GIANT KILLER by Peter Killworth Topologika Spectrum +3 This is purportedly a children's game, though I would say for late adolescence is more likely. While the story line is based on the fairy tale Jack the Giant Killer, the mathematical and logical puzzles in the game are not easy to solve. Each time you play, most of the puzzles, though they stay the same, the variables change. Major mathematics is not needed though logical thinking is. Because of the randomness in the puzzles, a complete walkthrough cannot be given. You are Jackie (male or female) sent by your mother to buy a pig at the market. You have a groat. Go NW (you see a trapdoor), OPEN TRAPDOOR (no key), SE, S, E, E, NE (you see two games to play - one requires a groat), S. Calculator puzzle: You need to find the number that results in an answer of 100 decimal something, when multiplied by the number you are given (random each time you play). Divide 100 by the number you were given and type it in (you win a penny), N, N. Mirror Maze: This too is random each time you play. To solve this puzzle, keep going toward the small reflection. Sometimes there is more than one choice. If there are two choices, don't go in the direction you came from, as this is a straight-step, linear maze. If there are three "small reflection" choices, going in the wrong direction and then back, will land you back at that junction, but going back in the direction you came from will make you double-back, so go in a new direction. Go E, S, SW. Bottle puzzle: You need to end up with three rows with four bottles and one row with six bottles. You need to have three columns with four bottles (i.e. all the columns filled), and the other three columns with two bottles. Since one row already has six bottles, put one bottle in each of the remaining three rows in a diagonal. It is easier to do with paper and pencil first. One solution is: 1,1; 2,1; 4,1; 6,1; 1,2; 2,2; 4,2; 5,2; 1,3; 2,3; 3,3; 4,3; 1,4; 2,4; 3,4; 4,4; 5,4; 6,4, but there are others. You now have a magic bean. Go W, SW, W (your mother greets you), W, W, W, TAKE CHEESE, N (for help say ), TAKE BIRDSEED. Say (a fairy godmother arrives and tells you she will help when you are stuck), S, W (you are at a cliff and see a figure), E, E, E, N (in your garden), PLANT BEAN (a beanstalk sprouts up), UP, UP, UP, NE (you see a castle), NE (the door is too stiff to open), N, NE, E, TAKE WAND, SE, S (you see a hole), DOWN, NW (the mouse chases you out), THROW CHEESE, NW, NW, TAKE TOOTHPICK, W (you are given the rules to the game - part 1), TAKE CANDLESNUFFER (your fairy godmother takes it), E, NE, NE, TAKE TIEPIN (the cat throws you out), SW, SW, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, S, W, W, W (at the cliff again), WAVE WAND (the gerfalcon flies over - one ride only), TAKE GAUNTLET (your fairy godmother takes it), W (the rules Part 2), TAKE MATCHBOX, N. Beach puzzle: You need to reach the island by laying the plank and log diagonally to reach the island. Go W, TAKE PLANK, W, DROP PLANK, NW, NW, N (you see a log), TAKE LOG, S, SE, DROP LOG, NE, NE (you are on the island), TAKE ELEPHANT (your fairy godmother takes it), SW, SW, SE, E, E, S, E (by the gerfalcon), DROP BIRDSEED (it flies you back), E, E, E, N, UP, UP, UP, NE, NE, E, NE, N (at the hole), DOWN, NW (at the mouse), NW, NE, NE, SW, SW, W (the cat smells mouse and goes southeast), E, NE, NE, UP (you are beside a giant on a draughts board, i.e. checkerboard). Draughts puzzle: Note which piece the giant picks up and head in that direction. When he stops picking up pieces you are stuck. Say . You are rescued by her into an inkwell, E (you can't see). Initials puzzle: This is a maze that you need to map (and save/restore at each junction). Drop the matchbox at points where there is more than one exit. Use paper and pencil to note each exit in order to determine the initials (even though you don't know that yet). When you reach the location which tells you "say initials to proceed", you should be able to determine the initials. These vary. TAKE NIB (your fairy godmother takes