I learned about this little puzzle thing called Petals Around the Rose yesterday (via BoingBoing). It’s sort of a dice game where you have to figure out how to solve the puzzle as you go, and once you know how, you can’t tell anybody else. It took me a while to figure it out, because I tried to over-analyze it. In fact, it’s almost an accident that I figured it out at all, considering the line of thought I was trying to follow. Of course, now I’m sworn to secrecy, so I can’t tell you what that line of thought was…
The name of the game is Petals Around the Rose, and that name is significant. Newcomers to the game can be told that much. They can also be told that every answer is zero or an even number. They can also be told the answer for every throw of the dice that are used in the game. And that’s all the information they get.
The javascript app on the page listed above didn’t work for me in Firefox. I had to use the sample dice rolls detailed in the story about Bill Gates in order to figure it out. As I mentioned before, I’m sworn to secrecy about how to get the answers. But I will say that a child in first or second grade (or even a bright pre-schooler) could give you the answers, once they know the method.
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211 Comments
i got it after about 5 min……… LOL
i am only 12 hahhahahahhahahhahahhahahahhahahaha
Got it. I found reply #56 to be the most helpful.
Fact: the smarter a person is the lower are his chances to find the correct answer to the game due to the fact that he can think of more ways of trying to solve it. This doesn’t necessarily mean that if you found the solution in a fast time you are dumb, it can also mean that you were lucky with choosing the way to try and solve it.
So it’s not the smarter you are the harder it is, it’s the smarter you are the higher the chances are for it to be hard.
you guys are freat all i had to do to figure the game out is read a couple of your remarks on it and i got it instantly. plus that bill gates web site gives it away right away they practicaly hold your hand through the whole thing telling you how to do it.
i meant to say great
guess you broke your secrecy!
I’m in eigth grade and I love pedals around the rose. We play it in math class only we call it the Polar Bear Club. It took me awhile to figure it out but it’s really simple once you finnaly understand it and figure out you were heading in the wrong direction.
Holy crap… It took me FOUR YEARS to get this stupid thing. and now that i have it… hehe. i’m tormenting everyone i know. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT WAS SO SIMPLE. i tried everything from numerology to advanced algegbra…. YARRR….. and then i’m looking at it and oh wow yay i SEE IT.
It’s all in the name.
it took me over a year to figure it out( i played it once then the next year i played it again). it took my brother around an hour to figure it out. when i figured it out i took the polar bear promise. i could have kicked myself it that easy!!!!
got it first time wooh yeah too easy watcin every1 round me take 2 hours 2 get it was fun yey!
got it first time wooh yeah too easy watcin every1 round me take 2 hours 2 get it was fun yey! and i did it with real dice nd no pointers except being given the name of the game nd told 2 find the number
got it first time wooh yeah too easy watcin every1 round me take 2 hours 2 get it was fun yey! and i did it with real dice nd no pointers except being given the name of the game nd told 2 find the number
THIS GAME MADE ME WANNA PUNCH A BABY IN THE FACE!!!! IT TOOK ME 2 hours STRAIGHT!! Everyone needs to stop giving out hints…
Polar bears come in pairs.
They gather around a hole in the ice, like petals on a flower.
Fish swim free in the Arctic Sea.
They may be strange but they’re never odd,
And they gobble up plankton by the hour.
Number of holes?
Number of bears?
Number of fish?
Number of plankton?
i can get the holes, the bears, and the fish!
but not the plankton!
can someone give me a hint?
it always seems to be a really big number!
HELP
PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
WA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
http://www.binaryelysium.com/game/bear.php
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE PLANKTONNY PUZZLE
WA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAH
This game is very easy…it has alot to do with the word “Around the Rose.” Have fun! and make sure it keeps a sercret!
I hate you! I have bugged and pestered my classmates to give me the rule and now it’s my homework assaignment I came and searched Google to FIND THE ANSWER TO BEEP AROUND THE BEEP!!!!!! I am going to get graded on this and and, and, you better tell me or else when I grow up I’ll make a website that tells the answer to those poor miserable wretches like me!
I’m 10 and i can’t figure it out
This game is so ez, i figured it out in like, 2 minutes. but some people think it is the most retarted and frusterating game in the
world. the solution to this “retarded” game is:
this gameee is sooooooooooooooooooooo stupid..then evry1 will be like fugure it out yourself…what bs…bye
got it!! it’s pretty simple really. don’t waste time to overcomplicate things.. duhh
its so hard! the smarter u are, the harder it is! i have been trying nonstop and cant figure it out
ok… if you seriously need help… here are a few little clues… 1. instead of thinking of it as petals around the rose think of it as petals around the dasies… this helped me a lot… 2. it has everything to do with the word AROUND!! your welcome
I have a TI-83 and i have the polar bear game. I can figure out the the bears and rocks but i just can not figure out the fish…could someone please help…its making my brain hurt
I want 2 know how to do it I’m stupid! help me!
The Bill Gates Story kinda gives it away.
