Most people prefer using basic strategies to solve puzzles. But that can work best for you if you’re a beginner. If you’re an advanced player, you may need more elaborate logic tricks to solve puzzles.
This article highlights the advanced hanjie solving techniques.
1. Symmetry
A hanjie puzzle can be solved in a balanced way when two columns mirror each other. Finding the solution to one of the columns can help you find the other column’s answers if the puzzle has similar solutions around a vertical axis. Therefore, if there’s only one solution to a column, you’ll know it has to be symmetrical. That’s a big clue that can help you unlock the puzzle.
However, some sites and puzzles don’t have one solution for symmetrical columns. If you’re playing hanjie on such sites, you may not find your answers based on the symmetry technique. Instead, you’ll also need to use other methods to find solutions. If you’re a starter, you want to start playing hanjie puzzles with one solution for mirrored columns. Such puzzles may give you a clue that they only have one solution for both columns.
There are various types of symmetry, including rotational and diagonal symmetry. Though solving puzzles using this method seems easy, you have to study the whole puzzle to detect symmetry.
2. Line Solving
Line solving occurs when you try to get answers using one column or one row at a time. Many people consider this one of the easiest ways to find answers because it’s straightforward. Computer programmers love to design their puzzles in a way that they can be solved using this method.
Some apps will give you a small part of the problem to encourage you to play the game. By solving the small parts at a time, you may eventually also solve the whole puzzle. If you’re a beginner, you can use this method to solve puzzles. Unlike the symmetry strategy, you don’t have to study the whole puzzle to find solutions while using this method.
3. Color-Logic
Color logic involves looking at columns and rows that offer a clue using color. Color logic is used in multicolored puzzles where a row clue shows you that a cell is either color A or B, while a column clue tells you it’s either B or C. You can’t apply line logic on this method.
The trick to mastering color logic is to remember the colors of each cell. Some apps and computer programs have a list of possible colors for each cell that you can find. Knowing the colors that can fit in the cells may help you solve the puzzle quickly than using other techniques. Alternatively, you can develop a system that can enable you to know the color schemes when you’re playing puzzles on paper. However, this can come only through constant practice.
The Bottom-line
Though this isn’t an exhaustive list of the advanced strategies that you can use to play hanjie, these techniques are useful tricks that can help you find solutions to the difficulty of nonograms or hanjie. Occasionally, you may need to invent your methods to help you solve the puzzle. Sometimes, you may just need to guess the answer if all techniques don’t work.
