← All puzzles

Kode #184: hints & solution

Here's the clue board for Kode #184. Start with the spoiler-free hints. If you're still stuck, the full step-by-step solution is below, hidden until you open it.

The clue board

Each row is a guess that's already been graded. ▲ means a right digit in the right spot; ● means a right digit in the wrong spot.

  • 16140▲1●1
  • 27146▲0●1
  • 35792▲0●2
  • 48451▲0●0
  • 51268▲2●0

Spoiler-free hints

  • 3 of the four digits are even.
  • The four digits add up to 17.
  • 2 of the digits are 5 or higher.

Try the hints first. The solution below walks through every deduction.

Step-by-step solution

Every Kode can be cracked by pure deduction, with no guessing. This board falls in 8 logical steps. Open the solution to follow them one at a time.

Show the solution · reveals the code

When a row "rules out" a position, it shows that digit there but its ▲ marks are already used up (or it has none), so the digit can't sit there.

  1. Row 4 (8 4 5 1) has no marks at all, so 8, 4, 5, and 1 are not in the code.
  2. Row 1 (6 1 4 0) has 2 marks still unexplained, and only 2 digits are left undecided: 6 and 0. So both are in the code.
  3. Row 2 (7 1 4 6) has one mark, already accounted for by 6. That rules out 7.
  4. Row 3 (5 7 9 2) has 2 marks still unexplained, and only 2 digits are left undecided: 9 and 2. So both are in the code.
  5. That makes all four digits of the code: 0, 2, 6, and 9. Every other digit is out, which also rules out 3.
  6. Row 5 (1 2 6 8) has 2 digits in the right spot, and the 2 in position 2 and the 6 in position 3 are its only digits in the code, so they're locked in.
  7. Row 1 (6 1 4 0) has one digit in the right spot. Since the 6 is already in position 3, it has to be the 0 in position 4.
  8. That leaves the 9 for position 1.

That cracks it: the code is 9260.

Play today's Kode