Kode #198: hints & solution
Here's the clue board for Kode #198. Start with the spoiler-free hints. If you're still stuck, the full step-by-step solution is below, hidden until you open it.
Play Kode #198The 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.
- 17035▲1●1
- 20635▲0●2
- 35316▲0●2
- 43827▲0●2
- 58390▲0●0
Spoiler-free hints
- 2 of the four digits are even.
- The four digits add up to 20.
- 3 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 10 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.
- Row 5 (8 3 9 0) has no marks at all, so 8, 3, 9, and 0 are not in the code.
- Row 1 (7 0 3 5) has 2 marks still unexplained, and only 2 digits are left undecided: 7 and 5. So both are in the code.
- Row 2 (0 6 3 5) has one mark still unexplained, and only one digit is left undecided: 6. So it is in the code.
- Row 3 (5 3 1 6) has 2 marks, already accounted for by 5 and 6. That rules out 1.
- Row 4 (3 8 2 7) has one mark still unexplained, and only one digit is left undecided: 2. So it is in the code.
- That makes all four digits of the code: 2, 5, 6, and 7. Every other digit is out, which also rules out 4.
- Row 1 (7 0 3 5) has one digit in the right spot. Since row 2 rules out the 5 in position 4, it has to be the 7 in position 1.
- The 6 has only one spot left: position 3 (row 2 rules out position 2, row 3 rules out position 4, and position 1 is already 7).
- The 5 has only one spot left: position 2 (row 2 rules out position 4, position 1 is already 7, and position 3 is already 6).
- That leaves the 2 for position 4.
That cracks it: the code is 7562.