Time Watchers - a clock-based puzzle-rpg (WIP)

[ARTHAN]

Time Watcher (a puzzle-rpg that requires only your clock in order to play!) Work In Progress

Rules:
You look at the time and then you can do one of the following changes. Each change costs one turn and you can do only one change at each turn.

change an one (1) to a seven (7) or a seven (7) to an one (1) (e.g. 01:45 becomes 07:45 and 22:57 becomes 22:51)
change a two (2) to a five (5) or a five (5) to a two (2) (e.g. 01:45 becomes 01:42 and 21:32 becomes 21:35)
change a three (3) to an eight (8) or an eight (8) to a three (3) (e.g. 02:43 becomes 02:48 and 18:57 becomes 13:57)
change a four (4) to a zero (0) or a zero (0) to a four (4) (e.g. 00:51 becomes 04:51 and 11:46 becomes 11:06)
change a six (6) to a nine (9) or a nine (9) to a six (6) (e.g. 00:56 becomes 00:59 and 9:51 becomes 6:51)
change a nine (9) to a four (4) or a four (4) to an one (1) (e.g. 01:49 becomes 01:44 and 23:54 becomes 23:51)

change a 01 to a 13 or a 13 to a 01 (e.g. 01:45 becomes 13:45 and 22:13 becomes 22:01)
change a 02 to a 14 or a 14 to a 02 (e.g. 02:45 becomes 14:45 and 22:14 becomes 22:02)
change a 03 to a 15 or a 15 to a 03 (e.g. 03:45 becomes 15:45 and 22:15 becomes 22:03)
change a 04 to a 16 or a 16 to a 04 (e.g. 04:45 becomes 16:45 and 22:16 becomes 22:04)
change a 05 to a 17 or a 17 to a 05 (e.g. 05:45 becomes 17:45 and 22:17 becomes 22:05)
change a 06 to a 18 or a 18 to a 06 (e.g. 06:45 becomes 18:45 and 22:18 becomes 22:06)
change a 07 to a 19 or a 19 to a 07 (e.g. 07:45 becomes 19:45 and 22:19 becomes 22:07)
change a 08 to a 20 or a 20 to a 08 (e.g. 08:45 becomes 20:45 and 22:20 becomes 22:08)
change a 09 to a 21 or a 21 to a 09 (e.g. 09:45 becomes 21:45 and 22:21 becomes 22:09)
change a 10 to a 22 or a 22 to a 10 (e.g. 10:45 becomes 22:45 and 20:22 becomes 20:10)
change a 11 to a 23 or a 23 to a 11 (e.g. 11:45 becomes 23:45 and 22:23 becomes 22:11)
change a 12 to a 24 or a 24 to a 12 (e.g. 12:07 becomes 24:07 and 22:24 becomes 22:12)

change a 12 to a 00 or a 00 to a 12 (e.g. 12:13 becomes 00:13 and 15:00 becomes 15:12)
change a 24 to a 00 or a 00 to a 24 (e.g. 24:09 becomes 00:09 and 21:00 becomes 21:24)

Goal:
The goal of the game is to look at the clock what time it is (e.g. 18:16) and change it turn by turn till it becomes symmetric. Symmetric numbers are the following four situations:
XX:XX (e.g. 11:11)
XX:YY (e.g. 22:00)
XY:XY (e.g. 09:09)
XY:YX (e.g. 13:31)

For example, at the 18:16 I change the 18 to 06 (turn 1) then at the 06:16 I change the zero to four (turn 2) then at the 46:16 I change the four to one (turn 3) and now I have 16:16 (XY:XY situation).
So, we have won in 3 turns! Some examples may take more, some less, some may be an automatic win or some even impossible to be solved (the rare case). Have fun!

Competitive mode:
In competitive mode two or more people solve the same time-puzzle and the one who solves it within the less amount of turns wins. In case of a tie, the one who solves it first wins.

Lore:
You are chronomancers, powerful time wizards, keepers of every age and era. But the balance and symmetry within time itself has been lost, now you have to restore it as soon as possible by using your magic clocks! Hurry...