it). Say . You are on the floor near four spider holes. TAKE KEY. Toaster puzzle: The objective here appears to be to hit each location at least once. This puzzle does not appear to be random. Going southwest first gives you the most moves. Go SE, N, E, N, E, S, E, S, S, W, N, W, S, W, N, E, N, E, S, E (in the cubbyhole), TAKE GOOSE, SW (the giant chases you), SW, SW, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, CHOP BEANSTALK, NW (the goose squawks out a number and lays an egg), WAIT (the egg disappears), INVENTORY (you have a key), DROP GOOSE, NW, UNLOCK TRAPDOOR, OPEN TRAPDOOR, DOWN, LIGHT TORCH, LOOK (you are in a cellar), TAKE DOUBLOON (your godmother takes it), E, TAKE TOKEN, W, N, INSERT TOKEN (a card drops out), INVENTORY you have the King of Hearts), S, W (at the yellow curtain), INSERT KING (the curtain turns green), W, S. Shapes puzzle: I think there is some logic to this puzzle about what shape can interlock with what shape, but I just found that the hexagon worked. TAKE HEXAGON, N, THROW HEXAGON, S, TAKE HEXAGON, N, THROW HEXAGON, S, TAKE HEXAGON, N, THROW HEXAGON (it's now safe to cross), W (post-acid room - the first password letter is , TAKE AMBER (your godmother takes it), NW. Workmen puzzle: Here, at least, I thought you could drop objects to map, though, if I saved in the middle, it didn't work out, but this helps to map it, so work out the route, go back to your original position, and go straight through. You need to go in a kind of square (if you begin in the southeast corner you need to go N, W, N, E, N), so you need to tell the workmen to block the opposite wall from which you wish to go. Go N, S, W, E, N, S, E, W, N, S, E, TAKE TOKEN, TAKE GERANIUM, NE, S, INSERT TOKEN (you get the five of clubs), N, S, INSERT 5, S (you are in a round black chamber with a hole), S, S. Name your number - don't get down to one puzzle: The rules given previously, i.e. Parts 1 and 2 apply here. Soon after encountering this puzzle, I read this same "equation" in a mathematics book, with a slight twist. However, to solve the puzzle, I just plugged away with all numbers until I hit the correct one. The number is 27. Say 27 (the middle password letter is ). TAKE CAMEO (godmother takes it), SE. Stone puzzle: This is, at least a maze you can map, though each time you play it is randomly generated. You need to get two objects from here. So map the maze until you get out. Before you do so get the swan (which your godmother takes it as soon as you pick it up) and the jack of diamonds. When you are out go northeast back to the cellar. Go E, INSERT JACK, E. Venn Cube puzzle: You find yourself in one of the vertices of a cube. When you have the rock, you determine that when you go north-south the rock's colour changes (from blue to red and vice versa); when you go east-west, the rock's texture changes (from smooth to rough and vice versa); when you go up-down, the rock's size changes (from large to small and vice versa). Dropping the rock and waiting, in the "rocks change" room where you entered, changes an attribute of the rock, one at a time with each WAIT. First, go east, up, and north where you see a curly hole to the east. When you want to go east, you are told what three specifications are needed to leave. So, return to the rock, pick it up, then drop it. WAIT until it changes to the opposite of each attribute needed. Then take it, and return to the curly hole, making sure that you go in those three different directions only that change it to what you want it to be. Go E (you are given the last, random letter of the password, TAKE DIADEM (godmother takes it), TAKE TOKEN, NE, N, INSERT TOKEN (a card drops), INVENTORY (you have the queen of clubs), N, type (the three-letter password), N. You have won, though in this case, with only 240 points. I leave it up to other mathematically inclined individuals to determine where the other 10 points can be obtained. Terri Sheehan 2007-08-14 ***************************************************** Displayed on the Classic Adventures Solution Archive: http://solutionarchive.com