Kudamono
Draw paths of a single fruit type along the grid, each containing at least two fruits. Unless otherwise indicated, paths do not loop, cross, branch or dangle (all endpoints have a fruit). Genre & first puzzles by Pedro & friends (2021). Ported by Pedro to the Kudamono Editor (2020). Rule panels by Pedro on 01/08/2023. All paper puzzle types using the Kudamono Editor..
Possible future puzzles are listed under Fruit Expansions. Suggestions? Excited about a particular idea? Do !
Kudamono Gallery
Pedro's originals
Erich Friedman
On , Erich Friedman has made a batch of Kudamono Date Puzzles!
Here's the original paper version and all answers.
Stingby12
Old ruleset
These puzzles use an older ruleset (particularly for pears) that was discontinued.
On Kudamono's Design
kudamono/kudamono-cover&G=kudamono.
Design goals
Kudamono should be memorable, easy to learn, pleasant and multimedia.
Memorable
The rules in kudamono, as well as the assigned fruit, should be easy to remember, even if dozens of fruits are added.
Memorable rules are:
- related: to certain fruit properties (e.g. cherry: pairs, grape: bunch (all together), blackberry: path resembles brambles, date: path resembles a branch of dates);
- concise: described with few words and depicted win a small 2x2 square;
- paired: (e.g grapes and cherries, apples and pears);
The very first kudamono puzzle contained a small rhyme. This was fun but didn't work well. Other memorable ideas: adding mnemonics: William Hu (TheGreatEscaper), changing the symbols to reflect the rules more accurately: Ivan Koswara (Chaotic Iak).
Learnable
Kudamono should be easy to learn, even if the puzzles are challenging.
Learnable rule examples are:
- unique: rule examples should be unique
- exhaustive: rule examples should try to exclude all possible ambiguous interpretations
Other factors that ease learning:
- standalone fruits: fruits should be playable standalone, enabling easy tutorial puzzles
- instant visual feedback: both interactive error checking and a confirmation of winning
- consistent graphics: lines acquire the colour of the fruit they touch (blend if too many), dashed lines or semi-transparent fruits associate with errors consistently.
Early puzzles contained issue sheets, displaying the different types of errors, on the path to a solved puzzle. This worked well, but is time-consuming. Plus, if the rules change, they need to be redone.
Some fruit rules are too simple to work stand-alone, e.g. the melon, lemon and blueberries. Here the the interaction with other fruits is emphasised. As long as these rules are simple, this does not impair learnability.
Pleasant
Kudamono should evoke feelings of happiness, cuteness.Some ideas:
- Simplicity: fruits are a concept anyone understands;
- Likeability: everybody likes some fruit;
- Colourfulness: along the solving process, the level becomes gradually more colourful;
- Details: fruity cursor, are cute.
Multimedia
Kudamono should be playable on different media:
- Print (colour) - on colourful glossy printed paper (e.g. magazines);
- Print (B&W) - on black & white printed paper, to be played with a pen, pencil or crayons;
- Touch - to be played with fingers on iPad, hybrid laptops or mobile devices;
- Mouse - to be played with mouse exclusively;
- Keyboard - to be played with keyboard exclusively;
Helpful ideas:
- Silhouettes are sufficiently distinct for each fruit, even in black and white;
- Multiple controls enable mouse.only, touch-only, keyboard-only interaction;
FAQ
What is the Kudamono Editor?
The Kudamono Editor is the software powering kudamono. Turns out it can be used for many other paper puzzles!
Why is the puzzle named Kudamono?
Kudamono is a japanese word for fruit. It's common for paper puzzles to have names in japanese (e.g Sudoku, Masyu, Yajilin, etc…) because many were invented in Japan.