LSAT 82, Game 2 Setup, Cafe Cosmopolitano, LSATHacks

LG Game 2 Setup, by LSATHacks

Game Setup

Time on first attempt: 5:03

In this game, Cafe Cosmopolitano is offering the following weekly specials on Monday to Saturday: gazpacho, linguini, nachos, pizza and quesadillas. You have to figure out which days the specials can go on.

This is a linear game. It’s fairly straightforward. But, even if you got most of the questions on this game right, you should redo it until you can do it in 6-7 minutes or less. Ideally less than 5. Going quickly on easier games like this is what saves you time for harder games like game 3.

You should first place the most definite rules. That’s rule 5. Pizza is on Thursday, but not Saturday:

Next, place the other rules that affect ordering on the diagram. Q is not Friday (rule 6), and specials can’t be beside each other (rule 2). Since pizza is on Thursday, that means it can’t go on Wednesday or Friday:

Now let’s consider rules 3 and 4. Q is before G, and G only goes once. So there is exactly one QG block (To be clear, Q could go a second time, without G).

This QG block needs two spaces, but it can’t go on Friday-Saturday, as Q can’t go Friday. So QG must go either on Monday-Tuesday or Tuesday-Wednesday.

You should draw both scenarios:

And remember, Q can go a second time, but G can’t. (rule 3).

Next, you should make a list of the remaining rules. One special is twice, but on separated days. You can draw this with two X’s and a box around them, and a + in the middle to show they’re separated by at least one:

In the list I also added all the variables. G and N are offered once (rule 3). L, Q and P could be offered twice, and must also be offered at least once (rule 1).

Also, I circled L and N as they have no ordering rules attached to them.

This is one of those old style games where an upfront deduction solves most questions. In this case, the deduction is the two scenarios I drew above, and most specifically that QG can only go Monday-Tuesday or Tuesday-Wednesday. These scenarios solve almost all questions, and quickly.

If you had any trouble making the scenarios or understanding them, repeat this game until they’re second nature.