAX pentiamond tile is represented here by five coloured dots. (This greatly reduces the complexity of the program; in the original MAX game the tiles where properly drawn as joined triangles.)

Given a shape and a set of tiles to fill it with, it is in general not known whether such a tiling problem has a solution. MAX-Solver allows you to try any given shape, and there are many discoveries still waiting to be made!

Select 'T0' with the right mouse button to add a dot to the board. Always choose the center of a triangle (corners are unused positions). Select 'empty' with the right mouse button to delete a position.

NOTE: you can speed up MAX-Solver by switching off the sound (menu option VIEW/OPTIONS/SOUND).


Due to the fact that in Zillions the number of possible moves is limited, MAX-Solver might not solve all given shapes. The larger the given shape, the more moves are necessary to find a solution.

Mathematically the MAX puzzle is interesting because the special 3-colour-rule uses only three colours, not the minimum of four colours that is normally required for colouring maps (compare 4-colour-theorem)!

Other automatic tiling games available in Zillions: Backtrack, G-Backtrack, P-Backtrack, Y-Backtrack, Pento-Solver.

More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my homepage http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Updated 12/14/02
bug corrected (previously could not solve the largest puzzles)

Download Max-Solver Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Maze Haven

Game-idea (Maze Maven) by Dan Troyka,
implemented by Karl Scherer, July 2003.


Click anywhere on the board to create a random wall maze.
The creation of the maze might take a few seconds.

Each maze has a unique solution. Every square can be reached and there are no loops.
To move the ball, click the target square of your move.

PARTLY HIDDEN MAZE: This is the default. The board is partly blackened, so you cannot see all walls of the maze.
FULLY VISIBLE MAZE: Select "switch piece set" to see the full maze.
INVISIBLE MAZE: Select "switch piece set" again to make the maze invisible. This is another way to make the game more challenging. When the maze is invisible, move the ball by clicking and dragging it. Zillions will show you where you can go.

Variants 2: Here the maze is fully visible, but the background image has been chosen for maximum confusion: it is an image of another maze, displaced by half a unit to the top and to the right.
Variants 3, 4: Like variants 1 and 2, but with size 25x25.


Maze Haven is based on a similar game-idea (Maze Maven) by Dan Troyka, but its Zillions implementation of the maze is very different! (Maze Haven does not use separate board positions or separate pieces for the walls. This allows the code to be easily adjusted to any board size and shape). Hence game authors now have two alternative methods of how to create random wall-mazes in Zillions, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.


More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my homepage http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Please note: Maze Haven requires Zillions of Games version 2.0 (or higher)!

Download Maze Haven Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Maze Maven

Invented and implemented W. D. Troyka, May 2003


Maze Maven is a random maze generator. Click on the ball to create a maze. Each maze has a unique solution. Every square can be reached and there are no loops. Select "switch piece set" to make the maze invisible. Mazes come in sizes 15x15 and 25x25.

Please note: Maze Maven requires Zillions of Games version 2.0 (or higher)!

Download Maze Maven Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Mem

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, April 2001.


Object: Memorize a long sequence of images. (2 randomized variants)

A very simple, but challenging game.

Click the empty part of the board to get one of five images.
Click the corresponding image at the bottom. (From now on you only click the bottom images). Another large image will appear.
Now click two of the small images, first the one that corresponded to the previously shown image and then the one that corresponds to the current one.
And so on. You have to memorize the sequence of all the previous images and repeat them every time from the very start.

When you have clicked through the whole sequence correctly, the counter will increase by one point.

The sequence is of course different in each game. Collect as many points as possible (the maximum is 50).

Variant 1: The same picture never appears twice in a row.
Variant 2: The same picture may occur several times in a row.

Graphics: created with '3Space ClipArtist'.


More related freeware as well as real puzzles and games see my home page http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Download Mem Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Mem II

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, March 2002


Object: Memorize the positions of the Butterflies. (34 randomized variants)

First click anywhere on the board. Four Butterflies will appear. Click the OK button to make them disappear. Then click the board positions where the butterflies have been.

You lose if you make a mistake.
If you remembered all positions, the counter on the right border will go up one and a new random distribution of butterflies will appear.

