Tetrus puzzles

[chriswhite56]

Does anyone else find these totally confusing? Some seem to require the shapes to be made and some do not - I can't see any hints or clues to tell me which is which.

I have hardly ever played tetrus, so maybe there are rules I am unaware of.

Any suggestions welcome.

[eys]

These puzzles definitely can be confusing, but once you understand the rules they will all make sense. And you don't need to have played tetris to understand them, it has nothing to do with tetris other than the shapes looking similar.

Have you been through the tutorials in the swamp?

Maybe post ones you are struggling on that you believe should be correct but aren't. Then we can see what you don't get.

Or I can just tell you the exact rules if you want too.

[chriswhite56]

I basically gave up on them and just used the guides when I got stuck. I figured if I looked at a few solved ones it would help, but it didn't - they still don't make a lot of sense.

[eys]

Originally posted by chriswhite56:

I basically gave up on them and just used the guides when I got stuck. I figured if I looked at a few solved ones it would help, but it didn't - they still don't make a lot of sense.

I see. Well I can tell you the rules then if you care.

You must inclose the symbols in their exact shape. You can not rotate or flip them.

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/the-witness/9/99/THE_WITNESS.PC.1080P.SWAMP.SUB_00.HD_SCREENCAPS.7.jpg

However if the symbol is turned, then you can turn them in your solution, but you still can't flip them.

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/the-witness/8/88/THE_WITNESS.PC.1080P.SWAMP.SUB_03.HD_SCREENCAPS.8.jpg

If you inclose multiple symbols, it doesn't matter where they are, just as long as they're inclosed and fit with the others you inclosed.

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/the-witness/6/66/THE_WITNESS.PC.1080P.SWAMP.SUB_00.HD_SCREENCAPS.15.jpg

[Alcator]

When you think about it, your "line" through the grid separates the entire area into oddly shaped sectors.

Each tetris block is in exactly one of these sectors - but multiple tetris blocks may be in the same sector.
The size and shape of a sector containing ANY tetris block(s) must fit the tetris blocks, BUT they may be moved around the sector, AND if some of them are displayed as slightly rotated, then they may also be rotated within the sector to exactly fit.

What this means is that if there is a vertical "4-dots-in-a-column" tetris block on the LEFT side of a 4x4 grid, and a horizontal "3-dots-in-a-row" tetris block on the RIGHT side of a 4x4 grid, you can encapsulate both these blocks in a single, 7-tiles large sector, that will e.g. have 3 horizontal tiles going from the LEFT almost to the RIGHT, and then 4 vertical tiles going along the right side from BOTTOM to TOP.

This can get really complex and I've personally used grid paper or Excel sheets to play with it to find the solutions.

[ThatMasonBoiii]

Originally posted by eys:

Originally posted by chriswhite56:

I basically gave up on them and just used the guides when I got stuck. I figured if I looked at a few solved ones it would help, but it didn't - they still don't make a lot of sense.

I see. Well I can tell you the rules then if you care.

You must inclose the symbols in their exact shape. You can not rotate or flip them.

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/the-witness/9/99/THE_WITNESS.PC.1080P.SWAMP.SUB_00.HD_SCREENCAPS.7.jpg

However if the symbol is turned, then you can turn them in your solution, but you still can't flip them.

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/the-witness/8/88/THE_WITNESS.PC.1080P.SWAMP.SUB_03.HD_SCREENCAPS.8.jpg

If you inclose multiple symbols, it doesn't matter where they are, just as long as they're inclosed and fit with the others you inclosed.

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/the-witness/6/66/THE_WITNESS.PC.1080P.SWAMP.SUB_00.HD_SCREENCAPS.15.jpg

Could you tell me how that applies to the second red one on the gate up the stairs in the swamp area? It has two tetris L shapes of four and one long tetris shape of 4. There isn't enough space to section them off individually and when I try to just go by the number of squares total to create a shape, its not accepted because it is not the shape shown on the tetris block.

[Psyringe]

Originally posted by cardinalfire:

Could you tell me how that applies to the second red one on the gate up the stairs in the swamp area? It has two tetris L shapes of four and one long tetris shape of 4. There isn't enough space to section them off individually and when I try to just go by the number of squares total to create a shape, its not accepted because it is not the shape shown on the tetris block.

The rule is actually rather straightforward, but also easy to misunderstand. It has nothing to do with "counting squares". Here's how it works (spoilers, obviously):

a) By drawing your line, you build a shape that includes one or more tetris pieces.
b) All tetris pieces included in a shape, must be able to fit together like jigsaw puzzle pieces to form the exact shape they are included in.
c) During step b), when you puzzle the pieces together in your mind, you may move the pieces within the shape freely, but you may not mirror them. Tilted pieces (but only those!) may be rotated.

[Cold Hand]

I know what you feel... Those Tetris puzzles clearly are a game breaker :( Some of them don't even respect their own rules, making the solution impossible to solve unless you switch to some kind of "brute force approach". For example :

In the castle, on the top of the tower juste after the 4 pression plates puzzles, the top most tetromino on the left is not tilted. Hence, according the rules, you should not be able to rotate it. Guess what ? You can (and probably must) to find the solution. But rotate the 4 squares horizontal bar ? No can do, the solution is not considered valid.

This is really a shame since the rest of the puzzles are fun and challenging :(

[Psyringe]

Originally posted by Cold Hand:

I know what you feel... Those Tetris puzzles clearly are a game breaker :( Some of them don't even respect their own rules, making the solution impossible to solve unless you switch to some kind of "brute force approach".

All puzzles respect their own rules. For as long as the game has been out, there have always been people who blamed "incorrect" puzzles for their incomplete understanding of the rules, and in every one of these cases, it turned out that the person reporting the "problem" simply hadn't understood the puzzle.

