Kode #35: hints & solution
Here's the clue board for Kode #35. 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.
- 16938▲1●1
- 26923▲0●2
- 32614▲0●2
- 46132▲0●2
- 53607▲0●0
Spoiler-free hints
- 2 of the four digits are even.
- The four digits add up to 20.
- 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 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 (3 6 0 7) has no marks at all, so 3, 6, 0, and 7 are not in the code.
- Row 1 (6 9 3 8) has 2 marks still unexplained, and only 2 digits are left undecided: 9 and 8. So both are in the code.
- Row 2 (6 9 2 3) has one mark still unexplained, and only one digit is left undecided: 2. So it is in the code.
- Row 4 (6 1 3 2) has one mark still unexplained, and only one digit is left undecided: 1. So it is in the code.
- Row 3 (2 6 1 4) has 2 marks, already accounted for by 2 and 1. That rules out 4.
- That makes all four digits of the code: 1, 2, 8, and 9. Every other digit is out, which also rules out 5.
- Row 1 (6 9 3 8) has one digit in the right spot. Since row 2 rules out the 9 in position 2, it has to be the 8 in position 4.
- The 1 has only one spot left: position 1 (row 4 rules out position 2, row 3 rules out position 3, and position 4 is already 8).
- The 2 has only one spot left: position 2 (row 2 rules out position 3, position 1 is already 1, and position 4 is already 8).
- That leaves the 9 for position 3.
That cracks it: the code is 1298.