Mathematical puzzle game system and method

A digital crossword-style puzzle game device comprising:

• a. an instruction memory, a logic control network, an EEPROM memory unit, a data comparator, at least one multi-character status display, a multi-character puzzle play screen matrix, user entry keys and a puzzle cartridge unit;
• b. said instruction memory operative with said logic control network, said logic control network operative with the EEPROM memory unit to:
• i. receive input from said user entry keys;
• ii. display answer groups from which the user may select;
• iii. display status messages concerning the status of the game on said at least one multi-character status display;
• iv. display numeric data resulting from the users input on said multi-character puzzle play screen matrix;
• v. control the flow of data between said puzzle cartridge unit and said EEPROM memory unit;
• c. said multi-character puzzle play screen matrix having a combination of useable and unusable empty spaces oriented in a horizontal direction;
• and a combination of useable and unusable empty spaces oriented in a vertical direction;
• said useable spaces having a different indicia than said unusable spaces whereby the user can distinguish between said usable and said unusable spaces;
• d. wherein said useable and unusable empty spaces forms a grid structure having a combination of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal rows of useable and unusable spaces and each row of said useable spaces in a continuous horizontal or vertical direction forms a clue placement position;
• e. said puzzle cartridge unit having data that includes multiple groups of number sets, each number set includes the same number of digits as each corresponding said clue placement position wherein an individual number set within an answer group is selected by the user with said user entry keys to fill-in said horizontal and vertical clue placement positions and the quantity of said answer groups is equal to the quantity of said clue placement positions;
• f. wherein when said user selects individual number sets within an answer group, said user simultaneously attempts to enter numbers that would result in the mathematical difference between any adjacent digits in either the diagonal direction, the horizontal direction or the vertical direction being greater than one;
• and
• g. said data comparator determines if the mathematical difference between adjacent numbers on any diagonal number string resulting from the number sets entered into said grid structure by the user is greater than one;
• and generates a signal that is used by said logic control network to generate a corresponding status message on said multi-character status display.