Sudoku Jigsaw Sudoku Killer Sudoku Samurai Sudoku Jigsaw Samurai Sudoku Kakuro Masyu Hitori Nurikabe Hanidoku
SudokuJigsawKillerSamuraiJig SamuraiKakuroMasyuHitoriNurikabeHanidoku
| Showcase Home | ePacks | Trade | Your Account | Login | sudoku.org.uk |
 
MM Multimedia MM Multimedia Masyu




Masyu

Examples

Example 1 (6x6) Solution 1 (6x6)
Example 2 (6x6) Solution 2 (6x6)
Example 3 (7x7) Solution 3 (7x7)
Example 4 (7x7) Solution 4 (7x7)
Example 5 (8x8) Solution 5 (8x8)
Example 6 (8x8) Solution 6 (8x8)
Example 7 (9x9) Solution 7 (9x9)
Example 8 (9x9) Solution 8 (9x9)
Example 9 (10x10) Solution 9 (10x10)
Example 10 (10x10) Solution 10 (10x10)
Example 11 (11x11) Solution 11 (11x11)
Example 12 (11x11) Solution 12 (11x11)
Example 13 (12x12) Solution 13 (12x12)
Example 14 (12x12) Solution 14 (12x12)
Example 15 (13x13) Solution 15 (13x13)
Example 16 (13x13) Solution 16 (13x13)
Example 17 (14x14) Solution 17 (14x14)
Example 18 (14x14) Solution 18 (14x14)



Available for Print Media: Now


Rules

Masyu is a charming but sophisticated invention where you are required to "string" black and white "pearls" with a string that forms a continuous loop. The string can only be horizontal or vertical. On unmarked cells the line that is the string can enter and exit in any two of the four sides of a cell. The trick and the trouble starts when the pearls are adjacent to one another. There are two rules according to the colour of the pearl:
  1. Black pearls: A line going through a black pearl must enter and exit at right angles on the pearl. It must also extend straight for two squares in the chosen directions.
  2. White pearls: A line goes straight through a white pearl. In one or both directions the line must perform a turn immediately after the white pearl. It is optional for it to turn in both cells after the pearl.


Key selling points

This can be an easy or difficult puzzle to master depending on how your mind works, but it has a lot of depth. Anyone familiar with the logic games like pushing barrels round an impossible room will enjoy this puzzle. Some tuition and examples are necessary to introduce masyu, but the strategies are simple. It will work as a on-line puzzle or downloadable game very well. We guarantee only one solution.

Grid Sizes

A 'normal' Masyu board is around 10 x 10 cells. Perfectly good and tricky puzzles can be found from as small as 6 by 6 so it's difficult to grade. We can produce grids from 6 x 6 all the way up to 25 x 25. Pearl density is another variable we can change. More pearls make it seem more difficult, but this is often deceptive.

Strategies

Every pearl will have two lines coming out of it so it's a question of looking at which directions are possible and whether they satisfy the rules. When drawing a line think of the centre of each cell as the start and end point of each line segment.
  • White cells on the outside can only go in one direction, so you can mark lines out from that cell. They won't go far unless there is a corner or obstruction.
  • Black cells can have lines that emanate in one of four patterns. If they are close to the edge or in a corner you can see that certain directions are impossible. Draw in the possible lines.
  • If a line is being drawn that goes into a cell and then out, you have two other sides which are like the edges of the board. They are effectively 'walls' and you can test nearby pearls to see if these walls force a line.
  • Because of the continuous looping nature of the line you'll find cells which must extend in a certain direction creating more walls.
 
| About Us | Contact Us | Copyright | sudokulist.com | sudoku.org.uk |