Puzzles Game

[Gervie]

A-Maze
Invented August 1999 and implemented June 2000 by Karl Scherer.


Object: Visit all four corners and the centre.

To start the game, click on the board to place your token.

An AREA MAZE or A-MAZE for short is a maze where you step from tile to tile, observing carefully the area of the tile you are standing on. The relative size of the area has to alternate: larger, smaller, larger, smaller, etc.
So if you go from one tile to an adjacent tile with a larger area, then the next step has to be to an adjacent smaller tile.
If you don't alternate or move to a tile of equal area, you lose.


The world experts on mazes have confirmed that A-MAZES are a totally new class of mazes. This class of mazes has been discovered on 15 August 1999 in London by the author while looking at the woodwork of a Chinese coffee table. He attended there the 'International Puzzle Party'.

Due to its novelty, there exists no literature at all on A-MAZES. A lot of nice, related problems might wait to be discovered!


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

Updated 03/15/03
improved graphics (by Keith Carter)

Download A-Maze Now!

 

[Gervie]

A-Maze II

Invented August 1999 and implemented August 2000 by Karl Scherer.


Object: Visit all three corners and the centre.

To start the game, click on the board to place your token.

An AREA MAZE or A-MAZE for short is a maze where you step from tile to tile, observing carefully the area of the tile you are standing on. The relative size of the area has to alternate: larger, smaller, larger, smaller, etc.
So if you go from one tile to an adjacent tile with a larger area, then the next step has to be to an adjacent smaller tile.
If you don't alternate or move to a tile of equal area, you lose.


The world experts on mazes have confirmed that A-MAZES are a totally new class of mazes. This class of mazes has been discovered on 15 August 1999 in London by the author while looking at the woodwork of a Chinese coffee table. He attended there the 'International Puzzle Party'.

Due to its novelty, there exists no literature at all on A-MAZES. A lot of nice, related problems might wait to be discovered!

Also see the first A-MAZE version.

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

Download A-Maze II Now!

 

[Gervie]

Amaze III

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, October 2001


Object: Visit all four corners and the centre. (3 variants)

To start the game, click on the board to place your token. Move one step at a time by clicking north, east, south or west of the token.

An AREA MAZE or A-MAZE for short is a maze where you step from tile to tile, observing carefully the area of the tile you are standing on. The relative size of the area has to alternate: larger, smaller, larger, smaller, etc.
So if you go from one tile to an adjacent tile with a larger area, then the next step has to be to an adjacent smaller tile.
If you don't alternate or if you move to a tile of equal area, you lose.

In this game the tiles consist of monochrome polysquares.


Creating A-Mazes in Zillions seems difficult: in all three cases yet published the (usually several) positions of each tile had to be coded in one by one and all its links to its neighbors had to be listed by hand.

The game 'A-Maze III' presented here does away with all these difficulties by using 'permanent position flags'. (This is a feature missing from Zillions and it has been simulated here using special attributes of invisible pieces on each tile.)

A new maze can now by encoded simply by a different board setup! It cannot get any easier.
You are invited to create your own Area Mazes, which is very simple now. Feel free to study and use my zrf file. (For your convenience I have also added an board file without the butterflies.)


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

Download Amaze III Now!

 

[Gervie]

A-Maze 4

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, January 2003


Object: Visit all four corners and the centre.

To start the game, click on the board to drop your token.

An AREA MAZE or A-MAZE for short is a maze where you step from tile to tile, observing carefully the area of the tile you are standing on. The relative size of the area has to alternate: larger, smaller, larger, smaller, etc.
So if you go from one tile to an adjacent tile with a larger area, then the next step has to be to an adjacent smaller tile.
In this game the tiles consist of monochrome squares.

You win when you have visited all four corners and the centre.


After games Amaze, Amaze II and Amaze III, this game demonstrates a fourth possible way to create area-mazes.

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

Download A-Maze 4 Now!

 

[Fantasy8]

cám ơn Gervie về những thông tin này, nhưng mà sao Gervie post mà lại không dịch vây, bọn tui đọc chỉ hiểu được một ít, không hiểu được hết đâu Gervie à, mà nếu dịch thì lâu lăm, nếu thế thì Gervie dịch luôn cho mọi người đi

 

[Gervie]

Game: A-Maze 5

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, January 2003


Object: Visit the five red circles. (25 randomized variants)

To start the game, click on the board to drop your token. From then on, click where you want to go.

