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If you're new to grid-based logic puzzles, this tutorial will teach you the basics. Start with the "Introduction" first, then move on to the tutorials discussing specific clues or solving methods. Each tutorial contains a number of different slides - you can advance to the next slide by clicking "Next slide" at the bottom of each page, or by using the circled numerical links below each slide. Choose your specific tutorial from the list below to get started.
Slide #1
Sometimes it is a big help to jot down some notes when solving a logic puzzle - especially the harder/larger ones.
Everyone has their own preferred note-taking methods, and there is no right or wrong way, but here are some tips on how you can convert some clues into meaningful shorthand notes.
Slide #2
Shorthand for: "Paul's tattoo is either the blue one or the one that cost $45".
Slide #3
Note-taking is often most useful when it comes to ordering greater/lesser than clues.
Here's one way to jot down shorthand for: "Silvia's tattoo cost somewhat less than the Pisces tattoo." The ellipsis (...) can be used as shorthand to indicate that Silva comes somewhere before Pisces, but you're not quite sure yet by "how much".
Slide #4
This next line is an example shorthand for "The yellow tattoo cost $5 less than the blue tattoo." Assuming each price in the puzzle is just $5 less than the next one, the "arrow" symbol essentially means "Yellow comes immediately before Blue."
Slide #5
Following in that vein, this next line can be shorthand for "Dana's tattoo cost $10 less than the pink tattoo."
Again, if each price in the puzzle is $5 less than the one before it, this line can be read as "Dana comes two spots before pink, and we don't yet know what is between them."
Slide #6
This final line shows how to combine a lot of information from multiple clues and grid states into a single notation. This line basically says:
"$50 comes immediately before Gena, and Gena is some indeterminate amount before Orange."
The numbers below each item, such as (3,4,5), can help you keep track of the remaining possible positions for each item. So if Gena can only be in position #2 or #3, and Orange is some amount after Gena, in a 5-item puzzle, that means Orange can only be position #3, #4 or #5.
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