Mystery Clues is a logic puzzle.
Vic has been murdered. There are several locations, each with one suspect and a different weapon. When the puzzle opens, or whenever you press the New button, these suspects, weapons and locations are presented to you as lists (please note that the rows do not indicate relationships between them - these are just lists).
Vic is found in one of the locations with his killer and the murder weapon. Work out who killed Vic, with what, and where from a set of clues obtained by pressing the Clues button.
Each of the clues presented (there are two on each row) consists of a set of three names: a person (suspect or Vic the victim), a weapon and a location. Associated with each set is a letter (Y, P or N), which gives you information about all the relationships possible between them, namely: whether the person is with the weapon; whether the person is in the location; and whether the weapon is in the location. The letter meanings are:
- Y: Yes - all three are correct
- P: Part - only one is correct
- N: No - not one is correct.
So, Kim Axe Loft P means either that Kim is with the Axe, or that the Axe is in the Loft or that Kim is in the Loft - but only one of these statements is true.
It is important to note that 'Kim Axe Loft Y' means only that Kim is with the Axe, the Axe is in the Loft, and Kim is in the Loft; the Y does not mean imply that Kim is the killer. The killer is the suspect in the same location as Vic.
Please note that all suspects, weapons and locations involved in the scenario, as initially listed, are named in the clues, so you don't need to return to the initial lists of these.
When you think you've worked out the murderer, the murder weapon and the murder location, press the Solve button.
You are presented with not only the answer but also a high level view of how this could have been shown: one statement about the victim, and one about the killer.
With each of these statements is a How button. Pressing this takes you to a more detailed explanation of the way this statement can be proved from the clues given. On the left is given the basis for the implication shown on the right. The following examples demonstrate the forms that a basis might take, and indicate the logic required to solve these problems.
Axe:Bar+Ned:Axe implies Ned:Axe:Bar
If the Axe is in the Bar and Ned has the Axe, then Ned is with the Axe in the Bar.
Ian:Bat:Park:P+Ns: Ian:Bat+Bat:Park implies Ian:Park
If we know that Ian is not with the Bat and that the Bat is not in the Park, then the P for Ian:Bat:Park must mean that Ian is in the Park.
Sal:Axe:Hall:P+Ned:Axe:Bar(:Y) implies Sal:Hall
If we are given, or can prove, that Ned is with the Axe in the Bar, then we know that the Axe is not in the Hall and that Sal is not with the Axe, so the P for Sal:Axe:Hall must mean that Sal is in the Hall.
Ned: 6/7 weapons N implies Ned:Axe
Since we know that Ned does not have 6 of the 7 weapons, he must have the 7th (in this case the Axe).
3 Ps with Caz:Drug implies Caz:Drug
If there are three P statements that include Caz with the Drug, then Caz must have the Drug.
Important: Beware of applying all of these forms of logic to statements involving Vic; some apply, some do not.
Press the Back button to go back to the main Solution view. You can also press the Back button to go back to the Clues view from the Solution view.
Below the How buttons on the main Solution view is a Facts button. Press this to see the full scenario, then Back to go back to the main Solution view.
This puzzle can be played as a game if two or more people can see the screen. The winner is the first player to give the correct answer (e.g. by writing it down).
Levels and times
There are three levels (1-3). The default level is 1.
- At level 1, there are 5 locations, weapons and suspects.
- At level 2, there are 6 locations, weapons and suspects.
- At level 3, there are 7 locations, weapons and suspects.
As well as increasing the numbers of locations, weapons and suspects, higher levels require deeper logic to solve them.
The current level is shown near the bottom-right corner, with '+' and '-' buttons at the sides, which allow you to change the level.
When the clues are presented, a timer starts (bottom left), which initially has a green background. For each level, there is a default time suggested, after which the background of the timer changes to red. The time continues to count up, a second at a time, until the result of the final line is displayed, even when you have exceeded the suggested time. The suggested times are 90s for level 1, 120s for level 2 and 150s for level 3.
Press the New button at any time for a new puzzle, using the current level setting.
Terms of use
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Version: 3.0 (20170327) Scale:
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