Sequence number puzzle game

Abstract

The player attempts to solve the puzzle by filling in the empty spaces with numbers completing the sequence of numbers of the predetermined grid. The player can advance the sequence of numbers horizontally across the squares on the playing board to an adjacent unblocked square, or skip one or more square in the same row. The player can also advance the sequence of numbers diagonally up or down, or skip one or more squares on the diagonal. The puzzle is completed by filling all empty squares sequentially (in ascending order) while adhering to predefined limitations on number placement. Prefilled squares, previously empty but subsequently filled squares, and blocked squares on the board cannot be skipped over to advance the sequence of numbers either horizontally or diagonally. The game ends when all the empty squares on the puzzle have been filled.

1 . A puzzle game comprising a playing grid, the playing grid comprising:
 a plurality of playing squares arranged in a square grid structure of rows and columns, the plurality of playing squares comprising (a) one or more playing squares each prefilled with a different number selected from a sequence of numbers from 1 to N, where N is a total number of playing squares, (b) one or more blank playing squares, and (c) one or more blocked playing squares;   wherein (a) the numbers in the prefilled playing squares, (b) a placement in the matrix of the prefilled playing squares, (c) a placement in the matrix of the blank playing squares, and (d) a placement in the matrix of the blocked playing squares are all selected such that at least one solution to the puzzle game exists in which a user is able to:   (1) fill in each blank playing square with a number from 1 to N that is different for each blank playing square and different from the numbers in the prefilled playing squares until all blank playing squares are filled;   (2) fill in each blank playing square in ascending numerical order beginning with a lowest number in the sequence of numbers that is not a number in the prefilled playing squares and ending with a highest number in the sequence of numbers that is not a number in the prefilled playing squares while skipping any number in the sequence of numbers that is a number in the prefilled playing squares;   (3) fill in each blank playing square such that each playing square that is filled in is, at the time the playing square is filled in, either:
 (a) immediately adjacent to and on a diagonal with a square containing a number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank square; 
 (b) on the diagonal with the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; 
 (c) immediately adjacent to and in a same row as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square; or 
 (d) in the same row as the square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; and 
   (4) if a number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square is in a prefilled playing square, fill in each blank playing square such that each playing square that is filled in is, at the time the playing square is filled in, either:
 (a) immediately adjacent to and on a diagonal with a playing square containing a number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square; 
 (b) on the diagonal with the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; 
 (c) immediately adjacent to and in the same row as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square; or 
 (d) in the same row as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square. 
   
   
   
       2 . A method of creating a puzzle game comprising:
 providing a playing grid, the playing grid comprising a plurality of playing squares arranged in a square grid structure of rows and columns, the plurality of playing squares comprising (a) one or more playing squares each prefilled with a different number selected from a sequence of numbers from 1 to N, where N is a total number of playing squares, (b) one or more blank playing squares, and (c) one or more blocked playing squares; and   selecting (a) the numbers in the prefilled playing squares, (b) a placement in the matrix of the prefilled playing squares, (c) a placement in the matrix of the blank playing squares, and (d) a placement in the matrix of the blocked playing squares such that at least one solution to the puzzle game exists in which a user is able to:   (1) fill in each blank playing square with a number from 1 to N that is different for each blank playing square and different from the numbers in the prefilled playing squares until all blank playing squares are filled;   (2) fill in each blank playing square in ascending numerical order beginning with a lowest number in the sequence of numbers that is not a number in the prefilled playing squares and ending with a highest number in the sequence of numbers that is not a number in the prefilled playing squares while skipping any number in the sequence of numbers that is a number in the prefilled playing squares;   (3) fill in each blank playing square such that each playing square that is filled in is, at the time the playing square is filled in, either:
 (a) immediately adjacent to and on a diagonal with a square containing a number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank square; 
 (b) on the diagonal with the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; 
 (c) immediately adjacent to and in a same row as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square; or 
 (d) in the same row as the square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; and 
   (4) if a number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square is in a prefilled playing square, fill in each blank playing square such that each playing square that is filled in is, at the time the playing square is filled in, either:
 (a) immediately adjacent to and on a diagonal with a playing square containing a number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square; 
 (b) on the diagonal with the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; 
 (c) immediately adjacent to and in the same row as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square; or 
 (d) in the same row as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square. 
   
