A Strategy for The Password Game: Order of Operations and the Digit Budget

Build in lowercase

Everything textual — month, sponsor, day, country — goes in lowercase from the start. Your one required uppercase letter is something harmless like A. The only capitals left are the Roman numeral XXXV and the element symbol, and neither has a stray I, V, X, L, C, D or M if you pick 'He' or 'Ne'.

Budget the digits

Five rules want numbers: the digit sum, the captcha, the leap year, the length and the time. Start with 2000 (two points). The captcha answer is what it is. The length will be somewhere in the sixties or seventies, so plan for about twelve points there. The time is up to you: 10:00 is one point, 19:59 is twenty-four. Fill whatever is left with single digits at the very end.

Leave the length for last-but-one

Every character you add changes the length. Get all the other content in, then add the length number, then adjust the filler digits until the sum is 25 and the length still matches. It usually takes two or three tries.

Feed Paul first when he hatches

The moment rule 19 appears, replace the egg and add four or five caterpillars before anything else. Paul eats one every thirty seconds and you will need a minute or two to sort out the digits.

Do not delete Paul

Selecting everything and retyping is the fastest way to lose. Paul must stay in the password from the moment he hatches until you finish. Edit around him.

The final minute

Add the time, check every card is green, and re-type immediately. The time rule allows the current minute and the previous one, so you have at least sixty seconds.