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About KOTZU
KOTZU is an online puzzle challenge created by a small group of logic puzzle fanatics with way too much spare time on their hands. We were bored with some of the common formats of logic puzzle and started coming up with our own to challenge on another.
Eventually, we stumbled on the kind of puzzle that is offered by this site, and decided to publish it online to challenge our fellow puzzle fanatics and gather a community of adept puzzle-solvers via a member area that's open only to those who are up to the challenge.
Simple stated, these puzzles are a lot more complex than they might at first appear. Less than five percent of people who submit a solution actually have solved the puzzle (most are just guessing), and by our site stats, less than one percent of people who try a puzzle even attempt to submit a solution.
And so, if you're looking for something you can knock out in a spare hour, try one of the other logic puzzles out there. The KOTZU puzzles are not for novices.
News and Notices
Rumor Control
The 2008 Challenge puzzle remains unsolved, and there are a few rumors circulating as to the reason why. Here's the scoop:
One rumor we've heard is that veteran players are waiting for the prize package to grow before submitting their solution. We can't prove this, but it doesn't make sense: the risk is very high that someone else will solve it while another player is holding out ... and there is no prize for second place.
Another rumor is that this is a record-breaker, which we can definitely say isn't true. It took until October 26 for last year's challenge puzzle to be solved - and we've made this year's challenge a little less difficult.
That also addresses another rumor - that we've made this year's challenge puzzle a lot more difficult than last year's. Not so: of the 16 sub-puzzles, eight are "moderate," five are "hard," and three are "difficult." None are set at the "insane" level.
KOTZU Merchandise
We have not, as yet, developed any KOTZU merchandise, but are considering options to publish a book of puzzles and to produce logo merchandise. In the meantime, we ask (in fact, we insist) that our members and the general public refrain from creating merchandise bearing our Web site name or any associated artwork (game symbols).
While we're not turning a profit on the site as yet, and don't have a team of corporate lawyers at our disposal, we'd be morally outraged at the prospect of someone leeching off our efforts, and would gladly go into our own pockets to hire the most vicious lawyers we can afford to shut any such operation down. Please don't make us go there.
Insane Puzzle Cracked
Congratulations to member bob_ward, who was the first to crack a KOTZU puzzle with the highest difficulty rating (insane). A number of people have been trying to solve puzzle #27 for months, and we were beginning to wonder if it was possible.
The good news is: even an "insane" puzzle can be cracked. The bad news is: now that we know it can be done, we'll be publishing more puzzles at that level of challenge.