996322323919

On the Subject of Variety

What does it want from me this time?

Begin with a list of the items on the module, sorted into the order shown below.

  • Red keypad
  • White switch
  • Blue switch
  • 4×3 maze (wide)
  • Key-in-lock
  • LED
  • 3×1 white keypad (wide)
  • Yellow switch
  • Red knob
  • Dark-on-light die
  • Blue knob
  • Timer (descending)
  • 4×4 maze
  • Red switch
  • Red wire
  • Vertical slider
  • White knob
  • Red button
  • Blue button
  • 1×4 white keypad (tall)
  • Black knob
  • 2×2 white keypad
  • Light-on-dark die
  • White button
  • White wire
  • Yellow button
  • Yellow bulb
  • Black wire
  • Horizontal slider
  • 4×1 white keypad (wide)
  • Red bulb
  • Blue wire
  • Letter display
  • 3×3 maze
  • 3×4 maze (tall)
  • Yellow wire
  • Blue keypad
  • 1×3 white keypad (tall)
  • Braille display
  • Yellow keypad
  • Timer (ascending)
  • Digit display
  • Yellow knob

Begin with a list of the items on the module, sorted into the order shown on the right.

Observe the number displayed at the top of the module. Decoding this number involves an iterative process. In each iteration, a number n is relevant. Perform these calculations:

  • Take the number modulo n to obtain a value.
  • Divide the number by n (rounding down) to obtain the number for the next iteration.

First, apply the iteration with n equal to the number of items in your list. The value obtained identifies which item to interact with, numbered from 0.

Next, apply the iteration in a way described by the below section for the relevant item. In general, n is the number of states the item can be in and the value identifies the state the item must be set to.

Afterwards, remove the item from your list. Continue this process, each time with the reduced list of remaining items.

Variety will only issue a strike if an item is interacted with while an item earlier in this process is in an invalid state. Incorrectly cut wires will only cause one strike. All other types of items must be corrected to avoid further strikes.

In the special case where the last item is put into the correct state, but an incorrectly cut wire causes a strike, an item may need to have its state changed and changed back to disarm the module.

White Knobs

n is the number of tickmarks. The states are numbered from 0 going clockwise. To find out which tickmark is state 0, start with the up-facing tickmark and move clockwise a number of tickmarks equal to the numeric value of the first character in the serial number (letters are A=1 to Z=26).

White keypads

n is the factorial of the number of keys. Obtain the order in which to press the keys by applying the iterative process to the obtained value. In each iteration, the value of n for the nested process is the number of remaining keys, which are numbered from 0 in reading order.

Colored keypads

Colork
Red3
Yellow2
Blue4

n is equal to b choose k, where b is the number of buttons and k is obtained from the table based on the keys’ color.

You will need to press k of the buttons. Write down all ways of choosing k out of b buttons (with the buttons in reading order) and sort them as if they were binary numbers (1 = press, 0 = no press). The value identifies the combination to press (numbered from 0).

b choose k” = b! / (k! × (bk)!).
! is the factorial function.

Sliders

n is the number of tickmarks. The states are numbered from 0, starting on the left for horizontal sliders and the top for vertical ones.

LEDs

An LED starts out flashing between two colors. Look up that combination of colors in the following table to obtain a new list of colors. n is the size of that list. The value identifies a color from that list, numbered from 0.

Tap the LED once to switch to input mode. The LED will cycle all five possible colors. Tap the LED again when the correct color is shown to submit it.

RYBW
K B Y R WK Y W B RK Y R WB R W KK
Y W K B RW BB K YR
R Y K BY W B KY
R WB

B = blue, K = black, R = red, W = white, Y = yellow

Digit displays

n is the number of prior items in the process excluding wires. The value identifies a prior item, numbered from 0 in the order of the process.

Set the display to the digit it showed in blue when that item was interacted with. Entered digits are shown in yellow.

Wires

n is 2. If the condition in the following table is false, 1 means “cut” and 0 means “don’t cut”; if it is true, they are reversed.

Wire color or patternCondition
Black
more battery holders than port plates
Blue
more letters than digits in the serial number
Red
more parallel + serial ports than any other ports
Yellow
more lit than unlit indicators
White
more D batteries than AA batteries

Buttons

Colork
Red0
Yellow2
Blue1
White3

n is k + p, where k is obtained from the table based on the button’s color, while p is the number of corners of the button’s shape.

Let the obtained value be v. If v < k, hold the button across v timer ticks (0 means tap once). Otherwise, subtract k − 2 from the value and tap the button that many times.

Then wait for two timer ticks for the input to be recognized.

A “timer tick” is a change in the seconds value of the bomb’s countdown timer.

Letter Displays

n is the number of words from the below word list that can be formed using the provided options. The words are numbered from 0 in alphabetical order.