[ARTHAN]

Important Notes:

- While numbers like "46:16" do not exist in real-life they are allowed in this game as middle steps but they are not accepted as final solutions. So, the 00:00 is a solved time-puzzle but the 44:44 is not. Of course, if you don't like this rule, you can remove it.

- Of course, if you find the game too "restricting" or too "repetitive" after solving many similar or outright same time-puzzles again and again, you can create your own time-puzzles and try to solve them by rolling a d10 four times, one time for each digit of the time-puzzle, and try to solve the random time-puzzle that is created after that.

- If you have any questions feel free to ask. I also need help to finish my lore which is very short right now. Thanks in advance.

[JeenLeen]

This sounds like a cool logic puzzle and fun competition.

So, we have won in 3 turns! Some examples may take more, some less, some may be an automatic win or some even impossible to be solved (the rare case). Have fun!

Competitive mode:
In competitive mode two or more people solve the same time-puzzle and the one who solves it within the less amount of turns wins. In case of a tie, the one who solves it first wins.

For impossible solutions... I wonder if there's a way to (besides checking every possible alteration to every minute--probably millions of data points as it'd be (60*24)^x possible tries) to determine what starting values make for a no-win situation. In competitive play, I could see a rule like "the first person to prove it is impossible wins", but I'm not sure what "prove" would mean.

- While numbers like "46:16" do not exist in real-life they are allowed in this game as middle steps but they are not accepted as final solutions. So, the 00:00 is a solved time-puzzle but the 44:44 is not. Of course, if you don't like this rule, you can remove it.

I could see two modes of the game being allowing invalid times and allowing invalid times.

I wonder if allowing invalids would make all things potentially solvable eventually.
If you added an alteration like "you can subtract or add 1 minute", that would certainly make everything solvable, but it might take away from the fun of the logic puzzle.

[Amechra]

For impossible solutions... I wonder if there's a way to (besides checking every possible alteration to every minute--probably millions of data points as it'd be (60*24)^x possible tries) to determine what starting values make for a no-win situation. In competitive play, I could see a rule like "the first person to prove it is impossible wins", but I'm not sure what "prove" would mean.

OK, our moves are effectively one of the following:

0 → 4
1 → 7
2 → 5
3 → 8
4 → 0 OR 1
5 → 2
6 → 6
7 → 1
8 → 3
9 → 4

Notice that there isn't a way to turn anything into a 9, and 6s can't be switched with another number.

If you have a valid hour sequence (00 to 23), you can add 12 to it modulo 24. As a special case, 00 and 24 are interchangeable.

You can only win if the end result is a valid clock time.

---

What I can immediately see from those rules is that it is impossible to win if the time is 26, 36, or 56 minutes after the hour. 26 can only be converted to 56, and vice-versa. 26:26 and 62:26 aren't valid times, and neither are 56:56 or 65:56. A similar argument can be made for 36.

EDIT: After some poking around, I've figured out that A) you can convert any valid hour pattern (00-23) to any other valid hour pattern, and B) that the times I've listed above are the only impossible times. If the time is 33 or 38 minutes after the hour, you can only win by converting it into the XX:YY pattern - otherwise, you have a surprising amount of freedom.

Long story short: this game is literally unwinnable for 72 minutes out of the day. These time wizards had better get a move on.

[ARTHAN]

OK, our moves are effectively one of the following:

0 → 4
1 → 7
2 → 5
3 → 8
4 → 0 OR 1
5 → 2
6 → 6
7 → 1
8 → 3
9 → 4

Notice that there isn't a way to turn anything into a 9, and 6s can't be switched with another number.

I forgot to add this: "you can change a six (6) to a nine (9) or a nine (9) to a six (6)"
I can't believe I forgot something so important, sorry.

[Amechra]

I forgot to add this: "you can change a six (6) to a nine (9) or a nine (9) to a six (6)"
I can't believe I forgot something so important, sorry.

I was wondering about that.

With that addition, all times are possible. Good luck, chronomancers!

[GaelofDarkness]

This is fascinating! I'm definitely going to steal this idea for an encounter or puzzle in a game. EDIT: I mean this has inspired me to do a clock themed puzzle not to lift the idea wholesale an pass it off as my own.

