Hanjie

Can you see the bigger picture?

Hanjie is a puzzle that has had many names and still goes under different names in different magazines.

The puzzle is unusual in that the end result of the puzzle is actually a piece of art - in the form of a black and white picture (usually). There are also multi coloured hanjie puzzles where the end result in a picture in a set number of colours... these puzzles tend to be more difficult than ordinary two colour hanjie.

The puzzle starts with a grid of any size - often in multiples of 5, for instance a 20 x 15 grid.

Alongside one horizontal and one vertical of the hanjie puzzle grid will be a series of numbers.

These numbers tell you how many cells in that row or column are to be filled in black.

So, a '5' would mean 5 cells are filled.

If there are more than one number given this tells you there are that many discrete regions coloured in that row or column separated by at least one white cell.

Thus a clue of 4, 5 would say there is a group of 4 filled cells, then at least one white cell, and then another series of 5 filled cells.

The puzzles are solved by cross referencing and elimination and shoud have one result you can reach without guessing.

As you fill in filled cells or work out cells which cannot be filled (where you should place a dot to remember this fact) you will build up enough information to solve further cells and deduce what must go where on the puzzle.

Like many puzzles the more you do the quicker you get. Start with the larger numbers; often there are some rows or columns you can fill in completely. If the clue is over half the width or height then you will always be able to place at least the central squares - those which are common to all possible valid combinations for that row or column.

Hanjie is an unusual puzzle in that it is one people either love and really enjoy, whilst for others it completely bores them and they find it repetitive and dull.

The only way to find out whether you enjoy it or not is to try to play hanjie!

Hanjie

Author: Dan

About the Author: I'm interested in web design, puzzles and philosophy...
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Last Updated: Oct 17th 2006

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