Despite the simple Zen theme, the puzzles tend to grow in complexity fairly quickly. ### Goal Your goal as a zen gardener is to ensure the bonsai tree keeps a perfect shape: flowers blossom at "1-pieces" (endings) and some fruits may only grow on straight "2-pieces" (trunks). There is only one tree, whose main trunk is rooted at the bottom of the board. Obviously, no loops are allowed. Importantly, no consecutive "pieces" may be of same type (see table below): ../images/paper-puzzle/bonsai-shapes.png Bonsai Gallery #=#=#=#=#=#=#= site.author ============ W=7x7&L=h1b2b2h2h2h6q1b2b2q1q1q1q1q1q1q1w3w1q2q2w1f3f2w2f2f2&SS=0UURDRURRDRRU3UUUURRDR3R7RDLL4R4RDDLLD2RRDR11U8UU1RUULLD10UULL&G=bonsai&A=Pedro&D=2021-08-01&F=5&N=76&T=Barrage_of_questions&G=bonsai W=7x3&L=q4h3w3b3f3&SS=0UUUR5RULL6RD4RDDLL6RULL2RD&G=bonsai&A=Pedro&D=2021-08-01&F=3&N=75&T=Quintessential&G=bonsai W=6x6&L=w5b3w3b4h2f1b2b2h1b4w2w6&SS=5U4ULUUR6LLU1DRRULULULD2UUL6RULUUR2RRU6RD3UUL&G=bonsai&A=Pedro&D=2021-05-01&F=3&N=56&T=Under_the_roof&G=bonsai W=7x7&L=w3h2w4f2w4b2f2q2b2w1b1f2q2b2h2q4h2w4h2&SS=3U6LUUR5LD4LDRRUULULUUUL2R9LUURRDRDR1DRDDL2UURDR7R3URULL4RU5D&G=bonsai&A=Pedro&D=2021-04-17&F=4&K=dohz&N=55&T=Fulcrum&G=bonsai W=5x5&L=q2f4q1w2q1w2q2w1q2h1q4&SS=4UR3RULLDD2LURRD10RULL7UUULLD2LD&G=bonsai&A=Pedro&D=2021-03-14&F=4&N=49&T=Vexing_questions&G=bonsai W=5x5&L=h6f1h1f3f2f4h1w2&SS=2RDL2U3RUULLURU11UUUURULLDD2RD8D&G=bonsai&A=Pedro&D=2021-02-07&F=3&K=andrea&N=47&T=Hummingbirds&G=bonsai W=7x5&L=w0w1w5w1w1h9f5w4w1w1w5w1&SS=1RU1UUURD1R8RDDDDL4RUURRD3UURDRU8UUL7RDDL2R4U&G=bonsai&A=Pedro&D=2021-02-28&F=3&K=TheGreatEscaper&N=46&T=Narrow&G=bonsai W=5x5&L=w4w1f6f1f1&SS=9DRRDL1RRDLLLDDR7LDLU6RDDL1UUL&G=bonsai&A=Pedro&D=2021-01-30&F=3&K=competor&N=45&T=Tri-parity-te&G=bonsai W=5x4&L=w6f1f1w1w4f1&SS=0UURDRRU7U5UULLD4RUULL3RD&G=bonsai&A=Pedro&D=2021-01-14&F=2&K=knexator&N=43&T=Cardinal&G=bonsai 4-way Bonsai =-=-=-=-=-=-=- > What if it was possible to design a Bonsai puzzle, which would not be symmetric, but if rotated, would still be uniquely solvable? This simple question, posed by @AndreaGilbert, gave rise to the //4-way Bonsai//: the trunk may be rooted in any one of the 4 sides of the board. Hence, a single grid gives rise (after some failed attempts) to 4 distinct, unique puzzles! @knexator, @dohz confirmed the uniqueness of this puzzle. W=6x6&L=f1f2w3w1w3f1f3f2f3f4f1w1w1f1f5f2&SS=3DDR2DDR9UUL2UUL2UULLDR2RRD10RDLLUUR7UULLU2UUL&K=Andrea_Gilbert&N=44&T=Four-way_(North)&D=2021-01-21&F=3&G=bonsai&A=Pedro W=6x6&L=f1f2w4f1f3f1f4f4w2f1f1w1f2w1w3f3&K=Andrea_Gilbert&N=44&T=Four-way_(East)&D=2021-01-21&F=3&G=bonsai&A=Pedro W=6x6&L=f1f2f5w1w1f1f1f4f3f2f3w1w3w1f3f2&K=Andrea_Gilbert&N=44&T=Four-way_(South)&D=2021-01-21&F=3&G=bonsai&A=Pedro W=6x6&L=f1w3w3f1w2f1f1w1f2f4f4f1f3w1f4f2&K=Andrea_Gilbert&N=44&T=Four-way_(West)&D=2021-01-21&F=3&G=bonsai&A=Pedro ../images/paper-puzzle/44-bonsai-four-way.png @LeSlo ============ Many nice Bonsai puzzles have been in the making by @Lucas, who invented the genre, and many others! W=6x6&L=f1f3w2w1w6w2f9w2f2w6w1&T=First_Bonsai_Gardening&A=Le_Slo&D=2021-01-18&G=bonsai W=6x5&L=w0w3w2f7w3w5w2f2w1&T=last_for_today&A=Le_Slo&D=2021-01-24&G=bonsai W=6x6&L=f4f2f2f3f2f2f3f4f4f5f3&T=The_first_half:_fruit&A=Le_Slo&D=2021-01-24&G=bonsai