Slant is also called Gokigen Naname. It is a puzzle from Japan. The numbers do not sit inside the boxes. They sit on the corners where the boxes meet.
The rules
- Draw one slanted line in every box. It goes from top left to bottom right, or from top right to bottom left.
- Each number tells how many lines touch that corner.
- A corner without a number can have any count of lines.
- The lines may never close into a loop.
- Lines may branch, and they may stay in separate pieces.
Quirk uses the classic rules of the puzzle.
A worked example
In the tables below, \ is a line from top left to bottom right. / is a line from top right to bottom left.
Example 1: count the lines
The board has 2 rows of 2 boxes. A 1 sits on the top left corner of the board. Another 1 sits on the centre corner, where all 4 boxes meet.
- Only the top left box touches the top left corner. That corner needs 1 line.
- So the top left box gets a line from top left to bottom right.
- That line also ends at the centre corner. The centre 1 now has its line.
- So the other 3 lines must point away from the centre.
- The top right box and the bottom left box both get a line from top left to bottom right.
- The bottom right box gets a line from top right to bottom left.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | \ | \ |
| Row 2 | \ | / |
Example 2: avoid a loop
The board has 2 rows of 2 boxes again. A 0 sits on the top left corner of the board. A 2 sits on the right edge, where the two right boxes meet.
- The 0 means no line may touch the top left corner. So the top left box gets a line from top right to bottom left.
- The 2 is on the edge, so only 2 boxes touch it. Both of their lines must touch it.
- So the top right box gets a line from top left to bottom right.
- The bottom right box gets a line from top right to bottom left.
- Now look at the bottom left box. A line from top left to bottom right would join the other 3 lines into a diamond. That is a loop.
- So the bottom left box gets a line from top right to bottom left.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | / | \ |
| Row 2 | / | / |
Beginner techniques
Start at the edges and the zeros
A corner inside the board touches 4 boxes. A corner on the edge touches 2, and a corner of the board touches only 1.
So a 1 on a board corner needs every line around it. The same goes for a 2 on the edge and a 4 inside. A 0 sends every line around it away.
Count what is left
Once a number has all its lines, point the other lines around it away. If a number needs every line that is left, point them all towards it.
Stop loops early
Look at the 2 corners a line would join. If lines already link those 2 corners, the new line would close a loop. Draw the other slant instead.
Look for linked boxes
Say a number has 2 empty boxes next to it, side by side or one above the other. It needs exactly 1 more line from those 2 boxes.
Then both lines slant the same way. You may not know which way yet, but once you know one, you know the other.
Common mistakes
- Closing a small diamond of 4 lines around one corner.
- Counting lines in a box instead of at a corner.
- Forgetting that up to 4 boxes can touch one corner.
- Thinking all the lines must join up. They may stay in separate pieces.
- Leaving a box empty. Every box needs a line.
Questions
Is Slant the same as Gokigen Naname?
Yes. Gokigen Naname is the Japanese name of the same puzzle. The rules are the same.
Do all the lines have to join up?
No. The lines may branch, and they may stay in separate pieces. They just may not close a loop.
What is the biggest number?
A 4, on a corner inside the board. A corner on the edge can show at most 2, and a corner of the board at most 1.
How is it different from Slitherlink?
In Slitherlink, you draw one big loop along the sides of the boxes. In Slant, a loop is not allowed, and every box gets a line.
Does every puzzle have one answer?
Yes. Every Slant board in Quirk has exactly one answer. You can find it by thinking, step by step.
What sizes are there?
The easiest boards are 3 by 3 or 4 by 4 boxes. Harder boards grow up to 8 by 8.
Related puzzles
Playing it in Quirk
Tap a box once for a line from top left to bottom right, called Backslash. Tap again for a line from top right to bottom left, called Slash. Tap once more to clear the box.
Drag across boxes to give them all the line the first box gets. Hints, undo and reset are there if you get stuck.