  • ACE
  • ACT
  • AID
  • AIM
  • AIR
  • ALE
  • ALL
  • AND
  • ANT
  • APT
  • ARM
  • ART
  • AWE
  • AYE
  • BAD
  • BAG
  • BAR
  • BAT
  • BAY
  • BED
  • BEE
  • BEG
  • BET
  • BID
  • BIG
  • BIT
  • BIZ
  • BOB
  • BOW
  • BOY
  • BUT
  • BUY
  • BYE
  • CAN
  • CAP
  • CAR
  • CAT
  • COP
  • COT
  • COW
  • CUE
  • CUP
  • CUT
  • DAD
  • DAM
  • DAY
  • DIE
  • DIG
  • DIM
  • DIP
  • DOG
  • DOT
  • DRY
  • DUE
  • DUG
  • DUO
  • DYE
  • EAR
  • EAT
  • FAN
  • FAQ
  • FAR
  • FAT
  • FAX
  • FED
  • FEE
  • FEN
  • FEW
  • FIN
  • FIT
  • FIX
  • FLY
  • FOG
  • FOR
  • FRK
  • FRQ
  • FRY
  • FUN
  • FUR
  • GET
  • GIG
  • GIN
  • GUM
  • GUT
  • GUY
  • HAM
  • HAT
  • HAY
  • HEN
  • HER
  • HEY
  • HIM
  • HIP
  • HIT
  • HOP
  • HOT
  • HOW
  • HUT
  • ILK
  • ILL
  • IND
  • INK
  • IRK
  • JAM
  • JAR
  • JAW
  • JOB
  • JOY
  • KID
  • KIN
  • KIT
  • LAD
  • LAP
  • LAW
  • LAY
  • LEG
  • LET
  • LID
  • LIE
  • LIP
  • LIT
  • LOG
  • LOO
  • LOT
  • LOW
  • LUA
  • LUG
  • MAD
  • MAN
  • MAP
  • MAT
  • MAX
  • MAY
  • MIC
  • MID
  • MIX
  • MOB
  • MOD
  • MUD
  • MUG
  • MUM
  • NET
  • NEW
  • NIL
  • NLL
  • NOD
  • NOR
  • NOT
  • NOW
  • NUN
  • NUT
  • OIL
  • OPT
  • OUR
  • OUT
  • OWE
  • OWL
  • PAD
  • PAN
  • PAR
  • PAT
  • PAY
  • PEG
  • PEN
  • PER
  • PET
  • PIE
  • PIG
  • PIN
  • PIT
  • POP
  • POT
  • POW
  • PUB
  • PUT
  • QUA
  • QUE
  • QUO
  • RAG
  • RAM
  • RAT
  • RAW
  • RED
  • RGB
  • RIB
  • RID
  • RIG
  • RIM
  • ROB
  • ROD
  • ROT
  • ROW
  • RUB
  • RUG
  • RUM
  • RUN
  • SAD
  • SAW
  • SAY
  • SEA
  • SEE
  • SET
  • SHE
  • SHY
  • SIC
  • SIG
  • SIN
  • SIR
  • SIT
  • SIX
  • SLY
  • SND
  • SUE
  • SUM
  • SUN
  • TAG
  • TAP
  • TAX
  • TEA
  • TEE
  • TEN
  • TGB
  • THY
  • TIE
  • TIN
  • TIP
  • TOE
  • TOO
  • TOP
  • TOY
  • TRN
  • TRY
  • TUB
  • VAT
  • VET
  • WAR
  • WAX
  • WAY
  • WEE
  • WET
  • WHY
  • WIG
  • WIN
  • WIT
  • WIZ
  • WRY
  • YEN
  • YET
  • ZAG
  • ZIG

Braille displays

n is the number of distinct characters in the serial number. The value identifies which of those characters to input in Braille, numbered from 0 based on their first occurrence. Digits are input as 1=A, …, 9=I, 0=J, except shifted down one row.

Keys-in-lock

n is 10. Turn the key clockwise when the last seconds digit of the bomb’s timer equals the value.

Switches

n is the number of positions the switch can be toggled to (between 2 and 4). These positions are numbered from 0 starting from the full “up” position.

Timers

n is the maximum displayed time. Possible times are numbered from 0 at 0:0 going up. Press the timer to stop it at the obtained time, or again to restart the timer.

Dice

n is 24. Let v be the obtained value modulo 6, and let s be the obtained value divided by 6, rounded down.

Rotate the cube such that the face labeled v is visible. (The die has faces labeled 0–5.)

Order the faces adjacent to that face in ascending order. Out of these, use s to pick which face should point towards the status light and rotate the cube accordingly.

Colored Knobs

ColorDir
RedWest
BlackEast
BlueSouth
YellowNorth

The knob makes a click sound when it is turned. n is the number of places where this click is louder. These loud clicks are numbered starting from 0 at the position in the table, going clockwise.

Bulbs

ColorLetter
RedA
YellowN

The bulb is transmitting n in Morse Code. It is always in the range 5 to 13. Starting at the letter shown in the table based on the bulb’s color, move forwards through the alphabet a number of times equal to the obtained value. Transmit the result in Morse code.

Transmitted Morse is interpreted based on gaps between holds of the bulb. Holding for more than double the length of the average gap is considered to be a dash, and anything shorter is considered a dot. An E must be shorter than half of a second, and a T longer. Pressing the bulb again will switch it back to transmitting n.

Mazes

n is the number of positions in the maze (width times height).

Use the arrow buttons to move the symbol to the goal position identified by the value. The positions are numbered in reading order from 0 in the top-left corner.

3×3 mazes

Red Yellow Blue

3×4 mazes

Red Yellow Blue

4×3 mazes

Red Yellow Blue

4×4 mazes

Red Yellow Blue