Puzzle #29: Groups of One, Three, Four
Medium · Distribution · target time about 22 seconds
Which option completes the pattern?
How to solve it (answer: B)
The rule
Each row and each column has one circle, square, and hexagon and groups of one, three, and four.
Step by step
- Look at the top row: four striped squares, then a striped hexagon, then three striped circles.
- The middle row uses the same values in a different order.
- The bottom row has a striped hexagon and three striped circles, so it is missing four striped squares.
- Check both rules: only one option fits them both.
Tip: List what each row already has, then pick the one value the row is missing.
Why the wrong options look right
The wrong options keep most of the pattern and change the shape or the number of shapes, so each one looks finished at a glance. Check both before you choose.
- Option A: This row already has a hexagon.
- Option C: This row already has a circle.
- Option D: It forgets that the count changes too: each row has one of each.
- Option E: This row already has a hexagon. It forgets that the count changes too: each row has one of each.
- Option F: This row already has a circle. It forgets that the count changes too: each row has one of each.
About distribution puzzles
Each element appears once per row and column. Read the guide to distribution puzzles for the method and the common traps.
More distribution puzzles
- #3 · EasyOne of Each Shape
- #7 · EasyFills and Shapes
- #11 · MediumShapes in Three Sizes
- #15 · HardThree Rules at Once
- #20 · HardCounting Down Mixed Shapes
- #27 · EasySolid, Hollow, Dotted
This was one distribution puzzle
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