You Are Games:
Letters In Boxes #28
Usually, you'd be greeted to each Letters in Boxes challenge with a warm smile and an equally warm chocolate cookie. This week, however, we're telling you to get lost! We've got another batch of homegrown puzzles for you to tackle, all themed around mazes. In each grid, you'll find a way in and a way out, but how to get from one to the other is left for you to figure out. Watch out, because looks can be deceiving; some of these mazes are missing walls, but still have only one way out!
This week, we've got four more puzzles for you to tackle. If you're familiar with Letters In Boxes, you can jump right to the challenge by clicking on the image to the right to open up your first puzzle. If you're new to our game, we have a prepared a full tutorial on how to play to help get you solving our puzzles in no time. This batch of puzzles contains four puzzles to solve. On the fourth puzzle, you'll find the email address for sending your final answer.
We'll hand out a prize to the first correct entry we receive, plus one additional randomly-selected correct entry. Please include your Casual Gameplay account display name with your entry. You must be at least 13 years of age to enter. Only one submission per participant, please. Offer void where prohibited. Your deadline for submitting your answers is Monday, February 6th at 11:59 PM (GMT-5:00). Grab a compass and get going!
Update: Congratulations to the following winners! :D
Both winners were given a choice of prizes. Congratulations and thanks for playing with us! Look for another Letters in Boxes again soon!
- SARCASTODON ...First!
- curiousgeorgie
*boggle*
Your deadline for submitting your answers is Monday, January 30th at 11:59 PM (GMT-5:00) !!
yaddab, that's this LIB's final puzzle, figuring out how to build a time machine.
Yeah, I saw that. I assume it's just a copy/paste error.
I don't see what to do on the second puzzle.
I assumed it would be one of those sliding ones, where you had to keep going until you hit a wall. But there's no way to reach the exit with the current configuration of walls, assuming you have to leave in the direction of the arrow, rather than just pass the exit square.
So I'm stuck already.
I'm with richmcd. My thought:
I thought that we'd have make a path that goes through all the letters and doesn't cross over the walls, but I'm pretty sure that's not possible either.
Maybe 2 is a
weave maze.
A few questions about #1:
Since the theme is mazes, I assume we have to find some path from the start to the end. Is diagonal movement allowed? Do we have to use every letter? Is it possible to use a letter more than once?
Oh, nevermind. Just got it.
To answer my own questions:
No, no, no.
The deadline date has been corrected. Sorry, everyone! I accept your disdain.
Unrelated: For whatever reason, my brain finagled the last two lines of the puzzle image into "mushroom medley". I can only assume this is Steve trying to send me a subconscious message that it's what I should make for lunch. Or I'm just crazy. Either or, but one option is delicious.
Rob
The clue is in the title. No diagonal movement necessary.
wondering if anyone's got #2 yet? i've been stuck for quite a while now, tried various stuff but no luck yet :P
#2 - I'm guessing that
the name is a clue? Stop at each "door" for a letter?
But that's not getting me anywhere, either.
Still working on #2:
There is no path that covers all letters without crossing any of the darker lines, so that's not the way to solve this.
That doesn't exclude options that cover almost all the letters or ones that cover some letters multiple times...
@grander @baileydonk
Clues can be found in captions where available. I don't think titles/filenames have ever been clues.
So I've been playing around with #2, including ignoring the rules. I actually managed to find a few words that way, but nothing came of it.
Things I tried that did not work:
* Mirror imaging the block of letters. (I thought I'd found a word on the second to last line, but it turns out my spelling's just rusty.)
* Ignoring walls. (From the starting gate, go up one, turn right, go all the way right, go down, go left a little bit ... red herring.)
* Moving diagonally.
* Re-tracing my path.
You'd think that what amounts to a word-find with extra boundaries would be easy! And here we are, tearing our collective hair out trying to find any words at all, let alone the solution!
An error has been found in puzzle two. All of the horizontal walls on the bottom of the second row need to be moved one position to the left. A fixed image will be posted shortly.
Yeah I found a few words:
Rehashes, Freesias, some more obscure ones... But they didn't work, and I was mainly clutching at straws.
At this point I'm sort of hoping there's a missing wall or something. Because if the image is correct then I'm worried the solution will be disappointingly arbitrary.
Ah. So it was an error. But now I'm stuck on the fixed version!
Well...
Moving those walls means that there's now a path through the grid which visits every square. I think it's also unique, which would suggest that it's important.