Recommended: Switch MOVELIST off so you cannot cheat.

Variants 1 to 17 display progressively more butterflies
Variants 18 to 34 use the chess board as background.


More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my homepage http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Updated 03/16/02
corrected variant glitches

Download Mem II Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Mem III

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, May 2002


Object: Spot the missing butterfly type. (3 randomized variants)

First click anywhere on the board to fill it with sixtyfour butterflies of 14 types.
Click the OK button to make them disappear. You will be shown 15 type of butterflies.
Click the type that was not shown on the board before.

You lose if you make a mistake.
If you clicked the correct missing type, the counter on the right border will go up one and a new random distribution of butterflies will appear.


More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my homepage http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Updated 03/01/03
corrected game text

Download Mem III Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Missing Link

Invented by Erno Rubik.
Implemented by K. Franklin, January 2002.


Rearrange the links. Individual Pieces may be glided up or down into a vacant square. Only the top and bottom rows may be rotated across (moving all pieces currently situated upon that row).

Includes the rare Masters edition and Pocket edition!


Related Information:
Invented by Erno Rubik.
Manufactored or Marketed (USA) by the Ideal Toy Co. in 1981 titled 'Rubik's Missing Link'.
Manufactored or Marketed (W. Ger.) by Arxon. titled 'Kettenpuzzle'.

Offical Rubik's website (Jan 2002): www.rubiks.com


Notes on the GAME SOUNDS:
Game/music sounds derived from 'That's Incredible - the reunion' special aired on May 21st, 2002 (ABC network - USA). Inspiration from recalled Rubik's Cube speed contests. Hopefully these click sounds from manoeuvering the plastic cubes are similar enough to the sounds made from twisting the original plastic Missing Link puzzles!

Updated 07/06/02
improved board images

Download Missing Link Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Moebius

Invented by Nagy Laslo,
implemented by Nagy Laslo and Karl Scherer, April 2003.


Form loops to gain points.

First click the board to let Zillions drop 9 random parts of a curved path. Then click board elements to rotate and join them. After your move a new piece of the curve with be dropped.

Closed loops will disappear and give you points. You get one point for a loop of four segments and ten points for any longer loop. Try to get as many points as possible before the board is full.


This game is based on the free Shockwave game 'Moebius', which does not give an author's name.

Download Moebius Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Monster Maze

Created by Robert A. Kraus, September 2000.


You play a Hero (White Disk) in a maze trying to avoid a Monster (Black Disk).Also in the maze are a number of magic Shields (Yin-Yang symbols). If you capture all of the magic Shields you become invincible and you win. If the Monster captures you, you lose.

The Hero moves one empty space in any orthogonal direction. The Hero must land on a Shield to capture it. The Hero cannot move onto a Monster or a Wall. The Hero cannot pass the turn.

The Monster MUST move one space horizontally toward the hero if not blocked; othewise it MUST move one space vertically toward the hero if not blocked; otherwise it MUST wait (pass the turn). Then the Monster takes a Second Turn before the Hero gets his one turn. The Monster must move onto the Hero to capture him. The Monster cannot move onto a Shield or a Wall.

Monster Maze was inspired by Robert Abbott's Minotaur Maze, but there are several differences: it has several shields as targets instead of one exit, it has block-walls instead of line-walls (topologically different!), and its Hero cannot pass the turn. Also note that the shields serve as temporary walls until they are captured.

Download Monster Maze Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Morpion solitaire

Implemented by Vincent Everaert, August 2002


Drop pieces and align sequences of 5 pieces in any direction. How much pieces will you be able to drop ?
To play, drop a piece and move it to the end of the alignment you want to make.

The Liberty line variant allows you to make any line of 5 spots. You are not forced to use the last dropped spot, so you can drop your spot anywhere. Make sure that a line is done !
To play, drop a piece and then select an end of line and move it to the other end.


Le Morpion Solitaire is a classical puzzle. The world record is over 100 pieces dropped.

Updated 12/28/02
fixed problem with Zillions v2

Download Morpion solitaire Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Nine Clocks

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, March 2001.


Object: Set all Clocks to 12 o'clock.

