TERRAZZO · Daily hints · Guides
How do I solve the Vein in Terrazzo?
Treat the Vein as a river. It must run from one notch on the frame to the other as a single path, with no branches and no loops.
- Begin at the notches. Both ends of the path are fixed, so they are your first two stones.
- Connect by sides only. Stones that meet at a corner do not join the path.
- Count every ≈ stone. None may sit apart from the path, and none may branch off it.
What does the Vein ask for exactly?
Every stone marked ≈ must belong to one path. The path runs side by side from notch to notch. It ends exactly at the two notches and nowhere else.
A path has no fork and no closed ring. If a stone touches three others on the path, you have a branch. If the path comes back to meet itself, you have a loop.
Where should I start?
Start at one notch and walk toward the other in your head. Ask which cells the path could use on the way. The frame's narrow parts usually leave only one choice.
Place those forced stones first. Then work outward from both ends and meet in the middle. A path built from two ends is easier to keep straight than one built from a single end.
How do I know the path is unbroken?
Trace it with a fingertip from the first notch. Move one stone at a time, and count each ≈ stone as you pass it. If you reach the second notch having touched every ≈ stone, the path is whole.
If your finger stops early, there is a gap. If a ≈ stone is left over, it is stranded or it forms a branch. Either way, the fix is usually one or two stones.
What about stones that touch the path by accident?
Two ≈ stones that touch by their sides join the path. A stray ≈ stone beside the path can therefore make a branch without you noticing. Look along the whole path for any ≈ stone that touches it twice.
A common slip is a small bend that curls back on itself. The curl makes a corner of three touching stones, and the path no longer runs cleanly. Straighten the bend and the problem usually disappears.
How does the Vein work with the other Laws?
The Vein often cuts the frame in two. That changes the room left for Kinship regions, so read the sizes before you commit to a route. The method for large regions is in Kinship strategy for big regions.
Solitude is different. It keeps ☉ stones apart, even at a corner. The path takes space, so check that your ☉ stones still have room. The full rules are in how to play Terrazzo.
What if I am stuck?
Lift only the stones near the trouble, not the whole path. Then trace again from the nearer notch. Leaving the puzzle for an hour often shows the missing turn at once.
Every day has three hints. A nudge arrives at 00:00 UTC, the Laws in plain words at 08:00 UTC, and the answer at 16:00 UTC. The first is usually enough.
Try it on today's puzzle
Open today's puzzle page and look for the day's Laws. If the Vein is among them, find the two notches first. Terrazzo is free to play each day on iPhone and iPad from the App Store.