about node_shift

what it is

node_shift is a daily puzzle game played on a 4x4 board of colored nodes. every node points in a direction. clicking one turns it, and the turn sets off a chain: each node it points at turns too and takes on the clicked node's color. the goal is to make all sixteen nodes the same color in as few clicks as possible.

there is one new puzzle each day, the same for everyone. each of the three colors is scored separately, so you can come back to a puzzle to chase a better score in a different color. see the rules for the details and the strategy guide for tips.

how the puzzles are made

every daily board is generated in advance and solved by a computer that checks every possible sequence of clicks, so the fewest clicks needed for each color is known exactly. that number is the puzzle's optimal score. boards are picked so the week gets harder as it goes: easier puzzles early in the week, tougher ones by sunday.

the rules never change. if new ways to play are added, they will arrive as separate modes, so every score ever posted stays comparable.

who makes it

hi 👋🏼 i'm John McGuinness, a software engineer specializing in building scalable, intuitive, and beautiful applications. i love a good cup of coffee and getting the job done ☕️ 😎 🚀 happy node_shifting →