Puzzle 031 is Emperor's Throne, a 35-picarat puzzle from Collette in Carnival Arcade in Monte d'Or, in Chapter 3. Six penguins stand on a 5 by 5 iceberg: five small ones and their emperor. A penguin you push keeps sliding until it hits another penguin, and if nothing stops it, it falls into the sea. You have to get the emperor onto the center square without losing anyone.
This page covers story Puzzle 031 in Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask on Nintendo 3DS, in the US and UK English versions. If you're after Daily Puzzle 031, the later Emperor's Throne puzzles or Puzzle 031 from another Layton game, see Wrong Puzzle 031? below.
What Puzzle 031 is
| Name | Emperor's Throne |
|---|---|
| Type | Slide (push penguins across the ice) |
| Picarats | 35 |
| Location | Carnival Arcade, Monte d'Or |
| Chapter | Chapter 3 |
| How you start it | Talk to Collette (Pirouette in the UK version) |
| Fewest moves | 5, according to the game's own message |
| Comes after | Puzzle 030, Big Cake, Little Cake |
| Comes before | Puzzle 032, Target Practice |
The puzzle says: "Six penguins are standing on an iceberg--five small ones and their rather portly emperor. All penguins can move either horizontally or vertically, but once in motion they won't stop until they hit another penguin. If there's nothing in the way, they'll plunge straight into the sea!" Then it asks, "Can you help the emperor penguin get back to his rightful place in the center of the iceberg?" The objective bar says, "Enthrone the emperor!"
Count rows from the top and columns from the left. At the start, the small penguins stand at the top-left corner, in the second row of the middle column, on the right edge in the third and fourth rows, and in the bottom row one column right of the middle. The emperor is on the left edge in the fourth row. The game's controls say to touch and hold a penguin, then slide the stylus in the direction you want it to go. The sign on the top screen counts your moves.
How the ice works
- Penguins only slide in straight lines: up, down, left or right. No diagonals.
- A sliding penguin stops on the square just before the penguin it hits. It never stops halfway on its own.
- If there's no penguin in its path, it slides off the iceberg. That's a failed attempt, so you'll need to undo or reset.
- The center square doesn't stop anyone. To land the emperor there, there has to be a penguin on the far side of it.
Puzzle names
The puzzle is called Emperor's Throne in the North American version. The UK English version probably uses the same name. The board and the answer are the same in the US and UK English versions. The person who gives it to you is Collette in the US version and Pirouette in the UK version.
| Version | Puzzle name |
|---|---|
| North America | Emperor's Throne |
| Japanese | 皇帝ペンギン (Kōtei Pengin, "emperor penguin") |
The Japanese title is 皇帝ペンギン. The North American version carries a different Japanese label for it, 天空の広場の猫.
Wrong Puzzle 031?
- Daily Puzzle 031 in Miracle Mask is a different puzzle: Ghouls and Guards 04.
- Emperor's Throne 2 and 3 are Puzzles 114 and 139. They use the same sliding rules on different boards. Emperor's Throne 2 is worth 50 picarats and is found on Chance Avenue. Emperor's Throne 3 is worth 70 and is one of Layton's Challenges.
- Puzzle 031 in another Layton game is a different puzzle. If yours doesn't show penguins on an iceberg, you're in the wrong game.
Where you get it
Collette gives you this puzzle in Carnival Arcade in Monte d'Or, in Chapter 3. She opens with, "Everybody has practically forgotten about what happened last night! It's almost like it never even happened!" After a short talk with Layton she says, "Enough doom and gloom for one day. Let's chill out with a puzzle!"
If you quit, she says, "Sorry to put a damper on your spirits. Enjoy your visit!" If you answer wrong, she says, "A puzzle is always good for the spirits!"
Carnival Arcade has four hint coins: right under the tent, in the bush on the left, and in the windows above the shops on the right and on the left. Four coins pay for the first three hints and half the Super Hint, which costs two.
If you leave Chapter 3 without solving it, it should be sent to Nanna Grams (known as Elizabeth in the UK version) at the start of Chapter 5. Missed puzzles can be picked up later, but not every hidden puzzle is, so it's safest to solve it while you're there.
Why the emperor keeps falling in
- You moved the emperor first. Sliding him down drops him straight into the sea. Up or right keeps him on the ice, but there's probably no way to the center within ten moves once he has moved first. The game's first hint warns about this.
- There was no penguin past the center. The emperor stops on the center square only if a penguin is waiting just beyond it in the direction he's sliding.
- A small penguin went into the sea. Even if the emperor ends up in the center, every penguin has to stay on the ice. The wrong-answer message says to bump the emperor around against the other penguins "so that he never falls off the iceberg."
