Get thee across the river!

April 8, 2004 8:45 AM

Japanese Flash logic test
Get the family from one side of the river, to the other. [more inside]
posted by plemeljr (28 comments total)

The idea is simple: everybody must cross the river.

The rules:

-Only one or two people may cross on the raft at a time
-Only the Mom, Dad, and Policeman can operate the raft.
-Dad can not be in the presence of the girls w/out Mom being present
-Mom can not be in the presence of the boys w/out Dad being present
-The thief can not be alone with any of the family members

To start the game, click on the blue dot. To put people on the raft, click on the people to move them to the raft, click on the red dots to move the raft.
posted by plemeljr at 8:46 AM on April 8, 2004

That's creepy that mom can't be alone with boys and dad can't be alone with girls.
posted by corpse at 8:59 AM on April 8, 2004

Well, no wonder they can't be left alone - apparently they're just waiting for a chance to punch the kids.

There's just something about the Japanese culture I'll never quite understand.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 9:04 AM on April 8, 2004

I know...especially since the opposite gender parent will hit their child - animate violence is never funny. Heh.
posted by plemeljr at 9:04 AM on April 8, 2004

Apparently, the opposite gender parent will hit the child even with the policeman standing there. This is driving me nutty.
posted by LeiaS at 9:12 AM on April 8, 2004

This was a suitable way to divert myself from writing a paper. Now, to write that paper. (It's really hard but not impossible to do.)
posted by thecaddy at 9:20 AM on April 8, 2004

funny...it's not japanese but chinese.

but who am I to nitpick.
posted by Dantien at 9:20 AM on April 8, 2004

And I'm not entirely sure how to interpret the synchronised arm-raising on getting them across either. All in all, very disturbing. Definately the best of the web, good post!
posted by fvw at 9:40 AM on April 8, 2004

Here's a solution (no guarantee it's the "best"). It's been ROT13ed to prevent spoilers. Fun game. Thanks!

Svefg cbyvpr naq guvrs pebff
Gura cbyvpr ergheaf
Gura cbyvpr naq obl pebff
Gura cbyvpr naq guvrs erghea
Gura qnq naq obl pebff
Gura qnq ergheaf
Gura zbz naq qnq pebff
Gura zbz ergheaf
Gura cbyvpr naq guvrs pebff
Gura qnq ergheaf
Gura zbz naq qnq pebff
Gura zbz ergheaf
Gura zbz naq tvey pebff
Gura cbyvpr naq guvrs erghea
Gura cbyvpr naq tvey pebff
Gura cbyvpr ergheaf
Gura cbyvpr naq guvrs pebff.

All done.
posted by Lafe at 9:42 AM on April 8, 2004

ROT13 for those not in the know.

Nice work, Lafe
posted by Kwantsar at 9:54 AM on April 8, 2004

But look at what's on the other side of the river. Why do they want to get there so bad?

And that is one tough cop.
posted by Hildago at 10:12 AM on April 8, 2004

A stark reminder of how even civilized people are perilously close to savagery.
posted by Blue Stone at 10:26 AM on April 8, 2004

Ha! I learned this game from a bartender in Tokyo a few years ago, and I was just trying to remember the rules last week. I couldn't quite get them right, though, and I wound up embarrassing myself. Now to see if I can remember the solution...
posted by mr_roboto at 10:27 AM on April 8, 2004

One tip is that if you get the father and two boys on one side, and the mother and two daughters on another side, you've got a symmetrical situation. From there, you just have to reverse the steps you've taken just far, switching the genders, and you've done it.
posted by Tin Man at 10:33 AM on April 8, 2004

"funny...it's not japanese but chinese.

but who am I to nitpick."



I think it's Korean.
posted by ae4rv at 10:34 AM on April 8, 2004

Chinese
Japanese hiragana katakana kanji
Korean
posted by mr_roboto at 11:07 AM on April 8, 2004

Wow, that took me longer than I thought it would.

Nice post!
posted by sic at 11:32 AM on April 8, 2004

It is most definitely written in Chinese.
posted by linux at 11:58 AM on April 8, 2004

I stand corrected.
posted by ae4rv at 12:03 PM on April 8, 2004

Flash Koan:
There is only solution
Each must find it in their own way
posted by nasim at 2:25 PM on April 8, 2004

the sheep + wolf + bail of hay + farmer and boat version is good too. This one took me a while even though it's the same premise.
posted by dabitch at 3:44 PM on April 8, 2004

Got it. Took about 10 minutes? Tin Mans tip helped.
posted by stbalbach at 4:19 PM on April 8, 2004

Why do they all start hailing Hitler when they get to the other side? What sort of Nazi flash puzzle is this anyhow?
posted by precocious at 4:51 PM on April 8, 2004

I was able to beat it one I read all of Lafe's instructions via Kwantsa's Rot 13 translator! I AM THE GREATEST!
posted by thirteen at 5:12 PM on April 8, 2004

that was great...! weird, but great. more please. i hate work weeks that end on thursday because people forget to flash it up.
posted by t r a c y at 5:32 PM on April 8, 2004

That was good fun. Its a binary progression of some sort isn't it?
posted by sciurus at 6:10 PM on April 8, 2004

Similar puzzle in a MUD I play at with three couples stuck on an island. None of the men trust the other husbands with their wives; goal is to get them all over to the other riverbank. There's always a bit of an insidious undertone to this puzzle, eh? Infidelity, murder (fox+chicken), child abuse. I think the little red-haired girl in this one is also a convicted felon.
posted by precocious at 10:10 PM on April 8, 2004

Awesome post. Took a while to figure out but worth the time. Thanks plemeljr!
posted by stringbean at 10:48 PM on April 8, 2004