Changing Hearts

A puzzle game created by Stan Ockers and published in Softside Magazine 81/02. CHANGING HEARTS is a version of the puzzle also known under the name "Teaser" or "Shooting Stars." The object is to go from a pattern of dark hearts surrounding a light colored heart to one where light colored hearts surround a dark one. As you select individual hearts, different groups of hearts will be complemented depending on your choice. Selecting a corner will change four hearts in a square including that corner. Choosing a heart at the middle of an edge will reverse all hearts along that edge. Finally, if the central heart is chosen, all hearts in a cross will be switched.

The first challenge is simply to solve this puzzle without losing any hair. A higher challenge is to solve it in the fewest moves possible. Supposedly, this number is eleven. If at any time you wish to return to the starting position, press the letter "I", (initialize). This will cost you a turn, however.