[ARTHAN]

This is fascinating! I'm definitely going to steal this idea for an encounter or puzzle in a game.

Go on. :) (EDIT: By the "go on" I mean go on your "speech" and explain us further the fact that you do not mean it literally because stealing is bad and this game idea is owned by somebody EDIT2: Really thanks for the fast reply and the clarification pal, I am a little paranoid with idea stealing and similar things but I meant no harm)


More importantly, I was thinking of a more "hardcore" mode of this game that accepts only "XX:XX" solutions but allows Chrono-Abilities as well. You can have two Chrono-Abilities overall, one of the Time Jump category and one of the Chrono- category. They are both WIP however, so tell me what you think.

name = the name of the ability
turns = the amount of turns you spend in order to use this ability
effect = the effect of the ability
amount = the amount of times you can use this ability at each time-puzzle

name: Time Jump 0 o'clock	turns: 1	effect: You change target digit to 0.	amount: 1
name: Time Jump 1 o'clock	turns: 1	effect: You change target digit to 1.	amount: 1
name: Time Jump 2 o'clock	turns: 1	effect: You change target digit to 2.	amount: 1
name: Time Jump 3 o'clock	turns: 1	effect: You change target digit to 3.	amount: 1
name: Time Jump 4 o'clock	turns: 1	effect: You change target digit to 4.	amount: 1
name: Time Jump 5 o'clock	turns: 1	effect: You change target digit to 5.	amount: 1
name: Time Jump 6 o'clock	turns: 1	effect: You change target digit to 6.	amount: 1
name: Time Jump 7 o'clock	turns: 1	effect: You change target digit to 7.	amount: 1
name: Time Jump 8 o'clock	turns: 1	effect: You change target digit to 8.	amount: 1
name: Time Jump 9 o'clock	turns: 1	effect: You change target digit to 9.	amount: 1

name: Chrono-Swap	turns: 3	effect: You exchange the position of two target digits.	amount: 2
name: Chrono-Mastery	turns: 3	effect: You change the target digit to whatever digit you want.	amount: 1
name: Chrono-Balance	turns: 2	effect: You change all the digits one step closer to zero (nine becomes eight, eight becomes seven etc).	amount: 1
name: Chrono-Quake	turns: 2	effect: You change all the digits one step closer to nine (zero becomes one, one becomes two etc).	amount: 1
name: Chrono-Randomness	turns: 1	effect: You randomly change the target digit (roll a d10).	amount: 3
name: Chrono-Chaos	turns: 1	effect: You randomly change all the digits (roll a d10 four times).	amount: 3
name: Chrono-Madness	turns: 2	effect: You swap the whole number (AB:CD becomes DC:BA).	amount: 1
name: Chrono-Speed	turns: 0	effect: You gain 1 extra turn.	amount: 1
name: Chrono-Storage	turns: 0	effect: You gain 1 extra amount of your respective Time Jump ability.	amount: 1
name: Chrono-Mimic	turns: 0	effect: You duplicate the effect of a Time Jump ability of your choice other than yours.	amount: 1

Also:
I was thinking of a forum game based on the competitive mode of Time Watchers. We have, let's say, a random time generator that generates a random time or even a random number generator that generates a number from 0000 to 9999. Then, the number is posted and the first one to post a right answer wins (except if another player solves it later but with less turns-moves, then that player wins). What do you think?

Moreover:
What about adding seconds in the game too? Rules are the same but you win if you manage one of the following:

XX:XX:XX
XX:YY:ZZ
XX:XX:YY
XX:YY:YY
XX:YY:XX

[ARTHAN]

Guys and girls, Time Watchers also inspired me to create a "YES-NO" minigame based on the clock.
You ask a question to yourself, like "magic clock, is it going to rain today?" and you randomly see the last digit of the time but without knowing what time exactly is (it will just ruin the fun). If the last digit is 1, 4 or 9 the answer is YES, if it is 0, 6 or 7 the answer is NO and if it is 2, 3, 5 or 8 there is no reply. Have fun!