How to Solve Logic Games
The types of logic games are numerous. There are the logic puzzles that usually include a set of clues and you have to determine several certain things from the clues such as several people, the meal they ate and the job they did. Other times, logic games come in the form of syllogisms and Sudoku. Logic puzzles can be maddening. The clues can be seemingly vague and even misleading, making the puzzle difficult. A process for solving logic games can make all the difference.
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Instructions
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Using logic
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1
Make a chart. If your logic puzzle does not offer a chart, you will probably want to make one. Charts for logic games are usually helpful. Name the columns and rows as the information that the puzzle wants you to find. If you have five girls' names and the puzzle has each girl growing a different flower, then put the names in the column headings and the flower names in the row headings.
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Read all of your clues of your logic game to get a feel for the puzzle. Keep your mind tuned to any direct information that the clues provide. If a clue says that Deborah grew pansies, you want to note that tidbit in your chart. However, first scan the introduction and the clues to see what the logic puzzle is asking and how the clues will play out.
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Eliminate your options. Go back over your logic puzzle introduction and clues, placing an X in the box that indicated a connection. Deborah and pansies would have an X in the box that corresponds to those two boxes. In each of the remaining boxes--those in the Deborah column and the pansy row--place a 0. This will help you keep your information straight so that you don't accidentally give Deborah a pansy and a rose, or give a pansy to one of the other girls in your puzzle. You will also see that it will narrow your choices for certain areas. You may find that you actually eliminate options as you use the 0's to fill in voided spaces. When you have a row or column with all 0's and one blank space, you know an X belongs there.
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Analyze each clue. Your obvious clues will only go so far, then you will have to use a little critical thinking to complete the puzzle. Analyze each clue to discern how it fits into the puzzle and where you can put the information to solve it. If a clue says "Katie is taller that John who is shorter than Sue" you know that John is the shortest. Take it one clue at a time. Read and reread through the clues, filling in your chart.
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Stick with it. With logic puzzles, you often have to really think through your clues. Make notes, use your chart and really think the puzzle through. You will probably have to read your clues multiple times before the logic game is actually solved. Work between your clues and your chart, deducting information as you go and applying what you learn from the clues to the puzzle. Just slow down and think it through until your logic puzzle is solved.
Sudoku
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Sudoku puzzles are solved in much the same way, only you are using numbers to fill in the areas. As you pencil in a number into an area, jot down the numbers that are left in the sequence for each row and column That way, you can use deductive reasoning as you solve the puzzle.
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Some computer Sudoku games will give you your options for each cell. This can be quite helpful. The only drawback is that you pretty much have to keep in your mind what your options are for each cell. It helps to have a pen and paper nearby so that you can make notes.
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Stick with it. Sudoku puzzles force you to think on several different scales. You have to consider the immediate square that contains all 9 numbers. In addition, you have to consider each row that contains cells from each of the 3 squares across as well as each column that contains cells from each of the 3 rows down. This can seem overwhelming, but if you make notes and keep the big picture in mind, you will be solving these fun logic puzzles like a pro in no time.
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