Kode #201: hints & solution
Here's the clue board for Kode #201. 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 #201The 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.
- 19568▲1●1
- 23968▲0●2
- 30283▲0●2
- 42037▲1●1
- 50156▲0●0
Spoiler-free hints
- 2 of the four digits are even.
- The four digits add up to 26.
- 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 (0 1 5 6) has no marks at all, so 0, 1, 5, and 6 are not in the code.
- Row 1 (9 5 6 8) has 2 marks still unexplained, and only 2 digits are left undecided: 9 and 8. So both are in the code.
- Row 2 (3 9 6 8) has 2 marks, already accounted for by 9 and 8. That rules out 3.
- Row 3 (0 2 8 3) has one mark still unexplained, and only one digit is left undecided: 2. So it is in the code.
- Row 4 (2 0 3 7) has one mark still unexplained, and only one digit is left undecided: 7. So it is in the code.
- That makes all four digits of the code: 2, 7, 8, and 9. Every other digit is out, which also rules out 4.
- Row 1 (9 5 6 8) has one digit in the right spot. Since row 2 rules out the 8 in position 4, it has to be the 9 in position 1.
- Row 4 (2 0 3 7) has one digit in the right spot. Since position 1 is already 9, it has to be the 7 in position 4.
- The 2 has only one spot left: position 3 (row 3 rules out position 2, position 1 is already 9, and position 4 is already 7).
- That leaves the 8 for position 2.
That cracks it: the code is 9827.