The official field guide
How to play Deducery
Three daily puzzles exercise three kinds of reasoning: deduction, association, and chained-clue thinking. This spoiler-free guide explains the goal, the controls, and the habits that help you make progress without giving away a particular day’s answers.
Three games, each with its own kind of clue
Deducery’s front page publishes one Gridlock, one Linksets, and one Ladder Run every UTC day. The shared edition number changes at 00:00 UTC, so players in every time zone receive the same set at the same instant. You can play in any order, leave a puzzle, and return on the same browser. A completed daily puzzle counts toward the day’s trifecta; completing all three is the clearest picture of a full Deducery day.
The first 60 Gridlock editions are prebuilt launch boards; later Gridlock editions are generated deterministically from the edition number. Linksets and Ladder Run each draw from a curated 30-puzzle rotation, so their content can return after 30 editions while the daily number and saved-progress identifier remain unique.
Gridlock
Fill a compact logic grid while satisfying every row, column, and written clue. It rewards careful elimination and checking how constraints interact.
Play today’s GridlockOpen the Gridlock guide
Linksets
Sort a board of terms into hidden groups whose members share a precise connection. It rewards association without settling for the first plausible pattern.
Play today’s LinksetsOpen the Linksets guide
Ladder Run
Answer a chain of clues in order. Each correct answer unlocks a new clue that carries the chain forward, and the final rung reveals the theme.
Play today’s Ladder RunOpen the Ladder Run guide
Build the one grid that satisfies every constraint
A Gridlock puzzle begins with a board, fixed cells, and a collection of clue chips. Your job is to determine the remaining cell states so the whole board agrees with every clue at once. A locally plausible move can still conflict with another row or column, so the puzzle is solved by combining evidence rather than treating clues in isolation.
- Read the whole clue set. Start by identifying the most restrictive rows, columns, counts, or relationships. A clue that leaves only one arrangement is a stronger opening than one with many possibilities.
- Mark only forced cells. Paint a cell when all alternatives would violate a known constraint. If two arrangements remain possible, carry both mentally and look elsewhere for another clue.
- Propagate each decision. A confirmed cell changes what can fit in its row, column, and neighboring clues. Re-scan those areas immediately instead of moving to an unrelated part of the grid.
- Check the entire board. Completion requires one coherent solution, not a collection of individually reasonable rows. The creator validates shared puzzles for a unique answer before producing a link.
When stuck, ask which clue has lost the most possibilities since your last move. Progress often comes from revisiting an ordinary clue after another part of the board has narrowed it.
Find exact groups, not merely related words
A Linksets board contains terms that can tempt you with overlapping associations. Select the full set that shares the intended connection and submit it as a group. Correct groups leave the board; the remaining terms then become easier to read. The hard part is distinguishing a complete category from a coincidence involving only two or three entries.
- Inventory possible meanings. A term can be a noun, verb, name, title, abbreviation, or part of a phrase. Avoid committing to its most familiar meaning too early.
- Demand a uniform rule. The same relationship should explain every member cleanly. “Things associated with water” is weaker than a specific shared prefix, role, category, or construction.
- Watch for decoys. Several terms may form a tempting near-group while belonging to separate intended groups. Test what your selection would leave behind before submitting it.
- Use solved groups as evidence. Once a group is confirmed, reinterpret the remaining terms. Removing one meaning often reveals a more exact connection among what is left.
Say the connection as a short rule that applies in the same grammatical way to every term. If the explanation needs a special exception for one member, keep looking.
Use each answer to reach the next clue
Ladder Run presents a sequence of three to eight clue prompts. Only the current rung is open: enter its answer to reveal the next clue, which often builds directly on the word or idea you just solved. Complete the sequence to reveal the puzzle’s theme.
- Solve in rung order. The next clue stays hidden until the current answer is correct. Read the displayed clue closely instead of trying to predict the unseen route.
- Carry the connection forward. A new clue frequently refers to the previous answer, completes a phrase with it, or pivots through a related fact. Use that handoff as part of the clue.
- Give the exact answer. Capitalization, spaces, and punctuation are normalized, but the underlying word or phrase must match. A related idea is not enough to unlock the next rung.
- Use the built-in hint deliberately. After two misses on a rung, the answer field reveals its first letter. Re-read the clue and the preceding connection with that new constraint.
After each solve, state the link between that answer and the next clue in plain language. The handoff is usually the most useful information on a difficult rung.
Daily, practice, archive, and creator modes
| Mode | What it is for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Daily games | The shared Deducery edition for the current UTC day. | One puzzle of each game type, daily completion tracking, and the three-game trifecta. |
| Practice | Additional Gridlock solving without waiting for tomorrow. | Generated boards with size and difficulty controls. Practice can contribute to local stats and achievements. |
| Archive | Revisit earlier published editions. | Choose a game and past puzzle number. Archive attempts are separate from today’s trifecta. |
| Creator studio | Construct and share your own supported puzzle types. | The studio validates the structure and produces a share link. A creator should still proofread every clue and avoid private or infringing material. |
| Stats | Review your solving history and patterns. | Streaks, achievements, and summaries reflect recorded play; they are recreational progress indicators, not standardized ability scores. |
Recorded solves and supported in-progress state can remain in the current browser without an account. Signing in enables the account features described in the app. If you use more than one device, check which records have synced before clearing local browser data.
A fair way to get unstuck
- Slow down before speeding up. A fast first guess can create more work than a deliberate scan of the full puzzle.
- Externalize uncertainty. Distinguish what the puzzle proves from what merely seems likely. In deduction puzzles, one unsupported assumption can make every later move look forced.
- Change scale. If a local clue is stuck, inspect the entire board or chain. If the whole puzzle feels noisy, focus on the smallest area with the tightest constraints.
- Take a short break. Returning with fresh attention is part of solving, not a failure. The browser keeps local progress for a later visit.
- Review the explanation. After completion, identify which clue or connection opened the puzzle. That reflection is more reusable than memorizing an answer.
When discussing the daily edition, share the game name, puzzle number, completion state, or a spoiler-free reaction. Put specific categories, answers, and decisive clue interpretations behind a clear spoiler warning.
You can play before creating an account
The core daily experience is available without buying a plan. Local browser storage holds unsigned-in progress. Accounts support the profile and synchronization features presented in the app, while Premium and creator tiers describe their current paid benefits before checkout. Payment processing is handled by Stripe; Deducery does not receive or store full card details.
Keyboard users should be able to move through interactive controls in a logical order with a visible focus indicator. If a puzzle control, clue, or result is difficult to operate or understand with assistive technology, include the game, puzzle number, browser, and device in a support message. Do not include a password, session value, payment number, or other secret.
Read the in-app privacy notice and terms for current account, payment, and data details.
Found an unclear clue or rule?
Send puzzle, accessibility, account, or privacy questions to support@flintglade.com. Include the game and puzzle number when reporting content, but never send your password or payment details.