PRACTICAL GUIDE
Use a hint without replacing the puzzle
A hint is most useful when it restores a direction for thinking, rather than doing all the thinking on your behalf.
Describe what is actually blocked
Separate not understanding a rule from understanding it but failing to arrange the pieces. A question about the wrong part of the problem can produce a much larger spoiler than you need.
Ask for the smallest missing relationship
Try a clue about what to notice before a sequence of moves. In a rule-based puzzle, learning the intended relationship may be the entire discovery, so decide how much of it you want supplied.
Stop reading once direction returns
Leave the guide when you have a new hypothesis to test. Continuing through neighbouring solutions may remove discoveries you have not yet reached.
Games and primary references
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