An AREA MAZE or A-MAZE for short is a maze where you step from tile to tile, observing carefully the area of the tile you are standing on. The relative size of the area has to alternate: larger, smaller, larger, smaller, etc.
So if you go from one tile to an adjacent tile with a larger area, then the next step has to be to an adjacent smaller tile.
In this game the tiles consist of diamonds, circles and squares. The diamonds clearly have a smaller area than the circles, and the circles have as smaller area than the squares.

You can go orthogonally or diagonally one step at a time.

You win when you have visited the five red circles.
Once you have succeded, start with the same boardsetup and try to visit the five red circles while using as few diagonal moves as possible.

Variants 2 to 5: Same as variant 1, but with less and less circles on the board, which makes it more difficult to play.
Variants 6 to 10: Same as variants 1 to 5, but whenever you have made a diagonal move, one tile is randomly taken off the board.
Variants 11 to 15: Two tiles disappearing after every diagonal move.
Variants 16 to 20: Same as variants 1 to 5, but whenever you make any move, one tile is randomly taken off the board.
Variants 20 to 25: Two tiles disappearing after every move.


Associated literature: 'Supermazes No.1' by Bernhard Myers 1977, ...and many other books.

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

Updated 02/02/03
corrected small start-click problem


Download A-Maze 5 Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: A-Maze 6

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, February 2003


Object: Eliminate at least one type (=size) of tiles. (18 randomized variants)

To start the game, click on the board to drop your token. From then on, click where you want to go.

An AREA MAZE or A-MAZE for short is a maze where you step from tile to tile, observing carefully the area of the tile you are standing on. The relative size of the area has to alternate: larger, smaller, larger, smaller, etc.
So if you go from one tile to an adjacent tile with a larger area, then the next step has to be to an adjacent smaller tile.
In this game the tiles consist of diamonds, circles and squares. The small diamonds have a smaller area than the small circles, and so on. There are five types (= area sizes) altogether.

You can go orthogonally or diagonally one step at a time.

The tiles you stepped on disappear.
You win when you have eliminated one type of tile (e.g. when there are no large squares anymore).

Variants 1 - 6: different board sizes, 5x5 to 15x15.
Variants 7 - 12: like variants 1 - 6, but with only 4 sizes of tiles.
Variants 13 -18: like variants 1 - 6, but with only 3 sizes of tiles.


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

Download A-Maze 6 Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: A-to-Z

Created by JP Ikäheimonen, February 2001.


A-To-Z is a one-player puzzle where your goal is to find a path from the 'A' in upper left corner to the 'Z' in the lower right corner. The stones you step on are all stamped with letters, and you cannot step on a same letter twice.

The sizes of the puzzles range from 5x5 to 10x10. There are fifteen puzzles altogether. The smaller boards are easy even for children, but the larger boards are more fun for anybody.

All the board layouts have been created by a program, and are ensured to have only one solution.

The program that creates layouts has also been included here. It's a Python script, and you need Python to run it. There's a batch file that runs the script, and it assumes that you've installed Python in directory C:\Python20. The batch file is called RUNBOARD.BAT and you're supposed to give it three numbers as parameters: x, y, and n, where x and y range from 5 to 10, and n ranges from (x + y - 1) to 25. For example, to create a 10x10 puzzle, run RUNBOARD 10 10 25
The new puzzle is saved as AUTOMATIC.ZRF. It's included by the main rule file ATOZ.ZRF, which starts up automatically when the batch file finishes.
Note: The script takes a while to run. A 6x6 board takes only a few seconds, a 8x8 board may take a couple of minutes, and the 10x10 board may take a half an hour. You've been warned.

Download A-to-Z Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: African Tour

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, October 2001


Object: Visit the marked destinations on the Africa map according to their numbers. (17 fixed variants, 1 randomized variant)

First click destination 1. Then click your way to destination 2 and so on, thereby creating a connected series of horizontal and vertical path segments. With each click you can only go either horizontally or vertically.

Your path may not intersect a previous path. However, in variants 9 and 10 you are allowed to create one such intersecting path piece. This one piece may then intersect several other paths, but it cannot cross over one of the destinations.

You win if you have visited all nine destinations.
You lose if you are stalemated.

Variants 2, 3,...,17 : Other setups; some allow one intersecting path piece.
Variant 18 : Click the board to create a random setup of nine huts. One intersecting path piece is allowed, but always first try to solve the puzzle without any crossing pathways.

