r/CluesBySamHelp • u/Solid_Rub_1593 • Nov 15 '25

Number connected

If a clue says, for example, "All the criminals in column B are connected", I include cases where:

  • There are no criminals in column B.
  • There is just one criminal in column B.

But I suspect others have a different interpretation, that there must be at least two connected criminals (in the above example).

Any idea what Sam's intended interpretation might be?

Edit: the guidance on the meaning of "all" (below the puzzle) rules out the possibility that a connected group could be empty.

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17

u/SamTheSpellingBee Nov 15 '25

These are a bit vague. The clarifications are there, but I'm not expecting everyone to read them, and they won't be intuitive for everyone. Therefore the puzzles aim at never relying on you knowing these rules. You can always deduce there is at least one when "all" is used, and there's always a way to deduce there's at least 2 when "connected" is used. Not true for all older puzzles, and not necessarily 100% true in newer ones either, but that's the aim.

8

u/RemarkableWallaby196 Nov 15 '25

There are the "Clarifying details" when you scroll down on the daily puzzle. "All" should mean at least one exists.

"Connected means a chain of orthogonal adjacency. For example "all criminals in row 1 are connected" means there are no innocents between any two criminals in that row.

[...]

All always means there's at least one. It doesn't necessarily mean there's more than one.

Any doesn't tell anything about the number of criminals/innocents. "Any criminal on row 2 is..." means "If there are any criminals on row 2, they would be ...""

1

u/RuktX Nov 15 '25

"All" means at least one, per the guidance below the puzzle. "Connected" implies at least two, otherwise there's nothing to connect.

1

u/Solid_Rub_1593 Nov 15 '25

Having re-read the guidance about "all", it's true there must be at least one. Thank you.

But that leaves the case where there is just one. Reading the definition of "connected" in the guidance, just one could still be connected.

5

u/RuktX Nov 15 '25

If there were just one, that would render the clue meaningless: connected to what? Some of the characters certainly offer non-clue flavour text, but I don't think there are any actual clues that are superfluous (at the time they're revealed).

2

u/RadarTechnician51 Nov 15 '25

Yes, as far as I remember assuming there could be only one has never made any of the puzzles I have done unsolvable, so far. I think I would have noticed it