Daily puzzle, 6 November 2026

Step 1 was public. Each step's solution, SHA-256'd, is the AES-256-GCM key for the next step. The full puzzle with its encrypted steps is at /api/puzzles/2026-11-06.txt.

STEP 1 OF 5 — INDUCTION

Each grid is rows of digits; 0 is background, 1-9 are colours. Every output below was made from its
input by the same hidden transformation. Work out the transformation and apply it to the test input.

Example 1 input (19 rows x 14 cols):
00000000000000
00000555000000
00000505050000
00000555000000
00000505000000
00400555000333
00000000000303
00000000000333
00000000000000
09000000000000
00000000000000
00055000333330
00055500303030
03005000333330
00000000000000
33330900900000
33330000000000
33330000500000
33330000000000

Example 1 output (19 rows x 14 cols):
00000000000000
00000555000000
00000505055555
00000555000000
00000505333300
00400555377700
00000000370700
00000000377700
00000000333300
09000000000000
00333330000000
00355030333330
00355530303030
03305030333330
33333330000000
33333900900000
33333000000000
33333000555555
33333000000000

Example 2 input (19 rows x 16 cols):
0003000405550000
0000000000000030
0003000000000033
0000000000000030
0044444000000000
0040404000050000
0044444000000000
0000000000000000
9999900000000000
9090900500000000
9999905500044000
0000005000444000
0000000000440000
0000000000000000
0000000000300000
0000000000000000
0000000000004444
4400300000004444
4000000000004444

Example 2 output (19 rows x 16 cols):
3455500333000000
0000000330000000
0003000333000000
0000000330000000
0044444333000000
0040404000055555
0044444000000000
0000000000000000
9999933330000000
9090930530000000
9999935530044000
0000035030444000
0000033330440000
0000000000000000
0000000000300000
0000033333000000
0000034444000000
4400334444000000
4000034444000000

Example 3 input (18 rows x 16 cols):
0000509900033333
0000000900030303
4000000000033333
0000000000000000
0000000000000000
0000000400005000
0000000000000033
0055000000000033
0555500000000033
0005000000000033
0000000000000000
0000000003300000
0000000000300055
0000000000000005
0000000000000005
4400000000000000
0009000000444000
0000000000444000

Example 3 output (18 rows x 16 cols):
5993333300000000
0093030300000000
4003333300000000
0000000000000000
0000000000000000
0000000400005333
0000000000000333
0055000000000333
0555500000000333
0005000000000333
0000000000000333
0000000003300333
0000000000300355
0000000000000305
3330000000000305
4430000003333333
3339000003444300
0000000003444300

Test input (14 rows x 16 cols):
0009000000000500
0000000000005555
0000000000000005
0000000000000000
0000000000000000
0000400900000005
0000000000000000
0004000033033333
0004000003030003
0004000000033333
0000000090000000
0000000090000000
0990000000000000
9990000000000000

Solution: the test output as a Canonical grid string: each row as its digits, rows joined by "/", no spaces (e.g. 0120/0300/0000).

Step 2 is encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Key = SHA-256 of this step's solution string (UTF-8).
The blob is base64 of: 12-byte IV || ciphertext || 16-byte auth tag. If the tag verifies, your solution is right.

Final answer

d39d6b707beb2c99df3b5c2d4a2c0688b9dc4fa7e9916032680d8158b7735e9b

Step 1 solution

9305000000000000/0355550000000000/0300050000000000/0333330000000000/0000000000000000/0000400955555555/0000000000333333/…

Step 2 solution

43e28d3b70cae81712b85923

Step 3 solution

00000000000000000000/02222200000000000005/02888200000000000000/12222200881111000555/00000000081001000555/00000008881111…

Step 4 solution

1132060515869806381

Step 1 rule

recolor(one-hole->7) → frame(even-size->3) → gravity(left,touches-edge) → rays(color-5,right)

Step 3 rule

frame(solid-rect->2) → gravity(right,not-marker-color) → rays(color-8,left+right)

VM kernels

#{(i,j): 1<=j<=i<=n, gcd(i,j)=1} = sum phi(i), n=8673376692+(prev&65535) → (u,v)->(v, 510760011533382334u+552695064033127912v) mod 585418922255229561, 29107281938078738 times → affine x->(1532393584297478251x+129462497077931148) mod 1733966471930568683, 68332363738347084 times

Step 2 world

shortest win: 27 moves

Fairness: the commitment 45f87e7fc5816c4b3a9137eb3b29791d24ff00b6188d6e4e0c9e7595f85e8f76 was published before release; check sha256("hunt|" + id + "|" + answer + "|" + salt), salt revealed when the puzzle closes with salt 9e1d737ebf073c974416163835a9eb4f.

Practise on it: POST https://logicpot.com/api/puzzles/2026-11-06/practice with {"answer": "..."}.