Again a game that looks deceptively simple...


Background design: from the clipart collection 'ClickArt' by Broderbund.

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

Download African Tour Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Alive

(Game of Life) Invented by Conway,
implemented by Karl Scherer, December 2000.


This is a version of Conway's Game of Life. (3 variants)

At the start you will see what is called a 'glider'.

Click the black square to select a colour.
Click the board to place coloured cells on the board.
Repeatedly click an existing cell to change its colour to any other colour or to delete it.

Select how many generations of cells you want to create in one go:
Button '1' creates one new generation of cells, and so on.
Button 'oo' creates an infinite number of new generations.

Depending on the number of neighbours of a cell, certain cells will die, others will be born on empty squares. These conditions can be controlled by clicking the 16 'Y' buttons.

A newly born cell has the colour of the colour selection button.
If a cell stays alive more than one generation, its colour cycles through black, blue, red, yellow.

The 'Border' option determines whether the area outside the board is treated as wrapping around (north and south border joined, east and west border joined), or as permanent, living cells ('solid') or as permanently empty.

Variant 2: Oscillator of period 8
Variant 3: Methuselah : Click 'oo' and see what happens.

Note that there are six different piece sets (squares, triangles and triangles/squares mixed).


Version 3.1: Wrapped border option introduced. Wrapped border is now default. 'Draw-by-repetition' now made impossible. '30' button and 'oo' = 'infinitely many generations' option added. Variants now display different setups, not piece sets.


For more freeware as well as real puzzles and games see my home page http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.
You will also find there a very sophisticated version of ALIVE with about 100 options.

Updated 12/14/02
board now twice as large

Download Alive Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Alive Auto

(Game of Life) Invented by Conway,
implemented by Karl Scherer, December 2002.


This is an automated version of the Zillions game 'Alive'. (3 variants)

Click an orange or blue button to let the game create patterns automatically.

Clicking an orange button will cause a random dot added to the screen after 1, 5, 10 or 30 'life cycles' of the automaton.
Clicking a blue button will additionally cause a random change in the Birth/Death settings (indicated by 'Y' letters) after every 30 'life cycles' of the automaton.

Note that every new start of the game creates new patterns.

You can also change the settings at the start by using the right mouse button. For more details on these options see the game description of the game 'Alive'.

Variant 2: Start with an oscillator of period 8
Variant 3: Start with 'Methuselah'.

There are six different piece sets (squares, triangles and triangles/squares mixed).


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

Please note: Alive Auto requires Zillions of Games version 2.0 (or higher)!

Download Alive Auto Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Alive II

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, July 2001.


This is a game using 'cellular automatons' similar to the one in the Zillions game 'Alive'. (3 variants)

The following text assumes that you are familiar with 'Alive'.
In 'Alive II', each cell goes through several stages.
These stages can be compared with youth (yellow cells), adult stage (red cells), old age (blue cells), and dead stage (invisible).
A cell moves from one stage to the next if it has the correct number of alive neighboring cells. Otherwise it stays in its stage.

Y-Buttons: 'Y' advances a cell's stage.
A few additional buttons are for the convenience to trigger several buttons simultaneously:
Row of coloured buttons: Click a colour to reset a whole column to 'Y' or blank.
Numbers of neighbors: Click to reset a whole row to 'Y' or blank.

Click the left, right, up, down buttons to shift the pattern.

You can click the board to edit it.
Click the coloured button at the lower right to change the paint colour.

Click 'Paint Rectangle' to paint or clear(!) a rectangular area on the board; mark it by clicking top left and bottom right corners of the rectangle. You can paint several rectangles in a row, and you can change the paint colour in between.
Click 'Paint Rectangle' again to switch this mode off.

The 'Border' option determines whether the area outside the board is treated as wrapping around (north and south border joined, east and west border joined), or as permanent, living cells ('solid') or as permanently empty.

Variant 2: In this 'develop or regress' variant cells with the wrong number of neighbors go back one stage.
Variant 3: In this 'develop or die' variant cells with the wrong number of neighbors die.


Version 2.0: Wrapped border option introduced. Wrapped border is now default. '30' button and 'oo' = 'run forever' option added.


If this game reminds you of Conway's Game of Life, then this is because both use the idea of cellular automata, which is a branch of information science. The Game of Life is a very special automaton. Alive II gives you many more choices than just one automaton.


Note: Zillions Version 2.0 or higher recommended. Otherwise very large rectangles (button 'Paint Rectangle') are not properly drawn.