But following the path doesn't seem to spell anything. Neither does putting the letters into a new grid based on the route.
I'm out of ideas.
Oh wait. I solved it. I had it the wrong way round.
Thanks richmcd, that helped me solve it as well.
@richmcd:
What do you mean by the wrong way round? I've probably got what you had, but I just don't see the solution.
@richmcd:
What do you mean by the wrong way round? I've probably got what you had, but I just don't see the solution.
I used the route on the letters to make a new grid. But I should have used the letters on the route...
Stuck on #2.
Does it matter
that some lines are red? or is it just because it is a fixed version?
Also, am i supposed to:
make a line from the entrance arrow to the ending arrow that passes through all the letters? I did that but nothing pops out from that.
@donhuando
Red lines just indicate this is a corrected version. As for you other question, I'm stuck, too.
oh, never mind about 2, got it.
turns out i made the same wrong attempt the others did, which is actually strange because the correct way makes more sense
Clever...
Thanks for the tip. It's one of those things that doesn't occur to you but as soon as it does it seems obvious.
I think working on number 2 broke my brain. Now I can't do number three, although I suspect it's simple.
So I assume I want to use the hexominoes to form a path. But I can either do it and spell nonsense, or I can start a beguiling message and then get stuck. Working backwards, it seemed like the message might end "SW". And there's a nice anagram of the letters from the NE to SW corners. But that's not the answer, apparently...
richmcd, here's my idea:
I too like you thought at first the idea was to form a path. But looking at the beginning and end it doesn't seem possible. Instead I think the idea is to place the hexominoes in such a way that they don't overlap the walls, and the remaining letters give the answers when left top to bottom, left to right.
It's a lot of work to be done for a puzzle so I haven't tried it out yet.
@Themepark
But doesn't it have to be a maze?
I'm still struggling with #2. I've read all of the comments and hints, but I'm not sure where that points. It seems to me that richmcd is saying
(Potential huge spoiler here in case I'm right.)
Take the letters from the grid on the left and lay them out according to the maze on the right, as opposed to simply overlaying the maze onto the grid of letters.
If that's the case, It's still a little ambiguous how to proceed.
Maybe, but I think the correct way is the most intuitive...
Start at the top left and work your way along each row
ray9na, yes you are right, but:
First you need to find a path that goes over every square in the maze.
richmcd, yes but it's just an idea I got, and I don't see how to get a sentence out of it while treating it like a maze.
Done! I'm not absolutely sure I got the right answer though (you'll see when you reach #4). Has anyone else finished yet?
As for #3, it sounds like you guys are on the right track. Let me know if you want some hints or questions answered.
@ray9na:
Have you tried it out? Take a look at what that gives you.
does anyone have any thoughts as to the significance of the colors of grids for #3?
@richmcd, I think my brain got broken on #2, as well.
@zoz:
The colors didn't help me at all when solving #3
@RobWatts
Well, the most appealing try is:
one that starts "PROCEED TO NEXT..." but maybe that's a red herring?
I can do it in three shapes, but then I get PROGRSEIHOABLERTSW. Which doesn't seem very helpful!
@RobWatts, I've finished, but like you, I'm not confident about my answer. I went with the most obvious choice.
@richmcd
Left to right, top to bottom. I think you might need to reorient the second shape though.
I'm stuck with ray9na -
I have the route, but the massive amount of hints above just aren't helping me. I've laid all the letters from the left out according to the route I got from the right, but they make nothing for me.
Ah... Thanks!
@baileydonk:
Are you sure you've visited every square, and that you do not cross your path at any point? If you have the right path, the sentence will be obvious once you've applied the letters.
@RobWatts @Snidde
I too, finished, but am not positive of my answer. My approach:
I took the big picture view
Is that what you did?
@RobWatts @Snidde
I too, finished, but am not positive of my answer. My approach:
I took the big picture view
Is that what you did?
@RobWatts, I'd like a hint on #3:
Like richmcd I got PROCEED TO NEXT and am having trouble seeing a way of continuing from there. But I also noticed I can go left at T and have PROCEED TO, but if I go on from there I use letters I've already used.
@sarcastodon:
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by that, but I don't think that's what I did.
@RobWatts, I'd like a hint for #3:
I too see PROCEED TO NEXT, but I don't see how to get anymore words from there. But I noticed I can go left at T and get PROCEED TO, but then I have to reuse previous letters to go anywhere.
