Questions tagged [puzzles]

Questions that present some scenario, and asks you to provide a solution that satisfies some requirement (example "Win within X turns", or "9 Queens without check/checkmate", or "MTG, deal X damage this turn")

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4 answers
224 views

What is better than fire and brimstone?

One of the worst cards in the game is Fire and Brimstone: for 5 mana, you can deal 4 damage to yourself and target player. Except that this would clearly have been too powerful, so it’s restricted to ...
7 votes
5 answers
6k views

What is the highest possible score in Ticket To Ride: Europe?

During lockdown, my partner and I have gotten quite good at Ticket To Ride: Europe (TTRE). We have have been wondering what the theoretical maximum score possible in TTRE is? Assuming perfect draws ...
9 votes
5 answers
1k views

What is the minimal number of permanents which, in a finite number of turns, can create a copy of each of themselves?

Consider the following (unlikely) scenario in a game of Magic the Gathering: You have X permanents on the battlefield, none of which have any counters on them (initially). There are no static effects ...
21 votes
7 answers
4k views

What is the most life you can have at the end of your first turn with only three cards?

You start this game with 3 cards of your choice in hand. Your opponent starts with 0 cards in their hand. Both libraries do not contain any other useful cards. What is the highest life total you ...
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

What is the most mana that can be produced by tapping a single permanent in future standard?

After Theros: Beyond Death is added to standard, what will be the most mana a permanent can be tapped to produce? Rules: Current standard sets and Theros: Beyond Death are legal No infinite combos ...
9 votes
8 answers
3k views

How fast can you win against a passive opponent in the Innistrad block format?

There have been legacy decks in the past that were able to win a game in the first round, without even giving your opponent a chance to act. I wonder how many rounds minimum it would take to win a ...
4 votes
3 answers
7k views

Planeswalker Infinite Ultimate Combo

Infinite combos in Magic are awesome (if you're a Johnny). Planeswalker ultimate abilities are awesome (if you're a Timmy). Combining the two would be even more awesome. Then you could have a ...
2 votes
1 answer
126 views

what is the maximum number of achievements a player can have in an 2-player innovation game?

Considering the game of innovation (see, eg, https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=innovation) a 2-player game ends on 6 achievements. Usually an achievement takes an action to complete, but ...
1 vote
1 answer
300 views

Which way to capture a queen?

This is a problem from today's New York Post. You (South) are in a stretchy major suit contract with only 22 high card points. You have four top tricks outside the trump suit, and have just won a ...
12 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is it possible to position all chess pieces on the board such that all pieces defend at least one piece and attack at least one piece?

Is it possible to position all chess pieces on the board such that all pieces defend at least one piece and attack at least one piece?
13 votes
3 answers
5k views

Where can I find Magic: the Gathering puzzles?

The Duelist used to publish MTG puzzles by Mark Rosewater in which you were placed in the last turn of a game and had to figure out the correct play to win. I remember these puzzles being extremely ...
3 votes
0 answers
956 views

Freecell puzzle unsolvable?

I think this freecell puzzle (739671 on Odesys) has no solution but not 100% sure. Using this solver could not solve it. Is there a better solver, or does this really have no solution? This is the ...
2 votes
1 answer
236 views

What position takes the most moves to solve for the jail puzzle (Klotski)?

For full details on the puzzle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klotski#Khun_Chang_Khun_Phaen May only use the legal pieces available in the original puzzle. A move is counted as moving any piece on ...
4 votes
0 answers
151 views

Is there an error in equilibrio puzzle #45?

Is there an error in puzzle #45 of the game equilibrio? seems like the middle brick on the third line is turned incorrectly. thanks
13 votes
2 answers
431 views

What is Ol' George's Nail Wail?

This has been sitting on the bookshelf in my parents' house since I was a kid, and to this day, I still have no idea what it is or how to play: It was given to us by my grandma, and the best my dad ...
-1 votes
1 answer
247 views

What's the best way to play the worst possible 4 hands in bridge [closed]

Everyone has 5-4-4 Every pair has a 5-0 match and two 4-4. Every 5 long colors is 10-A. How do you play this and what's the maximum you can achive?
4 votes
1 answer
148 views

Epaminondas puzzle

In this description of Epaminondas with puzzles at the bottom, what is the solution to the first puzzle?
3 votes
1 answer
632 views

how to find that 8 number puzzle is solvable or not?

I'm working on 8 number puzzle, where 8 numbers are randomly generated and placed in 9 cell board. One cell at bottom right corner is kept empty where we can swap with adjacent (top-bottom-left-right) ...
4 votes
0 answers
201 views

Richard Pavliceks mystery

Richard Pavlicek made a great bridge site. Here http://www.rpbridge.net/7f55.htm The mystery is this: Is there a bridge hand where North/South can make a grandslam in any suit, but not even ...
2 votes
0 answers
255 views

How to understand the given Preferans puzzle solution?

There is a Preferans problem: South chose crosses as the trump. How many tricks will get South? Part of the solution the author of problem proposes and that I can't understand is: Please help me to ...
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

I'm searching for Ricochet Robots, travel version

Years ago I played a game similar to Ricochet Robots, but a single player travel version. This game has a small board (something like 5x5 tiles) and several robot pieces. It includes cards with ...
6 votes
4 answers
2k views

What first turn kill in multiplayer FFA provides the best ratios?

People love to figure out first turn kills in Magic: the Gathering, and have been around since the beginning, when someone threw together a deck with Channel, Black Lotus, Fireball, Mountain. Pulling ...
4 votes
1 answer
550 views

How far can a knight travel without visiting the same square twice?

How many Knight moves is it possible to execute on an empty chess board before the Knight lands on a square it has already landed on in its previous moves? The most I've ever been able to land on was ...
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Dungeon Lords Questions - Really Hard!

Dungeon Lords (amazing game!) has a free-to-download "Minions Bearing Gifts" expansion at its website. However, the expansion is only recommended for expert players of the game, and to give an ...