Hanjie

Here is something brand new, well, for this site anyway: Hanjie puzzles, previously known under the name “Tsunami”. I have been supplying these puzzles to Euromedia Finland since July who are publishing a Hanjie magazine every month. Each issue of their magazine contains 31 of my Hanjie puzzles in various sizes, from 10×10, 15×15 and 20×20 to 60×80, 100×100 and even 120×80. These puzzles aren’t Sudoku-related. It’s a logic puzzle with its own rules, which are quite simple: 1. you start with an empty grid and you must paint it so the sequences of numbers on the top and on the left hand side are satisfied. 2. if there is only one number for a row/column, it means that there is only one “patch” of black cells in that row/column. Of course, the number indicates how many black cells there are in that patch. 3. if there are more numbers, they tell you how many patches of black cells there are. Two patches of black cells MUST be separeated by at least one white cell. 4. each row or column can start and end with any number of white cells, including zero. The trick is that you don’t know how many white cells separate two patches of black cells. However, each puzzle can be solved by using deduction logic only! You do have to count a little and add a few numbers, but that’s all. When you solve a puzzle, you are rewarded with an image of something. It is usually a portrait of a person or a silhouette of an animal or a sign of some sort. This is why these puzzles are so appealing. Hanjie puzzles are becoming quite popular these days. I’m looking for a publisher who would publish a book with my Hanjie puzzles. Of course, as any of my other puzzles, Hanjie puzzles are available to newspapers and magazines, too. Just send an e-mail to hanjie@djapedjape.com and tell us what you need. I can produce these puzzles in any size you require. I will soon start a new website with only these puzzles, but I don’t know when will that be done. Ok, after all this talk, here is my first sample Hanjie puzzle for you! Hanjie puzzle (griddlers, pic-a-pix, paint-by-numbers) for September 28, 2006

(click to download or right-click to save the image!)

To see the solution to this puzzle click here
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? I’m keen to hear what you think!