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+Link: <https://adventofcode.com/2024/day/16> <br>
+Author: Eric Wastl ([@ericwastl](https://twitter.com/ericwastl)) (2024)
+
+---
+
+## --- Day 16: Reindeer Maze ---
+
+It's time again for the [Reindeer Olympics](/2015/day/14)! This year, the big event is the **Reindeer Maze**, where the Reindeer compete for the **lowest score**.
+
+You and The Historians arrive to search for the Chief right as the event is about to start. It wouldn't hurt to watch a little, right?
+
+The Reindeer start on the Start Tile (marked `S`) facing **East** and need to reach the End Tile (marked `E`). They can move forward one tile at a time (increasing their score by `1` point), but never into a wall (`#`). They can also rotate clockwise or counterclockwise 90 degrees at a time (increasing their score by `1000` points).
+
+To figure out the best place to sit, you start by grabbing a map (your puzzle input) from a nearby kiosk. For example:
+
+```
+###############
+#.......#....E#
+#.#.###.#.###.#
+#.....#.#...#.#
+#.###.#####.#.#
+#.#.#.......#.#
+#.#.#####.###.#
+#...........#.#
+###.#.#####.#.#
+#...#.....#.#.#
+#.#.#.###.#.#.#
+#.....#...#.#.#
+#.###.#.#.#.#.#
+#S..#.....#...#
+###############
+```
+
+There are many paths through this maze, but taking any of the best paths would incur a score of only **`7036`**. This can be achieved by taking a total of `36` steps forward and turning 90 degrees a total of `7` times:
+
+```
+###############
+#.......#....E#
+#.#.###.#.###^#
+#.....#.#...#^#
+#.###.#####.#^#
+#.#.#.......#^#
+#.#.#####.###^#
+#..>>>>>>>>v#^#
+###^#.#####v#^#
+#>>^#.....#v#^#
+#^#.#.###.#v#^#
+#^....#...#v#^#
+#^###.#.#.#v#^#
+#S..#.....#>>^#
+###############
+```
+
+Here's a second example:
+
+```
+#################
+#...#...#...#..E#
+#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#
+#.#.#.#...#...#.#
+#.#.#.#.###.#.#.#
+#...#.#.#.....#.#
+#.#.#.#.#.#####.#
+#.#...#.#.#.....#
+#.#.#####.#.###.#
+#.#.#.......#...#
+#.#.###.#####.###
+#.#.#...#.....#.#
+#.#.#.#####.###.#
+#.#.#.........#.#
+#.#.#.#########.#
+#S#.............#
+#################
+```
+
+In this maze, the best paths cost **`11048`** points; following one such path would look like this:
+
+```
+#################
+#...#...#...#..E#
+#.#.#.#.#.#.#.#^#
+#.#.#.#...#...#^#
+#.#.#.#.###.#.#^#
+#>>v#.#.#.....#^#
+#^#v#.#.#.#####^#
+#^#v..#.#.#>>>>^#
+#^#v#####.#^###.#
+#^#v#..>>>>^#...#
+#^#v###^#####.###
+#^#v#>>^#.....#.#
+#^#v#^#####.###.#
+#^#v#^........#.#
+#^#v#^#########.#
+#S#>>^..........#
+#################
+```
+
+Note that the path shown above includes one 90 degree turn as the very first move, rotating the Reindeer from facing East to facing North.
+
+Analyze your map carefully. **What is the lowest score a Reindeer could possibly get?**