Kin-Kon-Kan

Kin-Kon-Kan is a binary-determination logic puzzle published by Nikoli.

Rules

"Kin-Kon-Kan" is played on a rectangular grid, usually of equal height and width, in which some borders are shaded darker to form rooms. Around the edge of the grid are various alpha-numeric combinations, such as A1 or D2. Each combination appears exactly twice.

The puzzle treats the letter-number combinations as two ends of a laser. The player must place "mirrors" in the grid at 45-degree angles such that each end of the laser connects with its corresponding opposite end (D2 to D2, etc.) The mirrors are considered reflective on both sides, although it is not necessarily true that a laser "will" bounce off both sides. Each room must contain exactly one mirror - no more or less. The number in the letter-number combination denotes the number of mirrors the laser will bounce off.

olution methods

Once lower numbered combinations are determined, their pathways must be clear, which limits the number of available cells in other rooms. Some mirror placements would instantly send a light beam off the grid, and can be easily eliminated. Once a cell in a room is determined to contain a mirror, it is also known that no other cell in that room can contain a mirror.

ee also

* List of Nikoli puzzle types