Click anywhere on the board to allow Zillions to create a random setup.
Each Clock will advance a certain number of hours when you click it. E.g. the Clock on the top left might advance 5 hours each time you click it. However, each orthogonally adjacent Clock will also be advanced, each Clock by its own special amount of hours.

You win when all Clocks are reset to 12 o'clock.

Note that the amount a certain clock will advance per click may differ from game to game.


This Clock puzzle has some similarity with the Clock Puzzle marketed by Rubic.
Graphics: Clock from click-art CD collection 'Imagine It'.

More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my home page http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Download Nine Clocks Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Numberwheel

Implemented by Karl Scherer, April 2003.
Classical puzzle.


Object: Order numbers clockwise on the wheel. (4 variants)

Arrange the numbered balls 1 - 8 clockwise around the wheel, with the centre position left empty.
You can only move the balls one step at a time.

Variant 2 : Arrange the numbered balls 1 - 8 anti-clockwise around the wheel.
Variant 3 : Arrange the balls 1 - 8 clockwise, but leave (at least) one ball untouched.
Which of the balls can you actually leave unchanged?
Variant 4 : Arrange the balls 1 - 8 anti-clockwise, but leave (at least) one ball untouched.
Which of the balls can you actually leave unchanged?


More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my homepage http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Download Numberwheel Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Nutts

Invented (in 1997) and implemented by Karl Scherer, November 2000.


Object: Tile the given shapes with the 20 Nutts tiles. (20 variants)

The Nutts tiles consist of all combinations of 2, 3 or 4 'half squares' = isosceles right triangles. (Only the small square made from two of these items has been omitted.) The resulting set of Nutts tiles can be used to fill a 6 x 6 square and hundreds other interesting shapes.

See the description in the downloaded package for instructions on how to handle the tiles.

Note that you can also redesign the fill-in area to create your own tiling problems.


The Nutts game was published in one of the author's books on geometrical problems, 'Nutts And Other Crackers'. The book is available from http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.
For the Zillions version of Nutts a small sample of twenty of the shapes from the hundred presented in chapter 1 have been selected for your amusement.


More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my home page http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Updated 03/15/03
small programming error corrected

Download Nutts Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Nutts-Solver

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, December 2002.


Use the computer so solve 'Nutts' problems.

Nutts-Solver automatically fills any user-defined playing area with a given combination of the (up to) 12 Nutts tiles.

For each tile type, you can determine whether the computer should use none, one or many (unlimited number of) copies of the tile. Just click '0', '1' or 'M' for any of the twelve types displayed at the top.

Given a shape and a set of tiles to fill it with, it is in general not known whether such a tiling problem has a solution.

Nutts-Solver allows you to try any combination of tile types for any given shape, and there are many discoveries still waiting to be made!

You can define the area to be filled yourself. Select 'T0' with the right mouse button to add a position to the board.

Finally, click one of the two text bars to let the computer tile the given playing area automatically.
The left button saying 'Fixed Colours' means that each tile type has its own, fixed colour.
The right button saying 'Sequential Colours' means that the colour will change with each tile placed, the colours being from a series of 16 colours. This is especially useful when you use only very few types of tiles.

Variants 1 to 19 solve the 19 problems given in the orginal Zillions game.
Variant 20: Freeplay, create your own setup on an empty board.
Variant 21: Freeplay, create your own setup from a full board.


For more Nutts problems and others challenges and brain teasers see my book 'NUTTS And Other Crackers', available from http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Please note: Nutts-Solver requires Zillions of Games version 2.0 (or higher)!

Download Nutts-Solver Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Oneway Loop

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, October 2001


Object: Create one continuous red oneway loop. (2 randomized variants)

First click anywhere on the center board. A random pattern of curved loops will appear. Some sections are one-way sections and carry arrows.

Try to make it one big loop by swapping some of the double bends and crosses. If you walk along the big loop, all arrows have to show into the direction of walking.

Simple move one piece (double bend or cross) to another one in order to swap pieces.
The border pieces cannot be moved.

Click on one of the border pieces (bends at top, bottom, left or right) to check the loop. Starting from the border position you clicked, the loop will turn red as far as it is connected and as far as the directional arrows all point into the same direction.
Click the border again to uncolour the loop and to keep on swapping pieces.