- You solved it in more than five moves. That still counts. The game only says you can do it in five and suggests trying again if you took more.
Hints, one at a time
These hints follow the game's own hints. Open only the next one you need. In the game, Hints 1 to 3 cost one hint coin each and the Super Hint costs two. The game's hints lead to an eight-move route. The answer section below also shows a five-move one.
Hint 1: Don't move the emperor first
If you move the emperor first, he'll fall into the sea before he gets to the center. Think about which penguins he'll need to bump into to stay on the ice. Start with the penguin on the far right of the emperor's row.
Hint 2: Slide that penguin left, then move the emperor three times
Slide the far-right penguin in the emperor's row to the left, so it stops right next to him. Now move the emperor three times without letting him fall in. After those three moves, he should be one square to the left of the center.
Hint 3: Right, then down
From one square left of the center, slide the emperor to the right until he hits the penguin on the right edge, then move him down into another penguin. He's almost at the throne now.
Super Hint: The full eight-move route
Start over. Slide the penguin on the far right of the emperor's row to the left. Then move the emperor up, right, down, right, down, left and finally up.
Answer and full solution
The answer below lists the five slides and shows the board after each one. Open it when you're ready.
Show the answer
The answer: slide the top-left penguin down, then right. Slide the bottom penguin up. Then slide the emperor right, and up into the center. That's five moves, and no penguin falls in.
Step by step:
- Top-left penguin down. It slides down the left edge and stops on top of the emperor, in the third row.
- The same penguin right. It slides across the middle row, over the center square, and stops next to the penguin on the right edge. It's now one square right of the center.
- Bottom penguin up. It slides up and stops under the penguin from step 2, in the fourth row. It's now right next to where the emperor will stop.
- Emperor right. He slides along the fourth row and stops against the bottom penguin, right under the center square.
- Emperor up. He slides up and stops against the penguin in the second row, on the center square. Done.
Another five-move answer: in step 3, slide the same penguin from steps 1 and 2 down instead of moving the bottom penguin up. It stops just above the bottom penguin, on the same square the bottom penguin reaches in step 3, so steps 4 and 5 work the same way.
The game's eight-move route: slide the penguin on the far right of the emperor's row to the left. Then move the emperor up, right, down, right, down, left and up. It's longer, but it works too.
When you're right, the game says, "Were you able to guide the emperor to the center without losing a single penguin to the sea? You can solve this puzzle in only five moves. Take another shot if you used more than that!"
Picarats, hints and hint coins
Emperor's Throne shows 35 picarats when it starts.
Hints cost hint coins, not picarats. The costs are one coin each for the first three hints and two for the Super Hint, five in total. Carnival Arcade's four coins cover all but one coin of that. Or use the free hints on this page and save your coins.
Does it unlock anything?
Emperor's Throne probably gives no separate item or minigame reward. You get the picarats and the puzzle counts toward your total.
Versions and systems
- Nintendo 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS and New 3DS: no difference. You hold a penguin and flick the stylus the way it should slide.
- US and UK English versions: same board, same answer. Some wording is localized differently, and the woman who gives you the puzzle is Pirouette in the UK version.
After the puzzle
When you solve it, Collette tells Layton that some of the town's bigwigs, including Mr. Ledore, have been coming around and arguing. "Sounds like some major power struggles going on at the top of Monte d'Or." Layton calls it interesting.
FAQ
Where is the answer to Puzzle 031?
It's in the Answer and full solution section above, hidden until you open it. If you only want a push, open the hints one at a time first.
What is Puzzle 031 called?
Emperor's Throne. In Japanese it's 皇帝ペンギン.
Where is Collette?
In Carnival Arcade in Monte d'Or, in Chapter 3. If you missed her, Nanna Grams should have the puzzle from the start of Chapter 5, but it's safest to solve it while you're there.
Is Pirouette a different person?
No. Pirouette is her name in the UK version. In the US version she's Collette.
Do I have to solve it in five moves?
No. Any route that gets the emperor to the center without losing a penguin works. The game's own Super Hint uses eight moves.
How many picarats is Puzzle 031 worth?
It shows 35 picarats when it starts.
Is Daily Puzzle 031 the same as Puzzle 031?
No. Daily Puzzle 031 is Ghouls and Guards 04. Story Puzzle 031 is Collette's penguin puzzle in Carnival Arcade.
More Miracle Mask puzzles
- Puzzle 030: Big Cake, Little Cake
- Puzzle 029: Tenth-Round Ace
- Puzzle 028: Bunny-Hop Swap 2
- Puzzle 60: Dangerous Holes
- Puzzle 113: Chip Champions
- Puzzle 122: Kitty Solitaire 3
For the rest of the game's puzzles, see the Miracle Mask puzzle index.