W=6x6&L=w4w2w1w1w2w6w6w3w6&T=The_second_half:_flowers&A=Le_Slo&D=2021-01-24&G=bonsai W=7x5&L=w6w2w4w3f1w2f2f2f4f2&T=The_whole&A=Le_Slo&D=2021-01-24&G=bonsai W=5x5&L=f5w3f3w2f4w3w3w1&T=A_beautiful_example&A=Le_Slo&D=2021-01-26&G=bonsai W=6x5&L=w4w5f1w4w2w3w3w2w5&T=Another_one&A=Le_Slo&D=2021-01-30&G=bonsai W=6x6&L=w2f5h1f2w2w3h2h2w1f5f3h5&T=Monkeys_to_hummingbirds&A=Le_Slo&D=2021-01-31&G=bonsai W=5x5&L=w1w1w1q3q1q1q2q1h1q1q3q2f2&T=Experimental_Questions&A=Le_Slo&D=2021-02-07&G=bonsai @Cantaloupe ============ W=4x4&L=h4w2f1f2w3h3&SS=0UURDR7RRD1RULLD9UUL&A=Cantaloupe&D=2021-04-05&T=modified&G=bonsai W=4x4&L=w6f1w1f1w6&A=Cantaloupe&D=2021-04-05&G=bonsai @Knexator ============ @Knexator almost succeeded in making a four-way bonsai, yielding a pleasant puzzle in the process. W=5x5&L=f2f3f4f2f4w1f2w1f3&T=Four_way_pioneer&A=Knexator&D=2021-01-21&G=bonsai W=5x5&L=f1f2w3f4f4w4w3f2&T=Standard_bonsai&A=Knexator&D=2021-01-21&G=bonsai @EPGA ============ This puzzle by @EPGA introduced hummingbirds W=5x5&L=h0h2h4h2h2h2h2h5h4&SS=5RDL2LUURDRDR4RDDL10UUR3UULL2UUL&D=2021-05-09&K=Pedro_PSI&T=Bonsai_Buddy&A=EPGA_Studios&G=bonsai @Karoo ============ Not only did @Karoo make a fractal bonsai (unlisted) as also did introduce the Slybons to the genre W=5x5&L=b6b2b5w1b1b7&T=Bonsly_Buddy&A=Karoo&D=2021-03-01&G=bonsai @Pitogiiyo ============ @Pitogiiyo made a set of minimal puzzles W=4x2&L=q2q1q2&T=Hello_my_name_is_puzzle&A=Pitogiiyo&D=2021-04-05&G=bonsai W=4x2&L=w1w4&T=Two_Dots_or_Something&A=Pitogiiyo&D=2021-04-05&G=bonsai W=4x2&L=b5&T=All_alone&A=Pitogiiyo&D=2021-04-05&G=bonsai W=4x2&L=h5&T=WEEEOOOOO&A=Pitogiiyo&D=2021-04-05&G=bonsai ## Variants ### Bonsai bugs > I want to play the bug. This remark by @JackLance inspired the variant **Bonsai bugs**, whose grid cells come in different sizes! ../images/paper-puzzle/50-bonsai-bugs.png ### ´´loop-allowed´´ V=loop-allowed This puzzle by @Hempuli uses the variant ´´loop-allowed´´ as it is impossible to solve without a loop. W=6x6&L=w0w3w3f3f2f2f9w1w1f1w1f1f3f2f2&SS=2D3D14ULLDRDDLDRD3LUUL9LULURRUL4UULLDR2UULL2UUL&T=Impossible_without_a_loop&V=loop-allowed&A=Hempuli&D=2021-01-19&G=bonsai ## Acknowledgements and changes First and foremost thanks to @LeSlo for inventing this genre, for trying most of the puzzles, and in general, for crafting puzzle gems. Second, thanks to @Andrea for posing a very interesting question which got me interested in designing [bonsai], and for testing several puzzles. Worth mentioning that @Ethan created the rule for the hummingbirds (as bonsai buddies) and @karoo that of the slybons, initially meant as puns. Finally, thanks to @Portponky, @knexator, @dohz, @hempuli, @deusovi, @colin, @sftrabbit, @tjm, @kutilek, @thegreatescaper, @TophWells, @Pitogiyo, @Cantaloupe, @Karoo, @zach and @NoaHoffmann for varied levels of feedback at different moments! **2023-11-05** Markers are allowed at the bottom edge, and their style was changed to improve visibility. Thanks @SpectriaLimina! **2023-12-13** The variant ´´loop-allowed´´ was added to @Hempuli's looping puzzle, as suggested by @PinkHoodie **2024-04-10** Three very good unit test cases found by @PinkHoodie were added, and the underlying issue was corrected (cause: longsegment loop detection inappropriate; just segment should be used for branching genres)