Reminders:
While doing logic puzzles remember there are multiple ways to solve
- One way to solve is by using the transitive property
The transitive property is when you use a match and look at the columns and rows around it to see if you can find anything it can or cannot be.
If you look at the grid pictured above you can see that Saskatchewan is 230,000 years old. 230,000 and 7.8 ft are not a match since there is an X where they meet. Since Saskatchewan and 230,000 years are a match Saskatchewan cannot be 7.8 ft tall, so you would put an X where they meet. Using this same pattern since Saskatchewan can't be 9.6 ft tall the 230,000 year old skeleton can't be 9.6 ft tall.
- Another way to solve is the process of elimination
Since Peanut can only be 170,000 years or 140,000 years and Saskatchewan can not be either of those Peanut and Saskatchewan can never be a match, so you'd put an X where they meet
A less assured method of solving is trial and error
Note that trial and error will never be needed to solve these puzzles. They can all be solved using logic instead of luck. That being said, sometimes if you're very stuck and you can't make sense of any of the clues you might want to use this method. If you've narrowed it down to two options put an O in either one since it's just a guess.
Note that trial and error will never be needed to solve these puzzles. They can all be solved using logic instead of luck. That being said, sometimes if you're very stuck and you can't make sense of any of the clues you might want to use this method. If you've narrowed it down to two options put an O in either one since it's just a guess.
In the grids shown above Ellie was narrowed down to two different years and an O was put in one of the matches. Then since Thumper only has one option left you put an O where Thumper meets with 140,000 years. But now there is a conflict.
Using the transitive method you can see that Thumper and 140,000 years are paired with both 9.3 ft and 9.6 ft. Since 9.3 ft and 9.6 ft were already known so those aren't wrong, The Thumper and 140,000 match was made because of the Ellie with 200,000 so that match must be wrong. If Ellie cannot be then she has to be 140,000 years.
Remember to look back at your clues
Sometimes a clue will have hidden information that can only be used after you figure something else out. If your clue says that the animal believed to be 140,000 years old was either Snuffles or the animal that was 9.3 ft tall it doesn't give a lot of info right at the start. But when you figure out what age either Snuffles or the animal who is 9.3 ft tall you know that the other is 140,000 years old.
Since Snuffles was 230,000 years old she can't also be 140,000 years old. This means that the animal who is 9.3 ft tall has to be 140,000 years old.
Tips:
Don't put clues in the "used clues" section
The reason I would't do this is because sometimes it may seem like you have used all a clue has to offer, but there is usually something that you would miss right away. If you put it in the used clue section, you may forget that you have it and get stuck.
Take notes
Especially on harder puzzles taking notes can come in handy. Sometimes if you know that something specific has to happen later in the puzzle, it would be hard to remember that until it happens. If you write it down and regularly look back it will refresh your memory.
Don't do to much too fast
Start out small, if you try to jump to giant puzzles too quickly you'll get frustrated fast. Start with the smaller puzzles and when you start solving them quickly and easily it's time to move up a size. Don't be too daunted by the larger puzzles that you stay on the small ones forever though. If you're solving the small ones very easily you'll likely do okay as you move up sizes.