@sarcastodon:
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by that, but I don't think that's what I did.
@ThemePark
No I was right that that was a red-herring. It was the apparent jumble of letters that was the right track. But I didn't work out how to read them properly.
@Themepark:
Sorry, but you've fallen for a red herring.
@richmcd, thanks and now I know what RobWatts meant:
Once you've laid out the 3 hexominoes, read the letters the way he told you to. But flip a piece first. You don't have all the right letters.
@RobWatts
Interesting, then, because I think we might have arrived at different answers? I'm not certain mine is correct, but it did:
fit the small hint in the puzzle text.
...aaand got #2. I should have figured. Ah, well. On to #3 :)
ThemePark, RE #2:
I'm certain I have the right path. By "apply all the letters", you mean just follow the path and write down the letters? It's complete gobbledegook. I know I'm good at mazes!
Maybe I need to have a few beers and look at it again?
Okay, I just finished #4 and I am sure I've got the right answer:
If you got a 4 letter word, you're correct.
baileydonk, that's exactly right.
When you've done that, read the grid left to right, top to bottom. It should start with THE.
@ThemePark
Yay me. I'm thinking I might have been the first to get this one! So excited...until I find out somebody got it hours ago. :)
Themepark:
I think you are thinking of the same answer I was thinking of. A literal answer. But if we're thinking of the same thing then how can you be so sure? It makes it a very easy puzzle.
@donhuando:
It's pretty obvious to see the answer, right? And the pun within the maze text is what makes me sure I got the right answer.
Just to clarify something in the final puzzle:
Before you submit an answer, you might want to step back and think about what you've done. Also, there's a pun planted in the text to help you make sure you're on the right track. Some people may want to resubmit answers given this information.
Jesus, finally got number 2. And now I understand what other people meant by having it backward. Geesh!
For the love of sanity, why can't I figure out #2!?
I've drawn a path through the maze that hits everything, but going along the path I made the letters just make the following gobbledygook:
REEIHHTLNESTLCTRDIUUSSSSEAFPMANNTXEERNGEIS
How am I supposed to make ANYTHING out of that? D:
@an Onyx Mouse, you have
the right route, but the wrong letters. Try filling in that path with different letters.
OK, on #4, the maze itself was frighteningly simple, and I found all of the
hidden words
with no problem. As far as I can tell
all of the hidden words/phrases but one are food items.
Also, I see the pun Steve is referring to, but I think my sense of humor must have been cracked somewhere back on Puzzle #2, because I just don't get it!
Still, this is one of the best LIB's of all (each one seems better than the last). Thanks @Steve (btw, I'll be sending you my bill for headache remedies :o)
@zoz
(10 minutes) Hubidafwhaaaaaaaa?
(10 seconds ago) AHA!!! Now I got it! Thanks!
@an Onyx Mouse, you're very welcome! Isn't it just the best feeling when you finally "see it"?
#3 @RobWatts | February 2, 2012 4:23 PM
Given how they're laid out, one can make a case for the second shape being red or green. It's trial-and-error-y enough figuring out HOW to re-orient the shape, and I've already found at least four places the green shape can go as given.
Question about #3:
I assume I'm supposed to be making a path using the colored shapes. Do the shapes get flipped or rotated, or can it be both?
@ray9na:
I told richmcd to reorient the second piece because of the letters he gave me. I recognized those letters as being the ones I got when I had the second piece rotated incorrectly.
But yes, it is rather trial and error.
@nerdypants:
Rotate, yes. You don't need to flip them.
*waves* good morning to everyone!!! now I wish I hadn't stayed up late yesterday with the puzzle that had an error haha! *happily goes to try the fixed version* :)
hm... I feel a bit silly asking for a hint for #4, since the comments above make it seem like an easy puzzle...
but I've solved the maze, picked out the hidden words (at least, all those that I could find), and been staring at it for about half an hour now lol...
is the solution linked to the hidden words?
i've got hidden words: cheese, nachos, hotdog, french toast, pepperoni, yams, apples, alpine skiing is fun... is the solution linked to these?
or from the letters that are leftover or something?
i've even tried 'visualizing' the maze path to see if it looks like something or not, but don't seem to be getting anywhere :$ would be grateful for some help! :)
Well, I got #3, although not by setting it up correctly. I was playing around with it and my eyes got just out of focus enough to see a word in the grid. I tried it, and it happened to be right. I'm content to wait til Monday to learn how it properly goes. :) As it is, I'm saving #4 for tomorrow. Good night, and thanks for all the hints!
