Puzzle 033 is Chained Circle, a 35-picarat puzzle from Guy, the toy seller on Knickknack Alley in Monte d'Or, in Chapter 3. His toy chain is made of twelve lettered links, A to L. Take one link away and the rest form one complete ring. You circle the letter of that link on the touch screen.
This page covers story Puzzle 033 in Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask on Nintendo 3DS, in the US and UK English versions. If you're after Daily Puzzle 033 or Puzzle 033 from another Layton game, see Wrong Puzzle 033? below.
What Puzzle 033 is
| Name | Chained Circle |
|---|---|
| Type | Circle Answer (circle one letter) |
| Picarats | 35 |
| Location | Knickknack Alley, Monte d'Or |
| Chapter | Chapter 3 |
| How you start it | Talk to Guy at his toy stall |
| Comes after | Puzzle 032, Target Practice |
| Comes before | Puzzle 034, The Cat's Trophy |
The puzzle says: "This toy chain is made up of many smaller links. When one of the links is removed, the chain forms one complete ring." Then it asks you to "circle the letter of the link that should be removed." The objective bar says, "Which link needs removing?"
To answer, draw a loop around a letter with the stylus. The game's help text says that if you've done it correctly, a finger icon appears inside the circle, pointing at your answer. If it doesn't appear, draw the circle again before you submit.
Why the chain is confusing
The links are drawn on top of each other, so it's hard to tell which ones are really joined. The game's first hint warns that some links look connected but are only lying on top of each other. If you count a link as joined just because it crosses another one, you'll pick the wrong letter.
It helps to think about what a finished ring looks like. Then look for the links in this chain that don't match it.
Puzzle names
The puzzle is called Chained Circle in the North American version. The UK English version probably uses the same name. The question and the answer are the same in the US and UK English versions. The toy seller is called Guy in the US version and Jean-Paul in the UK version.
| Version | Puzzle name |
|---|---|
| North America | Chained Circle |
| Japanese | 大きな輪になる (Ōkina Wa ni Naru, "it becomes a big ring") |
The Japanese title is 大きな輪になる. The North American version carries a different Japanese label for it, 赤いカード.
Wrong Puzzle 033?
- Daily Puzzle 033 in Miracle Mask is a different puzzle: Food Chain 04.
- Puzzle 033 in another Layton game is a different puzzle. If yours doesn't show a chain of lettered links, you're in the wrong game.
Where you get it
Guy runs the toy stall on Knickknack Alley in Monte d'Or. Talk to him in Chapter 3 and he opens with, "Guy's toys are the best in town! You want it? Guy's got it!" Layton tells him they're taking good care of the robot Guy gave them, and Guy says, "I can't afford to give you another toy, but how about a puzzle instead?"
If you quit, he says, "I thought you were a puzzle lover. Perhaps I'm confusing you with someone else." When you come back to try again, he says, "Yah! I knew you'd come back!"
Knickknack Alley has six hint coins: in the upper-left window, in the red bucket, on the decoration on a shop roof, in the window at the top center, in a container and on the neon sign. That's enough for all four hints if you haven't spent them yet.
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.
When the answer comes back wrong
- No finger icon appeared. The game only takes your answer if the finger icon shows up inside your circle. Draw a closed loop around just one letter.
- You counted links that only overlap. Some links cross without being joined. Check each one before you count it.
- You picked a link that seemed out of place. Count how many links each link is joined to. That count is what matters, not the color or where the link sits.
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.
Hint 1: Joined or just overlapping?
Look closely at which links are connected to which. Some links look as if they're connected, but they're only lying on top of each other.
Hint 2: What do ring links have in common?
Every link in a ring has something in common with the others. Find any links that don't fit that pattern. Try drawing a ring of links with the Memo Function and see what they have in common.
Hint 3: Two neighbors each
In a ring, each link is joined to two others, one on either side. Look for links in the chain that don't have exactly two others joined to them.
Super Hint: The blue link and the yellow link
A blue link and a yellow link are each joined to three other links. Remove the one link that's joined to both of them.
Answer and full solution
The answer below names the link to circle and explains why. Open it when you're ready.
Show the answer
The answer is H. Circle the letter H on the touch screen and submit.
Step by step:
- A ring needs two neighbors per link. In one complete ring, every link is joined to exactly two others.
- Find the links with three. The yellow link G and the blue link K are each joined to three other links. Every other link already has two.
- Find what they share. G and K are both joined to H.
- Remove H. Without H, G and K each have two neighbors, and the chain closes into one ring. Circle H.
The game's message when you're right says, "It's H. To form a ring, each link should have two others connected to it. Both G and K have three links connected to them, and both are connected to H, so removing that one is the key."
Picarats, hints and hint coins
Chained Circle shows 35 picarats when it starts. The puzzle can award 35, 30 or 25 picarats. Wrong answers may reduce the picarat value.
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. Or use the free hints on this page and save your coins.
Does it unlock anything?
Chained Circle 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 circle the letter with the stylus.
- US and UK English versions: same chain, same letters, same answer. The toy seller is Jean-Paul in the UK version.
After the puzzle
When you solve it, Guy says, "Ha! I knew you'd like that one. I've got goodies for people of all ages!" Luke asks whether Layton noticed that Guy talks to them differently than he talks to Emmy. Layton did, but suggests they don't mention it to her: "We don't want to embarrass her."
FAQ
Where is the answer to Puzzle 033?
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 033 called?
Chained Circle. In Japanese it's 大きな輪になる.
Where is Guy?
At his toy stall on Knickknack Alley in Monte d'Or, in Chapter 3. In the UK version he's called Jean-Paul. If you missed him, Nanna Grams should have the puzzle from the start of Chapter 5, but it's safest to solve it while you're there.
Why won't my circle count?
The game's help text says a finger icon appears inside the circle when you've drawn it correctly. If you don't see it, draw a closed loop around a single letter and try again.
How many picarats is Puzzle 033 worth?
It shows 35 picarats when it starts. The puzzle can award 35, 30 or 25 picarats. Wrong answers may reduce the picarat value.
Is Daily Puzzle 033 the same as Puzzle 033?
No. Daily Puzzle 033 is Food Chain 04. Story Puzzle 033 is Guy's toy chain puzzle on Knickknack Alley.
More Miracle Mask puzzles
- Puzzle 032: Target Practice
- Puzzle 031: Emperor's Throne
- Puzzle 030: Big Cake, Little Cake
- Puzzle 60: Dangerous Holes
- Puzzle 100: Gate to the Ruins!
For the rest of the game's puzzles, see the Miracle Mask puzzle index.