The Let's Play Archive

MadMaze

by Nakar

Part 11: Level One: Baby's First Logic Puzzle

Level One: Baby's First Logic Puzzle

As most of you correctly surmised, the beast is yellow. You can see that very clearly, because you have eyes:


With apologies to all blind readers of this LP.

The sabertooth nods his massive head sagely. "That's right, as any fool can see. At least any fool who doesn't convince himself that my poetry has deep meaning or somesuch. It's that way to the next maze," he says, pointing to the east with his nose.

Note that if we were wrong about this, he'd have pity on us.

The tiger snorts. "Nope," he says, and bares his fangs and makes to rip out your throat; then he halts. "Oh heck, look, why don't you just go back wherever you came from, okay? I really don't want to eat another adventurer. I've had my fill today. All right? But don't tell anyone I let you go. It would quite spoil my reputation."

Can't pass until you're right, however, so there's that. To the next maze!



Brown walls, nighttime. We're on the 8th of 9 mazes on the first level now, though we won't be moving at quite this clip the whole way through the remainder of the level. Once again there is an optional and a mandatory PoP, and in this case the optional one is quite short.



Ruins: reminders of a better, nobler age. Here were temples, markets, seats of government. Now they are nothing but fallen rock, quarried by peasants to build their hovels. You find a broken fragment of rock bearing an inscription. Parts of the inscription at both sides are broken off. This is what you can read:

rd Valterre, that Naimon
slew the Daimon of Mogroy
Carenthes at Acteon
reat power, but often dang
r the wielder


That's it, that's the entire PoP. There isn't even a choice there. It may seem as though the game is running out of steam, but quite the opposite; it's only about to get started here soon.

The next PoP, however, is still pretty much a tutorial. But it's a very, very important one, as puzzles of this format will keep recurring.



In the forest dimness stands a circle of stones, a monument of some long-forgotten people. There is beauty here, but also a sense of foreboding. You cast about the wood, but cannot find the entrance to the next maze.

"The entrance lies here," says a voice, "Within this ring of standing stones."

You whirl. No speaker is to be seen. "Who... who's that?" you say.

"Ah," says the voice sadly. "That's the problem. You see, the wizard Madragor stole my memories, rendered me invisible, and bound me to this place. I will regain my form and freedom if I can deduce who and what I am."

Well that sucks. I suppose he expects us to help?

"Wonderful! Here's where I've gotten so far. Previous visitors have helped me determine that I do not breathe fire, but that I definitely have fangs. Now if I were a dragon or a red wyvern, I would breathe fire. I could be a vegetarian, unless I have fangs. If I am NOT a dragon then I must either be red or a vegetarian (I won't go into the reasoning behind that statement; it's quite involved. Just take it on faith, please.) So what I want to know is: Am I a dragon? Am I a vegetarian? Am I red? Am I a wyvern?"

And that's the puzzle. It should be pretty basic to solve, but keep in mind puzzles of this nature as we'll be seeing them in ever-growing complexity over time. Now he did already mention that the ring of stones was the exit, so what if we just decided to screw the puzzle and leave?

"This is all very interesting," you say, "but I must be on my way. The exit is in the ring, you say?"

There is a roar, not unlike that of a lion. You jump back in startlement. "You must help me learn one new fact about my identity, or I shall not let you pass. If you enter the ring otherwise, I shall eat you. Yes, I am almost certain I can eat you."

Should we persist...

"All right, knave!" says the voice. "You asked for it." There is a crunching noise. Everything turns dark. Curiously, you do not die. Instead, you find yourself...



Huhn. That was... unexpected. It just dumps us back into the previous maze. Not sure why, killing us would've been funnier.

Anyway, that's the puzzle, so just remember to answer whether our invisible friend is:

1) A dragon.
2) A vegetarian.
3) Red.
4) A wyvern.

One or more of these things could be true, but the information provided should make it very easy to narrow down. This time.

If you're wondering, the one puzzle in the game that doesn't appear to be fully solvable without guessing is one of these logic puzzles. Just not this one; this one is easy.