Spectrum #12: Order these Spielberg films by release — the solution
The Spectrum puzzle from August 26, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, earliest to latest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.
The puzzle
Order these Spielberg films by release, earliest at the top and latest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Jaws
- Ready Player One
- E.T.
- Jurassic Park
- Saving Private Ryan
Nothing was in its place; Ready Player One opened 3 places from home.
The walkthrough
The ends first. Jaws is the earliest of the six at 1975 and Ready Player One the latest at 2018. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.
Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Ready Player One (2018) — 20 years apart. Everything above that line belongs on the earliest side and everything below it on the latest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.
The closest call. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and E.T. (1982) are only 1 year apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.
The answer
| # | Earliest to Latest | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaws | 1975 |
| 2 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 1981 |
| 3 | E.T. | 1982 |
| 4 | Jurassic Park | 1993 |
| 5 | Saving Private Ryan | 1998 |
| 6 | Ready Player One | 2018 |
Previous: Spectrum #11 (Tue, Aug 25) · Next: Spectrum #13 (Thu, Aug 27)
About Spectrum
Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.