OH my gawd, I am DYING here. It’s 2am and I NEED TO SLEEP cos I need to write my MASTERS DISSERTATION paper and this is driving me INSANE.
I spent a good 3 hours hacking away at this thing and read about how “Easy” it was to figure it out. It wasn’t! but I got it finally. I think it was the polar bear/ice hole analogy. What really sucks about this is that I worked really hard today and I gotta work hard tomorrow. Rather than being tormented over something so ignorant I could have been getting some healthy sleep! Now I gotta pull 8 hours feeling like a dang Zombie! Damn you all and your super dooper secret decoder ring Petal around the Roses fan club with its secret handshakes and funky codenames. If someone had just told me the dadgum solution 2 1/2 hours ago I would have been perfectly fine with that. I don’t feel any better for having figured it out myself. I feel rather like I’ve just traded a piece of my finite existence for some magic beans that turned out to be rat droppings. Good night everyone!!!
yay? i figured it out? luckily i only spent 30 minutes, 25 minutes just reading all these comments, and getting completely confused, and then when i finally looked at it i got it. ppl keep saying the bill gates article gives it away, i don’t think so, BUT i don’t know why, but when i got to the article and looked at the first picture, for some reason everything clicked.
i think the best clues are: 1) don’t look at the numbers or placement, look at the DOTS
2) there is only “one” rose, and petals scattered
and im gonna add that 3) when you’re looking for the “rose” dont think about looking for a rose with all its petals around it, maybe it IS better to imagine a HOLE with polar bears around it
It is easy actually.Just think about the name (petals around the rose) or (stars around the moon).
If you find out don’t tell it to your friends. KEEP IT CONFIDENTIAL!!!
Wow, I finally got it! Can’t wait to try this one on my GF.
After thinking about it, I realized I boxed myself in.
Sorry, but this was a very easy puzzle. Got it on the first try after thinking it through for about 15 seconds. Once you read the “hints” instructions, you have all you need to know.
If y’all are so smart why can’t you make website that I don’t
have to SIDE SCROLL just to read one sentance. I hate this game
OH! How mind numbingly worthless!!! Once you get it you will be dissapointed. It’s not even a puzzle once you get it.
You’ll waste less of your life searching for porn, so go do that instead.
Also only telling a person PART of the intructions doesn’t make it a puzzle, losers.
Comment #37 was what “unlocked” it for me — thanks.
Wow… once you get it, it’s so amazingly simple it’s weird.
I have to say what helped me the most was realizing that the game could have a different name like “polar bears around the ice hole” or kids around the campfire — ok, so I just made that one up, but it works just the same. I know some of you are frustrated, but hang in there and it’ll come to you.
Ok, so It’s 1 am and I’m bored and come across this game and for about 2 minutes and 6 tosses can’t figure it out. Being 1am my patience is thin so I go google it to find an answer, find this website and the clue “it’s in the name”. Voila! My first roll after that clue and I got it right! Haha suckers who can’t figure it out. It’s so easy once you realize that the answer is in the name of the game.
Thanks for that clue!
Once i figured it out it was soooooo easy. first i was guessing way too hard. this game is as simple as eating chocolate. i first thought it was add the odd then the add the even then divied by 4 or 2 or 6 or 8 but i was totally wrong it was add the even number and then the number minus 2, and that time i got 100 times with no wrong answer. from there i knew i was right.
I learned this game from a math teacher in my school. It took my an hour to get it and others longer or some got it right away…but i didnt
understand the game at all i thought the answer would be like 2 6 4 0 10 12 and keep repeating thoughs # but i was soo wrong
I enjoyed playing this game it was a game that made me think very hard! but fun at the same time…now that i know how to play
the game it is cool watching others learn how to
well thats it for now byebyee from joedy morrisseau grade 7 student
OMG! I can’t get this game out of my head! Will someone please tell me the answer! So what if the game is pointless! I need to know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
-Stupid Skippy
Looked at the rolls and knew what the answer was, just don’t over complecate your thinking
.
Seriously people, don’t cheat and look up the key to the puzzle.. You will regret it afterwards, I know that I did. If you did cheat yourself like me, theirs two more versions of the game that I have really enjoyed and that are even more confusing than the original. You can find all three versions at http://www.petalsaroundtherose.net/?Welcome Good luck to all beginners
The name of the game ought to be the petals around the ROSES
OMG!! I just figured it out! it is so amazing. I promise not to tell the solutuion. man, that is so cool. very sweet game. defetally going to do that at the partys.
OMG! I cant believe this game. I solved it in about like 2 hours. I felt really dumb after i solved it because its so simple like pre-school stuff. The name of the game is petals around a rose right? Well think about a rose and whats AROUND a ROSE. Just think about the name look at the dice and THINK. You’ll feel so dumb once you get it. Anyway if you did get good for you and good luck for the people out there that still dont get it.
im so frustrated…. who cares ir you’re sworn to secrecy?? just tell me the answer!
It doesn’t matter if you figure it out within the first 5 minutes or 5 months, as long as you do figure it out. Different people take different approaches to problems, the point is to analyze every possible solution with the information given.
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