Originally posted by Cold Hand:

In the castle, on the top of the tower juste after the 4 pression plates puzzles, the top most tetromino on the left is not tilted. Hence, according the rules, you should not be able to rotate it. Guess what ? You can (and probably must) to find the solution. But rotate the 4 squares horizontal bar ? No can do, the solution is not considered valid.

I would need an image of your exact solution to properly address that, but my guess is that you misinterpreted the free shifting-around of tetrominos within a shape. If a tetromino is not tilted, then it cannot be rotated, but it can of course still be moved freely within the shape it's enclosed in.

If you prefer to believe that some of the puzzles don't respect their own rules, then you're really just blocking yourself from improving your incomplete understanding of the rules.

[ThatMasonBoiii]

Originally posted by Psyringe:

If you prefer to believe that some of the puzzles don't respect their own rules, then you're really just blocking yourself from improving your incomplete understanding of the rules.

I think you may be right because I often go back after asking for help and see where I have gone wrong.

For me with the example I gave, it was that I didn't realise that the shapes within the shape could be moved about. I had sectioned the Tetris shapes off in the previous puzzle and in the next one, so long as the shapes were included in the big shape made with the line, and the Tetris icons were included, then it didn't matter where they were.

I felt a bit like there needed to be another puzzle in between to help discover the rule. I just have to remember now that sometimes I'm going to have to take a big leap to think outside of the box a bit.

I also sometimes wish there was a notepad in the in game menu , so I could make notes on rules I discover as I go along to test them, it would also save me some time instead of going back over the island to try and learn where I went wrong in my misunderstanding in a previous puzzle.

It's hard with a game like this because they could have added an easy mode that would help explain the rules of the puzzles better and yet that would have ruined the whole tone of the game. I guess I'm just disappointed in myself that some of these puzzles are obviously harder than the mindset I had when I came to the game.

I am pleased though the puzzles involving the rocks and drawing around them and other trees in the background, I worked out myself, before I had even done the apple tree Ines, and I felt awesome for having figured it out and I just saw it intuitively.

Those moments are what I will miss about this game when I have finished it and hope that something else comes along that has as much mystery and surprises and genuine moments of awe and amazement.

[Cold Hand]

Originally posted by Psyringe:

I would need an image of your exact solution to properly address that

You can check this walkthrough video at mark 1:20. It's the one I used for this puzzle and you will understand what I meant on my comment regarding the top left tetromino ;)

Btw, thanks for your answer :)

[Psyringe]

Originally posted by Cold Hand:

You can check this walkthrough video at mark 1:20. It's the one I used for this puzzle and you will understand what I meant on my comment regarding the top left tetromino ;)

Thanks for the link. :) The puzzle does respect the rules. The topmost puzzle piece does not get rotated, only moved. You may indeed be misinterpreting the mechanics - I'll explain: :)

In the youtube video, the player has formed a shape that encompasses one non-rotated "angled" tetris piece (A), one none-rotated horizontal 1x4 piece (B), and two tilted angled pieces (C and D) which may be rotated.

The solution is a valid shape which is formed by putting one of the C/D pieces in the top area (rotated), then piece B below that (unrotated), then piece A below that one (also unrotated), and then the last remaining C/D piece at the bottom. Piece A does not get rotated.

[ThatMasonBoiii]

I must still be missing something to help me understand this. Spoilers for a castle puzzle.

I'm on the third castle one that has to be walked on. It has a four square tetris block, horizontal, and a four square angled pieced. I know I have to draw a line around both of those in order to make the shape that the tetris images show, though this one has a 'wreckage' covering part of the track I need to walk on. This is where I have struggled before grasping these tetris blocks as I can't seem to make a shape that includes this, unless I break one of them up, though obviously the shapes have to match what is shown on the tetris images.

[Catgirl Jessica]

Originally posted by cardinalfire:

I must still be missing something to help me understand this. Spoilers for a castle puzzle.

I'm on the third castle one that has to be walked on. It has a four square tetris block, horizontal, and a four square angled pieced. I know I have to draw a line around both of those in order to make the shape that the tetris images show, though this one has a 'wreckage' covering part of the track I need to walk on. This is where I have struggled before grasping these tetris blocks as I can't seem to make a shape that includes this, unless I break one of them up, though obviously the shapes have to match what is shown on the tetris images.

Have you tried enclosing the two pieces separately? Nothing says you have to put both pieces together in one shape.

[ThatMasonBoiii]

Originally posted by Catgirl Jessica:

Originally posted by cardinalfire:

I must still be missing something to help me understand this. Spoilers for a castle puzzle.

I'm on the third castle one that has to be walked on. It has a four square tetris block, horizontal, and a four square angled pieced. I know I have to draw a line around both of those in order to make the shape that the tetris images show, though this one has a 'wreckage' covering part of the track I need to walk on. This is where I have struggled before grasping these tetris blocks as I can't seem to make a shape that includes this, unless I break one of them up, though obviously the shapes have to match what is shown on the tetris images.

Have you tried enclosing the two pieces separately? Nothing says you have to put both pieces together in one shape.

I have, it's just not actually possible to do with the puzzle I'm referring to as a wreckage lies on the path, so I'm thinking an extra square must be attached to the horizontal piece, despite the shape saying otherwise.

the second gate near the dam like area by the woods is another good example of how I'm struggling with these. Two shapes, both L shapes and can't be rotated. Thing is the one on the right , if not rotated will go off the grid 🤣. Assuming they both have to be drawn with line and included in the shapes that are drawn. I can draw three square and then the fourth which comes off at a right angle, I have no idea how to draw on unless the shape is rotated.

May post a screenshot later to explain.

[Coops]

In that puzzle you have to think outside the box. Literally.
Think about how the final puzzle solution needs to look and not about what path to take.