For the final puzzle, is the answer a 6 lettered word food? It makes perfect logical sense, but I just have this bad feeling for some reason.
Thanks, RobWatts! That was the hint I needed for #3. Now if only I could figure out what's going on in #4... for some reason I'm craving a snack...
I know i'm really stupid, as i'm stuck on #1... I know we're supposed to move upwards and rightwards... then how do i get the answer from it?
Hey Steve, did anyone got #4? If so, how many people, if it isn't confidential.
@cooler:
you're on the right track, just try going up and/or right, such that the words make sense ... you'll get 2 words, and the 2nd word is the one you're looking for
A hint for #4:
Forget the hidden words. They are irrelevant to the puzzle, and are only there to make you crave a snack.
Instead, as has been said before, look at the big picture. And keep in mind that you're looking for a word. And read the sentence along the path you used.
Okay, think I got it.
If I'm right, the answer's something to really kick yourself over once you see it. (That wasn't a hint or anything, just stating an opinion.)
Okay, think I got it.
If I'm right, the answer's something to really kick yourself over once you see it. (That wasn't a hint or anything, just stating an opinion.)
Well, i finally had to go to bed
craving pizza
without solving #4. Here's my question:
Is the answer a four-letter word that's practically handed to us and having nothing to do with "delighted/lighted"?
I don't think I'm going to submit my answer, because 1. I wasn't first (or second or third or anywhere near them) and 2. I don't deserve a prize for my dismal performance! But somebody, please tell me I've got #4!
I got #4 *glares at Steve*
zoz, sounds like you got the right word, but it does have something to do with what you mentioned.
I got the same word zoz did, I think...but I really don't see the relevance to what he mentioned either. Am I missing something obvious, and if so, how much am I going to groan afterwards?
I got the same word zoz did, I think...but I really don't see the relevance to what he mentioned either. Am I missing something obvious, and if so, how much am I going to groan afterwards?
@Themepark, thanks so much for giving me a reply. Still, I think I'll just have to wait until the answers are posted and then I can *smack* myself good upside the head.
@iq8w7ht, I feel your pain.
@zoz, iq8w7ht:
Try putting your answer in front of one of the words you mentioned. Did a light bulb just light up?
I just dont get it!!!!! What do you guys mean about the big picture? Do I highlight the path? What is the four lettered word?!?!?!
@ThemePark
...and the answer to my question above is apparently that I'm going to groan a *LOT*, assuming I've got the answer right.
@zoz
If you're still wondering, or just want to confirm that we're on the same page here...
If I do have it right, ThemePark, our lumenary helper, just gave us a really bright hint.
iq8w7ht, groan away. Now I'm sure you've got it right.
Once I saw the answer to #4, I only partly groaned. I just "grrrrr-ed".
hm... am thinking I might've finally got #4, after reading all the hints (thanks so much for them! :)), and deciding to use a different
graphics software, which had a smaller canvas/screen size than the previous one I was using... helped to see the 'big picture' better...
.... assuming I got the correct answer, am I right to say that it might help to...
use a nice bright colour to solve the maze? :P
Right you are, snowmoon. :D
Sad to say, I'm stuck on #1. If anyone can provide a hint, I'd appreciate it.
Always enjoy these, although I never finish them quickly :) - need the hints from everyone else to poke my brain. Thanks for sharing, everyone...
A couple comments:
#3
The path made with the colored pieces is key, but you won't find the right sentence by following it from start to finish.
#4
The path is the key - highlight it, but don't worry about the sentence once you've solved the maze. Ignore the distractions if you can (also craving pizza here!)
Am I just stupid? I can't figure out any of the hints for puzzle two!!!
I have the right path, apparently, but what do I do with the letters again? Do the flip everything upsidedown or something? Do I write the letters from the path on a new grid, which comes out like Reeihht blah blah? Or do I write from top to bottom, left to right, the original letters from the grid onto the path?
I'm so confused! Can someone please just type in the answer so I can see how you got it myself? Please?
@snowmoon
Thanks for the hint. I couldn't see anything for the life of me until I tried your suggestion.
for what it's worth, here are my hints for the puzzles. If they don't ring any bells with you, then just ignore them (but I hope they help someone!) Since it's fairly late in the game, these are pretty major spoilers:
#1
the title of this puzzle is Up Right Citizen. Does that tell you anything? Keep looking 'til you find a series of letters that make a word.
