# 2024 Day 25: Code Chronicle & puzzle difficulty ranking

**URL:** https://forum.ada-lang.io/t/2024-day-25-code-chronicle-puzzle-difficulty-ranking/1690
**Category:** Advent of Code
**Created:** [January 6, 2025, 3:09pm UTC](https://forum.ada-lang.io/t/2024-day-25-code-chronicle-puzzle-difficulty-ranking/1690 "2025-01-06T15:09:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![cantanima](https://forum.ada-lang.io/user_avatar/forum.ada-lang.io/cantanima/32/121_2.png) [@cantanima](https://forum.ada-lang.io/u/cantanima)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2025, 3:09pm UTC](https://forum.ada-lang.io/t/2024-day-25-code-chronicle-puzzle-difficulty-ranking/1690/1 "2025-01-06T15:09:01Z")

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Srsly? Umadbro? &c.

Most years, day 25 involves at least a mild challenge. Last year, day 25 was insane. This year, it’s the easiest puzzle I can remember of all the AoC’s I’ve done.

In lieu of that, what do people think about rating the puzzles by difficulty? I’ll suggest two listings: one “objective” and one definitely subjective.

* * *

## An “objective” approach

The website gives a leaderboard for each day, listing the first 100 competitors to solve both puzzles, along with the time used. Links are to the relevant leaderboard.

_Caveat:_ A lot of “the pros” are solving problems in a mere handful of seconds. I can’t even read the puzzle’s first few words that quickly! Anyone know what’s going on there? Massively parallel AI brute-forcing using pre-made programs, with a touch of LLM, perhaps?

### 🤩 Quick 'n easy puzzles

Anything that takes roughly 10 minutes or less for “the pros” to solve both puzzles. I’m not listing these.

### 🤔 Puzzles needing a little more thought

Anything that takes a “significant” number of “the pros” 10-15 minutes.

- 💾 [Day 9: Disk Fragmenter](https://adventofcode.com/2024/leaderboard/day/9)
- 🌽 [Day 12: Garden Groups](https://adventofcode.com/2024/leaderboard/day/12)
- 🚽 [Day 14: Restroom Redoubt](https://adventofcode.com/2024/leaderboard/day/14)
- 🦌 [Day 16: Reindeer Maze](https://adventofcode.com/2024/leaderboard/day/16)
- 🧱 [Day 20: Race Condition](https://adventofcode.com/2024/leaderboard/day/20)
- 🐒 [Day 22: Monkey Market](https://adventofcode.com/2024/leaderboard/day/22)

### 😨 Problems requiring a lot of thought, or trickier ideas

Anything that takes a “significant” number of “the pros” 30-45 minutes. Weirdly, I placed both of these in a lower category, which makes me think these were a challenge for the AI & LLM-wielding competitors.

- 🤖 [Day 15: Warehouse Woes](https://adventofcode.com/2024/leaderboard/day/15)

- 💻 [Day 17: Chronospatial Computer](https://adventofcode.com/2024/leaderboard/day/17)

### 😱 Great puzzles that are jes’ plain ornery

Problems that took most of “the pros” an hour or more.

- ⌨ [Day 21: Keypad Conundrum](https://adventofcode.com/2024/leaderboard/day/21)
- ➰ [Day 24: Crossed Wires](https://adventofcode.com/2024/leaderboard/day/24)

* * *

## A subjective approach

I provide a brief explanation for each.

### 🤔 Puzzles needing a little more thought

(Anything needing a search algorithm automatically lands here for me.)

- 👮 Day 6: Guard Gallivant

- 🥾 Day 10: Hoof It

- 🎱 Day 11: Plutonian Pebbles

- 💻 Day 17: Chronospatial Computer

- 🪨 Day 18: RAM Run

- 🐒 Day 22: Monkey Market

### 😨 Problems requiring a lot of thought, or trickier ideas

- 🌽 Day 12: Garden Groups

- 🦌 Day 16: Reindeer Maze

- ♨ Day 19: Linen Layout

- 🧱 Day 20: Race Condition

- 🛜 Day 23: LAN Party

### 😱 Great puzzles that are jes’ plain ornery

- ⌨ Day 21: Keypad Conundrum

- ➰ Day 24: Crossed Wires

### 😭 What was the puzzle master thinking?!?

😲 Nothing in this category this year! (In the 2023 Advent of Code, Day 24 took this distinction.)