   
   
       3 . A puzzle game comprising a playing grid, the playing grid comprising:
 a plurality of playing squares arranged in a square grid structure of rows and columns, the plurality of playing squares comprising (a) one or more playing squares each prefilled with a different number selected from a sequence of numbers from 1 to N, where N is a total number of playing squares, (b) one or more blank playing squares, and (c) one or more blocked playing squares;   wherein (a) the numbers in the prefilled playing squares, (b) a placement in the matrix of the prefilled playing squares, (c) a placement in the matrix of the blank playing squares, and (d) a placement in the matrix of the blocked playing squares are all selected such that at least one solution to the puzzle game exists in which a user is able to:   (1) fill in each blank playing square with a number from 1 to N that is different for each blank playing square and different from the numbers in the prefilled playing squares until all blank playing squares are filled;   (2) fill in each blank playing square in ascending numerical order beginning with a lowest number in the sequence of numbers that is not a number in the prefilled playing squares and ending with a highest number in the sequence of numbers that is not a number in the prefilled playing squares while skipping any number in the sequence of numbers that is a number in the prefilled playing squares;   (3) fill in each blank playing square such that each playing square that is filled in is, at the time the playing square is filled in, either:
 (a) immediately adjacent to and on a diagonal with a square containing a number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank square; 
 (b) on the diagonal with the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; 
 (c) immediately adjacent to and in a same column as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square; or 
 (d) in the same column as the square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; and 
   (4) if a number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square is in a prefilled playing square, fill in each blank playing square such that each playing square that is filled in is, at the time the playing square is filled in, either:
 (a) immediately adjacent to and on a diagonal with a playing square containing a number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square; 
 (b) on the diagonal with the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; 
 (c)) immediately adjacent to and in the same column as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square; or 
 (d) in the same column as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square. 
   
   
   
       4 . A method of creating a puzzle game comprising:
 providing a playing grid, the playing grid comprising a plurality of playing squares arranged in a square grid structure of rows and columns, the plurality of playing squares comprising (a) one or more playing squares each prefilled with a different number selected from a sequence of numbers from 1 to N, where N is a total number of playing squares, (b) one or more blank playing squares, and (c) one or more blocked playing squares; and   selecting (a) the numbers in the prefilled playing squares, (b) a placement in the matrix of the prefilled playing squares, (c) a placement in the matrix of the blank playing squares, and (d) a placement in the matrix of the blocked playing squares such that at least one solution to the puzzle game exists in which a user is able to:   (1) fill in each blank playing square with a number from 1 to N that is different for each blank playing square and different from the numbers in the prefilled playing squares until all blank playing squares are filled;   (2) fill in each blank playing square in ascending numerical order beginning with a lowest number in the sequence of numbers that is not a number in the prefilled playing squares and ending with a highest number in the sequence of numbers that is not a number in the prefilled playing squares while skipping any number in the sequence of numbers that is a number in the prefilled playing squares;   (3) fill in each blank playing square such that each playing square that is filled in is, at the time the playing square is filled in, either:
 (a) immediately adjacent to and on a diagonal with a square containing a number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank square; 
 (b) on the diagonal with the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; 
 (c) immediately adjacent to and in a same column as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square; or 
 (d) in the same column as the square containing the number in the sequence that immediately precedes the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; and 
   (4) if a number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square is in a prefilled playing square, fill in each blank playing square such that each playing square that is filled in is, at the time the playing square is filled in, either:
 (a) immediately adjacent to and on a diagonal with a playing square containing a number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square; 
 (b) on the diagonal with the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square; 
 (c)) immediately adjacent to and in the same column as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square; or 
 (d) in the same column as the playing square containing the number in the sequence that immediately succeeds the number being filled into the blank playing square and having only (i) one or more intervening blank playing square, (ii) one or more intervening playing square that is prefilled with a number that is higher in the sequence than the number being filled into the blank square, and/or (iii) one or more intervening blocked playing square.