- NURIKABE Elliott Line

Nurikabe is a binary determination puzzle (meaning that each square can be one of two
things) named after an invisible wall in Japanese folklore that blocks roads and delays foot travel.
Nurikabe was first developed in 1991 by a compiler at Nikoli puzzle publishers in Japan.
Nurikabe has just a couple more rules than other puzzles such as Sudoku and Kakuro, and as such is
sometimes seen as difficult to get into, however it is well worth the effort, and quite quickly you can
become extremely skilled in solving them. For me, the visual element of the final map adds to the
satisfaction of the solution is a way that the Sudoku array of numbers cannot.

Rules: Form the grid into several islands with canals separating them, such that:
ISLANDS: Each island contains exactly one number, which is the size of the island.
CANALS: The canal network must all be connected.
LAKES: 2 x 2 squares of canal are not allowed.

In this example solution, an X represents a square of canal and a dot represents a square of land.
I have added some extra notation which I find helpful in solving the puzzle: If there is a circle around
the dot, it signifies that the island is (directly or indirectly) in contact with the edge of the grid. This is
useful for ensuring the canal network stays connected, as you know that two islands that are already
circled cannot meet, even diagonally, and a circled island cannot join the edge. This notation is my
own method of solving which I personally find very useful, but readers may like to develop their own
methods.

5 4 3 5 4 a 3 5 4 3
a
2 2 2 c

2 1 3 2 1 b 3 2 1 3
6 4 7 6 b 4 7 6 4 7
a c
3 3 c 3
a
5 2 2 5 a 2 2 5 2 2

5 4 3 5 4 3
a denotes squares that must be dotted, as the
islands they belong to can only extend in that
2 2
direction.
2 1 3 2 1 3 b denotes squares that must be crossed, as
6 4 7 6 4 7 otherwise they would block off other islands.

3 3 c denotes squares that must be dotted because

of the LAKES rule. Its not always possible to tell
5 2 2 5 2 2 straight away what island a c square belongs to.
 MASYU Elliott Line

Masyu previously appeared in Nikoli under the name Shiroshinju Kuroshinju (, meaning
"white pearls and black pearls"). The name Masyu, which was originally a misreading by Nikoli's
president of (shinju), apparently became an inside joke at the Nikoli office, and was adopted
in Puzzle Communication Nikoli #103 to replace the old lengthy name. It is a made-up word, with no
meaning beyond being the name of this puzzle.

Masyu is one of a number of Japanese puzzles whose ultimate aim is to draw a single closed path
around the grid, with no crossings and no branches. The other rules of Masyu are almost as simple:

Rules:
The path must go through every black or white circle, but doesnt necessarily pass through every square on the grid.
At a black circle the path must make a turn, but must go straight through the squares either side of the black circle.
The path must go straight through a white circle, but must make a turn either one side, or both sides, of the white circle.

Hints:
Notation: I use a small dot to denote when the path must make a turn, but I am not yet able to determine which direction.
If there is a white circle at the edge of the grid, then the path must go through the circle parallel to edge.
If there are three white circles in a row, the path cannot travel straight throught them (as the middle one must have a bend at
least one side of it.
If there is a black circle at the edge, or one square in from the edge, one portion of the path through it must point directly
away from the edge.
If there are two black circles in adjacent squares, one portion of the path through each must point away from one another.
Always keep in mind that you must form a complete circuit at the end, so avoid dead ends and short circuits.
 HEYAWAKE Elliott Line

Heyawake, which translates as divided rooms, is a binary-determination logic puzzle first

published by Nikoli in 1992.

Rules:
A room with a number in it must contain exactly that number of black squares (or here,
crossed squares). A room without a number might contain any number of black squares.
The white squares (here dotted) must form one continuous shape.
No two orthogonally adjacent squares can be black (but diagonally adjacent squares can).
Any line of white squares which connects three or more rooms is forbidden.

Hints:
Some shapes can instantly be filled in, such as the 2 room at the bottom.
Some rooms, such as a 2x2 square with 2 blacks, or a 3x2 room with 3 blacks can have two
alternative forms, but the edge of the grid, or other previously filled in squares can help you determine
which, for instance the 3x2 room at the top must be as shown, as otherwise it would result in an
unconnected white square.
Remember that each time you make a square black you can instantly dot the squares adjacent to it,
plus any that would result in an unconnected white area.
The final rule is the most subtle, but must be mastered to solve the puzzle. An example would be that
the square halfway down the left hand side must be black as otherwise a line of white in the left
column would span three rooms.

1 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2

2 2 2 2 2 2

3 1 3 1 3 1

2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 3

2 2 2

1 3 2 1 3 2

2 2 2 2

3 1 3 1

2 1 3 2 1 3

2 2
 - AKARI Elliott Line

'Akari' is also quite commonly known as 'Light Up', and the romanisation of the kanji
characters above would be something like 'Bijutsukan'. The rules are actually very simple.
You place 'lightbulbs' in various squares around the board so that:

Every white square is illuminated.

No lightbulb illuminates another lightbulb.
The numbers in the black squares denote how many light bulbs are orthogonally adjacent.
Note: A square will be illuminated by a lightbulb if it is the same row or column as a lightbulb, and there are no
black squares in between.

In the example solution below, I have used circles to represent lightbulbs, crosses to denote
illuminated squares, and dots to stand for squares that cannot contain a lightbulb, but are not
yet illuminated. These dotted squares are often the key to solving the puzzle.
In the third grid I have dotted the third square along the top row. This is because if it were to
contain a lightbulb, neither the square to the left, or the one below, could contain a lightbulb,
but as there is a '1' in the black square, one of them must, hence the dot.
In the fourth grid, the second square on the top row now contains a lightbulb. This is
because, with a cross on one side, and a dot on the other, the only way for this square to be
illuminated in for it to contain a lightbulb.

With these general principles in mind, you should be able to solve most Akari puzzles, but be
warned that they can sometimes be very tricky indeed.

X
1 3 1 X 1 X 3 1
2 2 X 2 2
2 4 1 2 X 4 X 1
2 X 2 X
2 X X 2
1 2 1 X 1 X 2 1
3 X 3
2 2 1 X 2 2 1
2 X 2

X X X
X 1 X 3 1 X 1 X 3 1
X 2 2 X 2 X 2
2 X 4 X 1 2 X 4 X 1
X 2 X X 2 X X
X X 2 X X 2 X
X 1 X 2 1 X 1 X 2 X 1
X 3 X X 3 X X X X
X 2 2 1 X 2 2 X X X 1
X X 2 X X X X X 2 X X

X X X X X X X
X 1 X X X 3 1 X
X 2 X 2 X
2 X 4 X 1 X X
X 2 X X X X
X X X X 2 X X
X 1 X X 2 X 1
X 3 X X X X
X 2 2 X X X 1
X X X X X 2 X X