For more freeware as well as real puzzles and games see my home page http://karl.kiwi.gen.nz.
You will also find there a very sophisticated version of Alive with about 100 options.

Updated 08/16/03
bug corrected

Download Alive II Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: All Setris

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, March 2003.


Setris is a relative of the famous computer game 'Tetris'.

This is a collection of seven games, some of them new.

Click one of the buttons in the selection screen to start a Setris game.
Each game has several variants.
Read the game descriptions for the rules of the various Setris games.

Setris 1 to 4 have been published before, Setris 5, 6 and 7 are new games and available here for the first time! More games might be added later.


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

Download All Setris Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Alternate

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, July 2002


Object: Capture all tokens. (5 variants)

First click the board. Zillions will fill the 4x4 board randomly with the numbers 1 to 16.
Then click all 16 tokens. You have to alternate the size of the number you click (bigger, smaller, bigger,... or the other way round: smaller, bigger, smaller, bigger,...). Furthermore, the number chosen must be next (orthogonally or diagonally) to the previous number.

You win if you can capture all tokens.

Variant 2: 5x5 board
Variants 3, 4, 5: three fixed problems

Due to the randomness there might not be a solution in each case. I have not come across such a case, however.


'Alternate' is closely related to the 'A-Maze' puzzles. (The size of the area stepped on is simply represented by a number here).

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

Download Alternate Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Angel Maze

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, July 2002


Object: Free all trapped souls before you get caught. (4 variants)

First click the board to drop your Angel and to randomize the setup.
You play an Angel (White Disk) in a maze trying to free all Trapped Souls (Yin-Yang symbols) while avoiding being caught by the Devil (Black Disk).
If you capture all of the Trapped Souls you become invincible and you win. If the Devil captures you, you lose.

The Angel slides any number of empty spaces in any orthogonal direction. To move the Angel simply click the target square.
The Angel must land on a Trapped Soul to free it; it cannot move onto the Devil or a Wall.

The Devil slides any number of empty spaces horizontally toward the Angel if not blocked; otherwise it slides any number of empty spaces vertically toward the Angel if not blocked; otherwise it MUST wait (pass the turn).
The Devil must move onto the Angel to capture him. The Devil cannot move onto a Soul or a Wall.

Due to randomizing not all setups might be solvable. However, these cases seem to be rare.

Variant 2: 15 random Souls and 15 random Walls
Variant 3: 20 random Souls and 20 random Walls
Variant 4: a fixed setup.


'Angel Maze' was inspired by the game 'Monster Maze' by Robert A. Kraus.

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

Download Angel Maze Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Ant

Zillions adaptation of the DOS game Ant Run.
Implemented by Karl Scherer, April 2002


Object: Keep the Ant running for as long as possible. (4 variants)

Click the 'GO' button to let Zillions create a randomized setup.
To play, click any square to rotate it and thereby create a continuous path for the Ant (or click the GO button if you do not want to rotate a square).
You have three clicks before the Ant starts to move.

The Ant starts in the purple square and automatically proceeds to the next square with each of your moves. With the exceptions of the intersections, the Ant can visit each square only once. Squares that have been visited turn red. The starting square also cannot be revisited.
If you have visited 30 squares, however, all locked squares will be freed up again and you can rotate and re-visit all squares (except for the starting square).
In the next round, however, you have to visit 31 squares, then 32, and so on. The maximum is 50 squares.
Two counters at the top right border keep track of the number of visited squares and of the total number of Ant moves.

The board 'wraps around', i.e. when the Ant leave the board at the right border, it will re-appear at the left border, similar with the top and bottom border.

Goal: You try play as many moves as possible. You lose if the Ant cannot move any further.

Special problem: The game will declare a 'win' in the unlikely case that you have visited all squares on the board (a task for real experts).

Variant 2: You have to visit 35, 36,...,55 squares to unlock all squares again.
Variant 3, 4: Like variants 1 and 2, but you have only two turns before the Ant starts to run.


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

Updated 04/20/02
fixed setup bug; corrected variant titles

Download Ant Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Ant II

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, May 2002


Object: Make the Ant visit all squares on the board. (11 variants)

Click the 'GO' button to let Zillions create a randomized setup.
To play, click any square to rotate it and thereby create a continuous path for the Ant (or click the GO button if you do not want to rotate a square). You have three clicks before the Ant starts to move.