You win if you have created one big one-way loop. Try to use as few swapping moves as possible.

Variant 1 uses a fixed set of pieces, but their placement is randomized.
In variant 2 the given piece types are more random.

Some randomized setups may not be solvable.

Variant 1 uses a set of pieces which is mathematically 'complete' in the sense that it contains exactly once each of the 36 possible combinations of crosses and double bends, with one-way sections allowed, rotated by 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees. (Some of the rotated images being identical the the original image).


More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my homepage http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Download Oneway Loop Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: P-Backtrack

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, December 2001


Object: Automatically fill any user-defined playing area with the given P-heptomino. Watch the operation of a backtracking program in action and enjoy the solutions it comes up with! (39 variants, customizable)

To start, click the grey playing area. Zillions will AUTOMATICALLY tile the area without gaps or overlaps using copies of the polysquare shown in the top left corner.

Given a shape and a tile to fill it with, it is in general not known whether such a tiling problem has a solution. This game gives you the answers (if Zillions does not run out of memory) and lets you watch as the computer plays with the tiles.

YOU CAN GIVE THE COMPUTER ANY SHAPE MADE FROM SQUARES. (You can REDESIGN the fill-area very quickly and easily, either by deleting or adding new positions via selecting 'empty' or 'T0' with your right mouse button or by changing the board setup in the rules file.)

THE PROGRAM WILL DO EVERYTHING ELSE FULLY AUTOMATICALLY!

The system will stop (win) when it has found a tiling, and also stop (lose) if there is no tiling for the given shape.

This game presents the (almost) complete collection of all existing P-Primes:
30 of those fit on the 32x32 board (wide grid) and
9 of those fit on the 52x50 board (narrow grid).
Two are missing because they are oversize: 11x56 and 11x63.

Please note that there are six alternative piece sets available.


See also Zillions games Ypento, Y-Primes, G-Primes and Reptiles, Reptiles II, Backtrack and Y-Backtrack for similar puzzles.

More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my homepage http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Updated 12/14/02
can run longer now; solves larger puzzles

Download P-Backtrack Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: P-Primes

Implemented by Karl Scherer, December 2001


Object: Fill the 12x21 playing area with P-heptominoes. (39 variants, customizable)

If a shape tiles a rectangle, then this rectangle is called a 'prime rectangle' or a 'prime' for short, if it is minimal in the sense that it cannot be cut into smaller rectangles which also can be tiled by the given shape.

Hence for each shape that is 'rectifiable' (i.e. which can tile a rectangle), it is an interesting task to find all prime rectangles ('primes') for this tile. For any given tile there can only be a finite number of such rectangles. This game presents the (almost) complete collection of all existing P-Primes:
30 of those fit on the 32x32 board (wide grid) and
9 of those fit on the 52x50 board (narrow grid).
Two are missing because they are oversize: 11x56 and 11x63.

The P-heptomino is represented by seven square tokens. The system will automatically change the colour of the tokens after you have put down a tile.

The system helps you to place a tile: Place two squares side by side, then a third orthogonally next to the second. The system will drop the remaining two squares automatically.

You can DELETE a placed heptomino by simply clicking the three squares which you placed on the board when you created the tile.

You win if you manage to fill the given rectangle.

Please note that there are six alternative piece sets available.


Sources: Torsten Sillke, Michael Reid.

See also the Zillions games 'Y-Primes', 'G-Primes', 'Pento', 'Ypento', 'Reptiles' and 'Reptiles II' for related puzzles.

Background design : fractal T011001l by Karl Scherer.

More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my homepage http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Updated 08/09/03
made solutions available via Help/Show Solution

Download P-Primes Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Pairs

Designed and implemented by Karl Scherer, February 2001.


Object: Find the matching pairs.

First click anywhere on the board to create a random setup. You will see 64 buttons which all look the same. Turn two of them over by clicking them.
Click one of them again. If the pair matches, both images will disappear. Otherwise the buttons are reversed again.
Repeat until you have found all pairs.

Pairs is a traditional memory game, played in many variations all around the world.

Turn MOVES LIST off so you cannot cheat!


More freeware as well as real puzzles and games at my home page http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.

Download Pairs Now!