New Top Hat Puzzle
Puts Fresh Twist on Sudoku

Top Hat Puzzle puts an exciting twist on Sudoku. The new puzzles are named after the uniquely shaped pattern found on each corner.

Instructions for playing Top Hat puzzles are simple: Fill four diagonal, four hat, and four corner patterns with the numbers 1 through 6. However, the puzzles challenge players in a uniquely creative way

“Top Hat puzzles are small (24 tiles), quick (two to twelve minutes), a little bent and twisted just enough to provide a quick Sudoku fix that also stretches the mind,” said their inventor, Gary Francis Stout.

You can also play online - online Top Hat players can also check the scoreboard to see how they did in the previous day’s daily puzzle competition. The daily puzzle generally presents more of a challenge for players, as it can’t be paused to allow for more time to think and strategize. “You are free to make mistakes as you strive to quickly solve the puzzle and post your time on the scoreboard,” Stout said. “Easy puzzles start with 9 cells, medium with 7, and difficult puzzles start with only 5 known cells.”

Gary Stout is not new to the world of invention. He is a veteran inventor with a history of creating original products that boggle the mind. Previously, he invented a magic lamp (Patent #5473525), which he converted to a magic Christmas tree ornament when the next Christmas rolled around. These inventions are based on the now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t effect of a one-way mirror. In addition, Stout has created and licensed a proprietary new design that displays personal photographs. He has also created a daunting Five Star puzzle, which as of yet has no satisfactory solution.

In his professional work, Stout’s job involves maintaining Radar sites at remote mountain top locations on the Utah Test and Training Range. In addition, one weekend a month and a few weeks each year, he trains fellow airmen of the 299 RCS Utah Air National Guard.

To learn more about Top Hat puzzles, visit www.tophatpuzzle.com