Laizhufu started playing Sokoban in late 2010. He solves and builds the levels with pencil and paper, using a curious system with squares of colors and numbered boxes. Soon he started the series "letters" in the Chinese forum MF8, in which I had the pleasure to participate. When a year later he reached the end of the alphabet, Laizhufu was already a master of Sokoban.
The puzzles of Laizhufu are always very creative and fun to solve. Often the puzzle is a drawing (Laizhufu has an incredible ability to drawing!), either contain a message with Chinese characters. In the "Comments", I have tried to explain the meaning of some puzzles (if there are any errors in the translations of the titles or in the explanations, please send me an email or post a comment here).
The puzzles of Laizhufu are not easy, but are affordable for the player with some experience. The average difficulty is around 7/10, although there are many levels that exceed this difficulty.
I have selected 45 puzzles, in my opinion the most fun and interesting. This selection is my personal tribute of esteem and admiration to Laizhufu. I hope that you enjoy it.
You can download this collection here:
Title: ABC关卡 (Level ABC)
Date: 2011.4.6
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=8
Comment:
Boxes: "ABC", to goals: "关卡" (= "level").
Title: 时钟——O (Clock - O)
Date: 2011.5.15
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=14
Title: 一叶知秋——Q
Date: 2011.7.14
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=21
Title: 企鹅——QQ (Penguin - QQ)
Date: 2011.7.22
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=23
Comment:
This cute "penguin" is the logo of Tencent QQ (popularly known as QQ), an Chinese instant messaging software service, with over 800 million active accounts.
Title: 纸上谈兵——R (Origami - R)
Date： 2011.8.4
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=28
Title: 五叶神 (Five leaves of God)
Date: 2011.8.10
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=29
Comment:
"Five leaves of God" is a well known brand of cigarettes. The left leaf is a remodel of "一叶知秋——Q" (see above) by stopheart + anian.
Title: 喜出望外 (Overjoyed)
Date: 2011.8.15
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=30
Title: 闪电——S (Lightning - S)
Date： 2011.9.15
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=31
Title: T形台——T (T-shaped stage - T)
Date： 2011.9.23
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=32
Title: 望穿秋水——W
Date： 2011.11.30
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=36
Title: 祝福 (Blessings)
Date: 2012.6.19
Comment:
New Year Blessings: the first version of laizhufu was posted on January 1, 2012.
Author: laizhufu
Title: 生命 (Life)
Date: 2012.2.8
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=41
Comment:
The two Chinese characters 生命 mean "life". This excellent puzzle was posted by laizhufu after copying the lyrics of "生命之曲" ("Song of Life", October 1988) of the "cantopop" George Lam.
Title: 键盘 (Keyboard)
Date: 2012.3.22
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=42
Title: 水到渠成——X
Date： 2012.4.18
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=45
Title: 风过 (Wind)
Date: 2012.5.8
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/viewthread.php?tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=47
Title: 六道轮回 (Six Samsara)
Date: 2012.5.30
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=51
Title: 兵分三路 (Three-pronged road)
Date: 2012.9.11
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=56
Title: 寅虎 (Yin Tiger)
Date: 2012.10.23
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=92715&extra=page%3D1&page=8
Comment:
The Tiger (寅) is the third of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac.
Title: 卯兔之小兔乖乖 (Mao Rabbit Xiaotuguaiguai)
Date: 2012.10.31
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=92715&extra=page%3D1&page=11
Comment:
The Rabbit (卯) is the fourth of the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac.
Title: 龙图腾 (Dragon totem)
Date: 2012.11.29
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=92715&extra=page%3D1&page=20
Title: 北斗七星 (Big Dipper)
Date: 2012.12.14
Comment:
In the initial position, placed boxes and not placed boxes, draw a double Big Dipper (the seven stars more visible of the Ursa Major). The goals area is the Chinese number seven, 七 (by the 7 stars). The interior walls are the Chinese characters - though slightly deformed - 北斗 (above) and 星 (below), so that together with the character 七 (goals area) they form the word 北斗七星 ("Big Dipper").
