Is This Seat Taken?: New York Walkthrough (All Chapter 4 Puzzles)

The whimsical and charming puzzle game Is This Seat Taken? has captivated players with its unique premise of arranging hilariously particular people. As players journey from city to city with the protagonist Nat, the challenges become progressively more complex. The fourth chapter, set in the bustling metropolis of New York, introduces a new layer of puzzle-solving with the addition of interactive environments. This guide provides a complete walkthrough and solution for every puzzle in the New York chapter, including the secret level, helping you satisfy every picky character and earn that perfect score.

Unlike previous chapters where the puzzle constraints were limited to the characters’ preferences and the seating layout, the New York levels require you to manipulate the environment itself. This could involve turning on or off air conditioning units, changing lighting, or interacting with objects to create the ideal seating arrangement. The stakes are higher, the characters are pickier, and the puzzles are more satisfyingly complex. Let’s dive in and solve every seating dilemma New York has to offer.

Chapter 4: New York – The New Challenges You’ll Face

The New York chapter consists of seven levels, with the final one being a special, secret level. While the character preferences and map sizes don’t increase dramatically, the introduction of environmental interaction is the key new element. You’ll need to pay close attention to not only who wants to sit next to whom but also how their seating choice is affected by the world around them. For example, a character might want to sit near the air conditioning, while another hates the cold. You’ll have to find a way to make them both happy, or at least content.

The secret level in this chapter is also a major departure, taking on the style of a dating game. Instead of arranging seats based on preferences, you’ll be matching up characters based on compatibility to find the perfect couple. This twist adds a fun new layer to the game and provides a memorable finale to the New York journey.

Walkthrough and Solutions

Each puzzle in the New York chapter has a specific solution that satisfies all of the characters’ needs. The key is to carefully read each person’s bio and consider all of the constraints at once. Here are the step-by-step solutions for each level:

Level 1: The Diner

In this level, you’re tasked with seating a diverse group of diner patrons. The main challenge is managing the person who wants to be away from the loud jukebox and the couple who wants to be close. The solution involves placing the quiet person on the far end of the diner, away from the noise, and the couple together at a table near the center. The remaining characters can be filled in around them, ensuring no one is seated next to a person they dislike or in a spot they don’t prefer.

Level 2: The Art Gallery

The art gallery puzzle introduces the concept of an interactive element: a fan. Some characters hate the draft, while others are hot and want the cool air. The solution involves placing the characters who dislike the fan in an area where its breeze doesn’t reach. The hot person must be placed directly in the fan’s path. The rest of the puzzle is about ensuring no characters with conflicting art preferences are seated next to each other, a recurring constraint from previous chapters.

Level 3: The Subway

The subway level adds another layer of complexity with a moving environment. As the train travels, new passengers get on and others get off. You must rearrange the seats at each stop to accommodate the new arrivals. The main challenge is the limited seating. You’ll often have to move characters who were already happy to make room for a new person. The key here is to find a temporary solution that keeps everyone happy, even if it means some characters have to temporarily sit in a spot that isn’t their first choice. This is about efficient use of space and quick problem-solving.

Level 4: The Broadway Theater

This puzzle is a classic seating arrangement problem, but on a grander scale. You have to seat a group of theater-goers, some of whom want to be close to the stage, and others who prefer a wider view from the back. The most difficult constraint is often the “chatterbox,” a person who wants to sit next to another character but whose talking annoys everyone else. The solution involves isolating the chatterbox and their preferred companion in a row with no one else, or placing them on the very end of a row where they can’t bother other patrons.

Level 5: Central Park Picnic

The picnic puzzle is a more relaxed affair, but still with its own constraints. Characters want to be in the sun, in the shade, or near the food. The interactive element here is a large tree that casts shade. You’ll need to strategically place the characters who want to be in the sun and those who want to be in the shade. The final part is making sure no one who dislikes a certain food is seated at a table with that food. The key is to use the environment to your advantage and solve the puzzle with a calm, methodical approach.

Level 6: Times Square Tourist Bus

This is a more difficult version of the subway puzzle. The bus has multiple stops, and each one adds new passengers with unique and often conflicting demands. The main new element is a character who has a very particular photo preference, wanting a clear view out a window. You’ll have to ensure they are seated in a window seat with no one in their line of sight. The solution for this level is less about a single arrangement and more about a series of arrangements at each stop. It requires forethought to ensure that your current seating plan doesn’t prevent a future one from working.

Secret Level: The Dating Game

The final puzzle in the New York chapter is a completely different experience. You are presented with a series of couples, and your goal is to match them up based on their bios. Instead of seating charts, you are given a series of traits and preferences. The solution involves carefully reading each character’s bio and finding the person with the most compatible traits. For example, a character who loves going to museums should be matched with another who has a passion for art history. This level is a fun and creative way to end the chapter, and it rewards players who have paid attention to the character’s personalities throughout the game. There is no single seating arrangement, but rather a perfect match for each person.