The Ant starts in the purple square and automatically proceeds to the next square with each of your moves. The Ant can visit the same square more than once. Squares that have been visited turn red. The starting square cannot be revisited.

Two counters at the top right border keep track of the number of visited squares and the number of squares which have been visited at least twice.

The board 'wraps around', i.e. when the Ant leave the board at the right border, it will re-appear at the left border, similar with the top and bottom border.

You win when you have visited all squares on the board. Try to visit squares not more than once.

Variant 2: You are only allowed to visit 50 squares twice.
Variant 3: You are only allowed to visit 45 squares twice.
Variant 4: You are only allowed to visit 40 squares twice.
Variant 5: You are only allowed to visit 35 squares twice.
Variant 6: You are only allowed to visit 30 squares twice.
Variant 7: You are only allowed to visit 25 squares twice.
Variant 8: You are only allowed to visit 20 squares twice.
Variant 9: You are only allowed to visit 15 squares twice.
Variant 10: You are only allowed to visit 10 squares twice.
Variant 11: You are only allowed to visit 5 squares twice.


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

Download Ant II Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Atomic Puzzle

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, April 2002.
Based on the two-player game 'Atomic' by Joonas Kekoni.

Object: Eliminate all atoms apart from one. (12 variants)

Drop an atom onto any single, double or triple atom.

Center squares can hold 3 atoms, borders 2 and corners only one atom. Dropping more stones will cause an exlosion moving the stones to adjacent squares. If one of these adjacent squares is being overloaded by this explosion, the atoms on this position will simply disappear.

Variants 1 to 4 : You win when you have one atom left (after the first move).
Variants 5 to 8 : You win when you have a double-atom left.
Variants 9 to 12: You win when you have a triple-atom left.


Note that there is a music score coming with this game. (copyright with the author).

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

Updated 03/29/03
new board design by Keith Carter and Karl Scherer

Download Atomic Puzzle Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: B-Pento

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, March 2002


Object: Fill the playing area with b-pentominos. (9 variants)

You have to fill the given shape with copies of the b-shaped polysquare shown in the top left corner. In this Zillions game the pentomino is represented by five tokens.

The system will automatically change the colour of the tokens after you have put down a tile.

The system guides you through the placing of the five tokens per tile: You place two tokens side by side, then one token orthogonally. The system will place the remaining squares automatically.
You can delete a placed tile simply by clicking the three tokens that you dropped to create the tile (click in the same order).

You win if you manage to fill the playing area.

Please note that there are three alternative piece sets available.


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

Download B-Pento Now!

 

[Gervie]

Game: Backtrack

Invented and implemented by Karl Scherer, December 2001


Object: Automatically fill any shape with a given polysquare tile.
Watch the operation of a backtracking program in action and enjoy the solutions it comes up with! (Several customizable variants for each of the options.)

The selection screen offers you a choice of 12 polysquares. Select a polysquare to start the corresponding game. You will be shown a playing area that the computer will try to fill.

To start, click the playing area. Zillions will AUTOMATICALLY tile the area without gaps or overlaps using copies of the given polysquare.

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!

Given a shape and a tile to fill it with, in general it is not known whether such a tiling problem has a solution. 'Backtrack' gives you the answers and lets you watch as the computer plays with the tiles.

The game demonstrates tree search by backtracking. You can invent new puzzles all the time and - best of all - let Zillions solve them automatically and in front of your eyes. If it cannot place a tile, the program tries to rearrange the tile previously placed and so on.
There is even some 'intelligence' build in. E.g., if the computer finds an isolated unoccupied square anywhere on the board, it will backtrack and try other possibilities for placing a tile.
Furthermore, some options have tile-specific optimisation routines built in, which have the effect that not all possible orientations will actually be tried out. Such optimisations can be very easily created for any tile.
(If you change to code to improve it, remember that this zrf is designed for ANY given shape to be filled, not only for rectangles!)

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

Please note that most options have several variants.
Also note that there are three alternative piece sets available.
You can speed up the game by switching the sound off.


The backtracking method is an essential tool for systematically solving tiling puzzles and many other problems. The search path on the board is also important. This game 'Backtrack' uses a meandering path, filling one file from top to bottom, the next file from bottom to top and so on.

See also the Zillions games 'Reptiles', 'Reptiles II', 'Y-primes', 'Pento' and 'Y-pento' for related polysquare problems.

Background design: fractal T011001L by the author.

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 Backtrack Now!