PUZZLE LINKS: Online Solver (Harder) | Online Solver (Easier)
Over on Tyler’s stream someone (I’m sorry I forgot who!) suggested we run a section 8 (or eight tracks) puzzle, so here it is! This is a format invented by (who else) Patrick Berry, and we’re proud to present one here. Here’s how it works:
How does it work?
This puzzle’s grid has eight tracks and eight sectors. Each track contains a series of words reading either clockwise or counterclockwise; all the words in a given track will read in the same direction. Track 1 (the outer track) contains eight answers that read clockwise; the starting spaces are numbered in the grid. Clues for the answers in the remaining tracks are given in order, but their starting points are for you to determine. The sectors (separated by the heavy lines) will help you place the inner tracks: In a given sector, each track segment contains all but one of the letters in the next segment outwards. In other words, a sector’s outermost segment contains eight letters; the next segment inward contains seven of those eight letters in some order; and so on, until only one of the original eight letters in each sector remains in Track 8.
(if the above instructions don’t make sense to you, it might be instructive to watch Crossweird go through one of these)
In the easier version the directions for each track are given; in the harder version they are not. Even the easy version is challenging, so proceed with caution! We’re presenting this puzzle in our variety solver, but if you prefer to print it out, just click the “print” button on the variety solver page. And hey, if you decide you like this puzzle type, check out the collection Andrew Ries has for sale!
You might ask how one goes about making such a puzzle, and for me the answer is “computer assistance.” I’ve posted the code I used here. Don’t look at it until after solving because it contains spoilers for this one!
Thanks go out to Joon and Quiara for testing this one, and to Dob for helping on the technical side of the variety solver.
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