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Kode #190: hints & solution

Here's the clue board for Kode #190. 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.

  • 10632▲1●1
  • 20512▲0●1
  • 35824▲0●2
  • 43280▲1●2
  • 51625▲0●0

Spoiler-free hints

  • 3 of the four digits are even.
  • The four digits add up to 15.
  • Just one digit is 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 5 (1 6 2 5) has no marks at all, so 1, 6, 2, and 5 are not in the code.
  2. Row 1 (0 6 3 2) has 2 marks still unexplained, and only 2 digits are left undecided: 0 and 3. So both are in the code.
  3. Row 3 (5 8 2 4) has 2 marks still unexplained, and only 2 digits are left undecided: 8 and 4. So both are in the code.
  4. That makes all four digits of the code: 0, 3, 4, and 8. Every other digit is out, which also rules out 7 and 9.
  5. Row 1 (0 6 3 2) has one digit in the right spot. Since row 2 rules out the 0 in position 1, it has to be the 3 in position 3.
  6. Row 4 (3 2 8 0) has one digit in the right spot. Since the 3 is already in position 3 and position 3 is already 3, it has to be the 0 in position 4.
  7. The 8 has only one spot left: position 1 (row 3 rules out position 2, position 3 is already 3, and position 4 is already 0).
  8. That leaves the 4 for position 2.

That cracks it: the code is 8430.

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