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Kode #32: hints & solution

Here's the clue board for Kode #32. 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.

  • 15698▲1●1
  • 25378▲0●1
  • 34910▲0●1
  • 45713▲0●0
  • 58120▲0●3

Spoiler-free hints

  • 4 of the four digits are even.
  • The four digits add up to 16.
  • 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 9 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 (5 7 1 3) has no marks at all, so 5, 7, 1, and 3 are not in the code.
  2. Row 2 (5 3 7 8) has one mark still unexplained, and only one digit is left undecided: 8. So it is in the code.
  3. Row 5 (8 1 2 0) has 2 marks still unexplained, and only 2 digits are left undecided: 2 and 0. So both are in the code.
  4. Row 3 (4 9 1 0) has one mark, already accounted for by 0. That rules out 4 and 9.
  5. Row 1 (5 6 9 8) has one mark still unexplained, and only one digit is left undecided: 6. So it is in the code.
  6. Row 1 (5 6 9 8) has one digit in the right spot. Since row 2 rules out the 8 in position 4, it has to be the 6 in position 2.
  7. The 8 has only one spot left: position 3 (row 5 rules out position 1, row 2 rules out position 4, and position 2 is already 6).
  8. The 0 has only one spot left: position 1 (row 3 rules out position 4, position 2 is already 6, and position 3 is already 8).
  9. That leaves the 2 for position 4.

That cracks it: the code is 0682.

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