Title: 万紫千红——Z (Colorful - Z)
Date: 2012.12.31
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=72975&extra=page%3D1&page=56
Title: 戌狗之小狗狗 (Xu small Dog)
Date: 2013.1.16
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=92715&page=24#pid1692492
Comment:
The Dog (狗) is the 11th of the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac.
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Title: 小灰灰 (Xiao Hui Hui)
Date: 2013.1.18
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=92715&extra=page%3D1&page=25
Comment:
Goals: "HUIHUI". Xiao Hui Hui is the name of a little wolf in the famous Chinese cartoon 喜洋洋与灰太狼 ("Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf").
 |
| Xiao Hui Hui |
Title: 丑牛之牛气冲天 (Chou Ox)
Date: 2013.1.22
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=92715&extra=page%3D1&page=27
Title: 封神 (Fengshen)
Date: 2013.5.29
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=96689&extra=page%3D1&page=3
Comment:
Interior walls and goals: 封神 ("Fengshen"). In an email, laizhufu has explained to me the origin of this puzzle (I am unable to translate his explanation to the English, and Google also):
10多年前推箱子游戏有位元老级人物叫 “老封”，他制作了老封推箱子软件，并开设网站叫“老封论坛”——箱迷聚会的地方曾经热门非凡。我没有机会参与“老封论坛”，因为在我2010年推箱前“老封论坛”就关闭了，老封也从此消失。推箱子的人本来就不多，一直坚持下来的人就更少了。为了纪念老封前辈，我做了这个关卡：封神。以表示对他的尊敬，希望他能看到关卡并能够重出江湖。
Title: 伍仁月（终极版） (Five Kernel Mooncake - Ultimate version)
Comment (laizhufu):
It's the Chinese Mid-Autumn Day on Sep. 19 this year. People eat moon-cakes on Mid-Autumn Day. So this level is a mooncake with five kernel.
Date: 2013.9.26
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=99390&extra=page%3D1&page=2
Comment:
Yang Chao has given me this explanation: "The Chinese characters inside the mooncake is 伍仁, which means 'Five Kernel'. It means that there are five different things inside the mooncake: peanut, sesame, walnut, etc. It is a very common kind of mooncake." The previous version of laizhufu + gyjgw was the level of MF8 51st Sokoban Competition, Extra
Title: 美债危机 (U.S. debt crisis)
Date: 2013.10.17
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=51
Comment:
Interior walls, goals and boxes: 美债, which means "U.S. debt".
Title: 大象戏水 (Elephant bathing)
Date: 2013.11.1
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=66
Title: 花样年华 (Blossom Age)
Date: 2013.11.11
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=85
Comment:
Goals and interior walls: 花样年华. Yang Chao explains: "花样年华 is a common phrase in Chinese, which usually means the years when a person is in his/her 20's, just like the flowers, young and beautiful." See the later version, I think slightly easier, for the MF8 54th Sokoban Competition, Extra.
Title: 新河洛图 (New Magic Square)
Date: 2013.11.15
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=92
Comment:
Goals: "2 9 4 / 7 5 3 / 6 1 8", a "magic square": if we add the numbers in rows, columns or diagonal, the result is always 15. It's a remodel of laizhufu of MF8 53rd Sokoban Competition, Extra.
Title: 生日快乐啊 (Happy birthday)
Date: 2013.12.3
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=120
Title: Feliz 2014 a
Date: 2013.12.27
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=140
Comment:
Goals in central area: "Feliz 2014". "Feliz" is a Spanish word and means "Happy". Eric F. Tchong is from Aruba, a island in the Caribbean. In Aruba is speaking Dutch and Spanish, in addition to the oficial language: Papiamento (a mixture of Spanish and Afro-Portuguese...).
