Slant (PuzzleMadness)
Draw a diagonal in every cell so each circled number meets that many lines, with no loops.
Every day: A new dated Slant puzzle every day at each difficulty (Easy, Medium and Hard, plus a Mixed page), the same for every player, with scores on monthly and all-time leaderboards and earlier days in the archive. New puzzle: Once a day (the site does not state the time).
Slant on PuzzleMadness, also known as Gokigen Naname, has you put a diagonal line in every cell of a grid. Numbers in circles on the grid points say how many diagonals touch that point, and the lines may never close into a loop. Four Slant puzzles are posted every day: Easy, Medium, Hard and a Mixed bonus.
About Slant (PuzzleMadness)
The Slant grid starts empty, with circled numbers from 0 to 4 sitting on some of the points where grid lines cross. Every cell must get one diagonal, either from top left to bottom right or from top right to bottom left. A circled number says how many of the diagonals in the cells around it end at that point. The one other rule is that the diagonals may not form a closed loop anywhere in the grid. Clues turn green once they are satisfied.
The first moves come from clues that can only be met one way: a 0 sends every surrounding line away from it, a 4 pulls all four in, a 2 on the edge or a 1 in a corner leaves no choice. After that the no-loop rule does a lot of the work, since a line that would close a ring has to go the other way. Today's Medium puzzle, for example, is a 10x10 grid.
PuzzleMadness is a free puzzle website run by Dewi, a software developer who started out making games for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii and DS and now builds the site as a hobby. It carries dozens of puzzle types, from classic sudoku to newer logic grids, and each one gets its own dated puzzle every day at each difficulty. Slant comes in Easy, Medium and Hard versions plus a Mixed page, and the same day's Slant puzzle is shared by everyone who opens it.
The site checks your grid as you go and tells you when it is finished; it does not publish solutions. Each completed puzzle earns a score, and scores feed a monthly and an all-time Slant leaderboard, where only your best attempt at a puzzle counts. Older days stay in the archive, so a missed puzzle can still be played later and still counts toward the current month. Playing needs no account; a free registration gives you a username on the leaderboards and a cloud save. The pages carry adverts.
How to play Slant (PuzzleMadness)
- Open today's Slant page on PuzzleMadness and choose a difficulty from the menu above the grid.
- Click a cell to draw a diagonal in it; click again to flip it the other way.
- Make each circled number touch exactly that many diagonal ends.
- Fill every cell without letting the lines form a closed loop.
- The site tells you when the grid is complete and adds your score; registered players appear on the leaderboards.
Screenshots
Tips
- Start with the 0s and 4s, then 2s on the edge and 1s in the corners: each has only one answer.
- Once a clue is satisfied, every other line around it must point away from it.
- Before placing a line, check whether it would close a ring; if so, the cell takes the other diagonal.
- Missed a day? Earlier puzzles are in the archive, and finishing one still counts toward this month's leaderboard.
Questions
What is the rule about loops in Slant?
The diagonals may not join up into a closed loop anywhere in the grid. Besides that, every cell needs one diagonal and every circled number must be met exactly.
When does a new Slant puzzle appear?
Once a day: each difficulty gets its own dated puzzle. PuzzleMadness does not state the exact changeover time.
Where can I see the solution?
PuzzleMadness does not publish solutions. The page tells you when your grid is correct and finished, or when you have made a mistake.
Is Slant on PuzzleMadness free?
Yes. It is free to play in a browser with adverts on the page, and registering for the leaderboards is free too.
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