#2 - by far the hardest of the bunch, imho
Using the corrected version of the grid (there's a note saying it was fixed and the added lines are in red) find a path from the entry to the exit that touches each grid once and only once. You'll get jibberish. But if you then enter the letters from the original grid (on the left) in order (left to right, top to bottom) on the new path you just created, see what you get.
#3 take the colored grids on the right (pay no attention to the colors) and
place them on the puzzle grid starting with the P at the entry arrow. You may have to flip one of the colored grids to get the match, but you will get a three word sentence that tells you the solution. I haven't seen anyone mention this, but the exit arrow (at the W on the right) seems irrelevant, so ignore it.
#4 Ah, yes, #4.
solve the maze, starting at the entry on the left and exiting at the arrow on the right. The food items are funny (ie., "you will get French Toast" but are red herrings [hey, that's a food item Steve forgot to use!]) Notice the play on words in the maze solution.
Now, here's the real clincher for the solution:
either highlight the maze solution with a computer program or print it and use a highlighter pen - what you see is what you were looking for.
I hope this helps someone to get some peaceful sleep!
Cannot for the life of me get #4.
I've gone through the maze, highlighted the path, and looked at the big picture. What I see looks like a cave painting of some Lovecraftian horror.
Guess I'll have to wait for the answer.
Same here, nerdypants. I've been staring at it for over 24 hours now and still have no idea what I'm supposed to be seeing!
@nerdypants, AnneW:
Instead of merely drawing a line through the maze, try coloring in each square you go through with a colour. Then hopefully you'll see things in a different light.
Regarding #3, I was wrong when I said
"the exit arrow (at the W on the right) seems irrelevant".
It is relevant in that
proper placement of the colored grids makes a path from the P to the W.
But you read the solution in a straight left to right, top to bottom.
Exit through the gift shop! Here are this week's answers:
Puzzle 1
Puzzle 1 Answer
The clue for this first clue was in the phrase "Upright Citizens". The goal was to move from the entrance to exit moving up and right only, spelling a phrase along the way. If done correctly, you'd find USE DOORSTOP.
Puzzle 2
Puzzle 2 Answer
The first step to solving this puzzle was to find a path in the right-hand puzzle that passed through every square. Then, the letters in the box on the left (reading from left to right, top to bottom) could be placed on the path you've made. The grid, reading left to right, now says THE NEXT CHALLENGE IS FIRST US PRESIDENTS SURNAME. If you're not sure of the answer, you can do a quick search to find WASHINGTON.
Puzzle 3
Puzzle 3 Answer
To solve this puzzle, you needed to place the three shapes on the right into the grid to form a path that didn't run into itself or any of the walls. When done correctly, you'll find (reading left to right, NOT along the path) PROGRESS WITH MARBLE,I think there's only one way to lay down the pieces, but if not, then anything else would give you gibberish.
Puzzle 4
Puzzle 4 Answer
The final puzzle, amazingly, was just a maze. However, like Conceptis Puzzles' Maze-a-Pix, the answer was made by the path you took, in this case, NEON. (Did you notice the clue about lighting along the path?)
Winners will be announced soon!
Hi Steve, any chance of a screenshot of the
coloured in maze because even knowing the answer I still can't see it!
I sent the wrong answer. :(
The letters were kind of hard to make out. I thought it said NCOR. Which anagrams into CORN. Any chance of also accepting this as the answer?
I also considered NEaR as the answer before I finally decided on CORN.
And what was the pun that everyone was talking about?
I wasn't thinking in the right lines (no pun intended!) to get anywhere near the right answer. What I had done was
I looked at the last line, "Now what is the answer," and took it punny-literally as not asking but telling, "Now WHAT is the answer." Well, apparently, the answer is not "what."
@ray9na: I thought the same at first too!!! and I almost submitted
'watt' as my answer, to fit with the 'lighted' pun
@Vogonviking, here's an image of the path, with emphasis added to the letters.
http://i42.tinypic.com/21jpz48.gif
@ ThemePark, thank you. I have seen the light! :)
Thanks, ThemePark! I get it now.
just wondering... is there not going to be any more letters in boxes puzzles? i don't seem to remember seeing any new ones for a long time, and I kinda miss having a new one to work on every week :$
Letters In Boxes is currently on a temporary hiatus. We plan to return sometime in the future with more puzzles, we're just not sure when. Thank you for your interest though!
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