Title: 乘风破浪 (Braving all hardships)
Date: 2014.1.14
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=149
Title: 申猴之火眼金睛 (The fierce look of Shen Monkey)
Date: 2014.4.8
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=185
Title: 五味俱全 (Flavors and taste) - MF8 59th Sokoban Competition, Extra
Date: 2014.5.2
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=101958&extra=page%3D1
Title: 粽叶飘香
Date: 2014.6.2
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=194
Title: 懒羊羊 (Lazy)
Date: 2014.7.21
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=202
Comment:
Lazy is a character from the famous Chinese cartoon 喜洋洋与灰太狼 ("Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf").
 |
| Lazy |
Title： 双黄莲香 （给力版） (Double Huang Lianxiang - Powerful version)
Date: 2014.9.7
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=103002&extra=page%3D1&page=2
Comment:
Hard version of MF8 63rd Sokoban Competition, Extra. Comment by anian on Let's Logic: "The level takes the shape of a typical Chinese mooncake. The goals form four Chinese characters, it's the name of a type of mooncake."
Title: 继续放风筝 (Flying a kite - continuation)
Date: 2014.11.3
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=401
Title: 踢足球 (Playing football)
Date: 2014.11.6
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=405
Title: 继续荡秋千 (To swing - continuation)
Date: 2014.11.10
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=408
Author: Eric F. Tchong + Jordi Domènech + anian + laizhufu
Title: 梅花鹿 (Sika deer) - MF8 67th Sokoban Competition, Extra
Date: 2014.12.12
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=103773&extra=page%3D1
Title: 梅花鹿 (Sika deer) - MF8 67th Sokoban Competition, Extra
Date: 2014.12.12
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=103773&extra=page%3D1
Author: laizhufu
Title: 招财猫 (Lucky Cat) - MF8 69th Sokoban Competition, Extra
Date: 2015.2.13
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=104095&extra=page%3D1
Title: 招财猫 (Lucky Cat) - MF8 69th Sokoban Competition, Extra
Date: 2015.2.13
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=104095&extra=page%3D1
Author: laizhufu
Title: 过大年 (To celebrate the New Year)
Title: 过大年 (To celebrate the New Year)
Date: 2015.2.24
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=422
Comment:
Walls: 年, "year". On 19 February 2015 began the Chinese New Year.
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=422
Comment:
Walls: 年, "year". On 19 February 2015 began the Chinese New Year.
Bonus!
I add two recent puzzles of Laizhufu. The first one commemorates on May 1, International Labor Day, and the second one commemorates on May 4, Youth Day. In my opinion, the second level is excellent, and perhaps one of the best puzzles of Laizhufu for its technical quality. In addition, it demonstrates that with relatively few boxes it is possible to build a puzzle difficult, interesting and beautiful.
I have added the two levels in the downloadable file.
I have added the two levels in the downloadable file.
Author: laizhufu
Title: 五一劳动节 (May 1 International Labor Day)
Date: 2015.5.1
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=431
Title: 五一劳动节 (May 1 International Labor Day)
Date: 2015.5.1
URL: sokoban.org/level.php?id=431
Difficulty: 7
Best moves/pushes: 301/89
Comment:
Interior walls: 五一, "5.1" (May 1).
Best moves/pushes: 301/89
Comment:
Interior walls: 五一, "5.1" (May 1).
Author: laizhufu
Title: 五四青年节 (May 4 Youth Day) - MF8 72nd Sokoban Competition, Extra
Date: 2015.5.8
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=104430&extra=page%3D1
Title: 五四青年节 (May 4 Youth Day) - MF8 72nd Sokoban Competition, Extra
Date: 2015.5.8
URL: bbs.mf8-china.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=104430&extra=page%3D1
Difficulty: 8
Best moves/pushes: 727/203 (一目了然)
Best moves/pushes: 727/203 (一目了然)
Comment:
Interior walls: 五四, "5 4" (May 4)
Interior walls: 五四, "5 4" (May 4)
