Test the computer in your head with Turing Machine

1 year ago

Turing Machine is an ingenious game, or rather: a powerful puzzle.

In fact, players solve a puzzle each round. That puzzle is always a three-digit code between 1 and 5.

The game is a paper computer – what a job it must have been to make this! The game consists of a website with puzzles, a set of 45 punch cards, 48 criteria cards and 95 verification cards. And everything adds up! Compliments to the creators.

Probably because of this specific material, the game was not initially made in large quantities. We really had to search all over the Netherlands to find a copy. But now you can just put it under the tree at Christmas, because to my surprise, Turing Machine can now be ordered from major online shops

This game is really worth playing if you like brainteasers!

Set up the game

Before you can start puzzling, it is important to set up the game properly. In the rules you will find 20 puzzles, online you will find many more. Make sure you do the setting up concentrated, otherwise the whole puzzle will fall apart.

First, you put the Machine card in the middle, this is a tile with 6 sides and the letters A to E.

1. Choose a problem to solve

Choose a problem (or: puzzle) to solve. This problem has a number, with that number you will find all the information you need to set it up. Each problem has a number of criteria cards that give you information. For example: the sum of the numbers is even / the sum of the numbers is odd.

You put each criteria card to the Machine card, then put a verification card to the other side of the criteria card. Which letter to put the criteria card with and which verification card to connect….. all this information can be found with ‘the problem’ you have chosen.

2. Choose 3 punch cards and a puzzle sheet

Then each player chooses a combination of 3 punch cards. This can be any number between 111 and 555, but every colour must be present in any case. This combination is your proposal or hypothesis and you will test it. At the same time, players choose a verification card and hold it behind their punch cards.

If you see a green tick, then this verification applies to your hypothesis and you can tick it on your puzzle sheet. But if you see a red cross then it is not good. By the way, that does not mean that you did not get any information then.

3. Repeat, repeat

You may use 3 verification cards per round. Usually there are 4 or more cards on the Machine Card and you need a second round for more information.

4. Thumps up?

At the end of each round, everyone sticks out their fist. The players count down: 3, 2, 1…… if you know the code, you raise your thumb. If you don’t know it, then it’s: thumps down…. The one who knows (and has checked), may now enter her code in the app/online and check if it is correct. How many rounds do you need to solve the problem and crack the code?

To the website with assignments

Solo and daily puzzle

This puzzle lends itself to solo play as well. All you need is the website, set up your stuff and start puzzling.

Moreover, there are 3 levels and after that you can progress to extreme and nightmare. In extreme, each criteria card gets two verification cards, so you first have to find out which one is valid. I can’t tell you anything about nightmare yet, because I keep putting it off 😅

When we just got the game, we did the daily challenge for a while. That one varied in difficulty and only gives you the information you need to set up the game. Good brain gymnastics!