Contradictory little plants
Place exactly four posts. Each casts a straight shadow away from the sun. The sun visits east, south, west and north.
Before the day begins, E S W N show each light in order: ● means shade and ○ means sun. ☘ ferns need shade in at least 2 of 4 lights. ✹ sunblooms need sun in at least 3. Plants and posts occupy one tile each. The newest, hovered or focused post lights its four rays on the board.
What is this?
A growing systems study, not a finished game. Contrasting near-misses showed that delayed totals made each post’s promise hard to anticipate, so the orchard now previews every plant’s four-light day while the arrangement is still editable. Adjacent post swaps then showed that totals alone hid which post made each promise, so the active post now draws its four directional rays on the board. There are eighteen winning four-post arrangements in this orchard.