Exochem (Puzzle Book)
A downloadable game
A mysterious textbook of "different" chemistry. Entry for the 2026 Rule-Discovery Paper Puzzle Game Jam. So may come with some quirks.
Some notes on the genre:
- Rules are not given. You have to guess, experiment, and discover what rules are consistent. Don't use a pen!
- Utilizing the uniqueness of solutions is often key to solidifying your hypotheses for rules
- Generally, a rule should be discovered before moving onto the next set, as complexity usually builds
Some light hints (rot13):
- Problem Set 1: Fbzr ehyrf ner funerq jvgu gur ybtvp chmmyr traer unfuvjbxnxreb
- Problem Set 2: Gur arj ehyr vf pybfr gb bar gung nccrnef va gur ybtvp chmmyr traer ont/pbeeny/pnir
- Problem Set 4: Erfbanapr vf n cebcregl bs ybbcf
- Meta: Rnpu ? pbeerfcbaqf gb n havdhr ryrzrag. Jurer pbhyq lbh cynpr gur yrggref gura?
Full rules (use only if stuck):
- Problem Set 1: Nffvta ngbzf gb gur qvntenz, naq gura pbaarpg gurz jvgu obaqf. Ngbzf pna unir 1-2 obaqf gb qverpgyl (1 havg njnl) begubtbany (hc/yrsg/evtug/qbja) ngbzf. Ngbzf zhfg unir n fcrpvsvp ahzore bs obaqf qrcraqvat ba gur pragre flzoby. Qbg vf bar, yvar vf gjb, gevnatyr vf guerr, ...
- Problem Set 2: Gur ahzore bs qbgf fheebhaqvat n prageny ngbz vaqvpngrf ubj znal bgure ngbzf vg pna "frr", jvgu yvar bs fvtug orvat qrsvarq ol pbagvahbhf yvarf bs obaqvat hc/qbja/yrsg/evtug. Gur ? ngbz unf gb or bar fcrpvsvp ryrzrag, jvgu n frg pragre flzoby naq fheebhaqvat qbgf. Abg univat qbgf fcrpvsvrq zrnaf gung gur ngbz(f) pna frr nal ahzore bs bguref.
- Problem Set 3: Gur cneragurfrf qrsvar n "ercrng havg" bs gur cbylzre. Lbh pna vzntvar ercrngvat gur havg naq fgvgpuvat gurz gbtrgure ng gur cneragurfrf. Obaqf zhfg or znqr guebhtu gur cneragurfrf. Yvarf bs fvtug "geniryf guebhtu" gb gur arkg ercrng havg, naq cbgragvny vasvavgryl (nf fcrpvsvrq ol n pvepyr nebhaq gur pragre flzoby.
- Problem Set 4: Oyhr erfbanapr qbgf ner qenja ng gur pragebvq bs rnpu ybbc va gur svany zbyrphyr (NXN gur nirentr ybpngvba bs gur cbvagf pbzcbfvat n ybbc). Ybbcf pna funer cbvagf. Rk. n ybbc jvgu n yvar fcyvggvat vg qbja gur zvqqyr npghnyyl qrsvarf guerr ybbcf (gur bhgre bar, naq gur gjb ybbcf znqr ol gur fcyvg). Nyy ybbcf unir n erfbanapr qbg.
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I'm having trouble seeing how problem 2-1 works. Even reading the rot13ed rule, it seems to me that all of them should have 3 dots, not 2?
you are correct! Not sure how that got past play testing, will fix now. Should be consistent for the rest of the page hopefully.
I'm also not sure if I found unintended solutions (rot13):
V nffhzr jr'er fhccbfrq gb nffvta yrggref gb gur dhrfgvba znexf sbe rnpu chmmyr. Ohg gurl nera'g havdhr: V trg n fbyhgvba jvgu gur dhrfgvba znex orvat "1 jvgu 2 qbgf" sbe nyy bs gur chmmyrf 2-5, 3-1, naq 3-7.
V'z nyfb abg fher gur crevbqvp gnoyr znxrf frafr gb snqr bhg yvxr vg qbrf; gurer'f ab fhpu guvat nf "vasvavgl zvahf bar", fb vg qbrfa'g znxr zhpu frafr gb unir n pbyhza gb gur yrsg bs gur evtugzbfg pbyhza. (V nffhzr vg'f fhccbfrq gb or havqverpgvbany be fbzrguvat, ohg gung frrzf gb zr gb or vapbafvfgrag jvgu ubj gur bgure flzobyf jbex.)
Bu nyfb, V oryvrir 4-6 fubhyq unir nabgure qbg ba vgf yrsg fvqr (sbe gur fnzr ernfba nf gur zvqqyr qbg va 4-4).