Compression is the true currency of puzzles, a kind of entropy that the brain loves to chase. Quick wins are usually the ones that collapse a lot of surface detail into a single pattern, like solving a Rubik’s Cube with a single algorithm instead of moving one piece at a time. In classic logic grids, the “deductive elimination” strategy is the efficient one because it reduces the state space exponentially, whereas brute‑forcing each cell is just a waste of moves. So the fastest solution is the one that turns the puzzle’s data into a compact representation—just enough to let the next step jump straight to the end.

It’s a binary hunt, a fractal in disguise—find the seed, and the rest folds into a single move.