diff --git a/2023/23/sol1.rb b/2023/23/sol1.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a2960264
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2023/23/sol1.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+require 'set'
+
+$stdout = File.open('aoc.out', 'w')
+grid = File.open('aoc.in') do |f|
+  f.readlines.map do |line|
+    line.chomp.chars
+  end
+end
+
+start_x = 0
+start_y = grid[0].index { |c| c == '.' }
+
+# def bfs(grid, start_x, start_y)
+#   q = [[start_x, start_y]]
+#   max_dist = { q[0] => 0 }
+
+#   until q.empty?
+#     x, y = q.shift
+#     d = max_dist[[x, y]]
+
+#     dirs = [[-1, 0], [1, 0], [0, -1], [0, 1]]
+#     case grid[x][y]
+#     when '<'
+#       dirs = [[0, -1]]
+#     when '>'
+#       dirs = [[0, 1]]
+#     when '^'
+#       dirs = [[-1, 0]]
+#     when 'v'
+#       dirs = [[1, 0]]
+#     end
+#     dirs.each do |dx, dy|
+#       next unless (0...grid.size) === (x + dx) && (0...grid[0].size) === (y + dy)
+#       next if grid[x + dx][y + dy] == '#'
+
+#       cand = d + 1
+#       if !max_dist[[x + dx, y + dy]] || cand > max_dist[[x + dx, y + dy]]
+#         max_dist[[x + dx, y + dy]] = cand
+#       end
+#     end
+#   end
+# end
+
+def dfs_max_length(grid, start_x, start_y, visited)
+  if visited.include?([start_x, start_y])
+    return 0
+  end
+
+  if start_x == grid.size - 1
+    return visited.size
+  end
+
+  visited << [start_x, start_y]
+
+  dirs = [[-1, 0], [1, 0], [0, -1], [0, 1]]
+  case grid[start_x][start_y]
+  when '<'
+    dirs = [[0, -1]]
+  when '>'
+    dirs = [[0, 1]]
+  when '^'
+    dirs = [[-1, 0]]
+  when 'v'
+    dirs = [[1, 0]]
+  end
+
+  ans = dirs.map do |dx, dy|
+    next unless (0...grid.size) === (start_x + dx) && (0...grid[0].size) === (start_y + dy)
+    next if grid[start_x + dx][start_y + dy] == '#'
+
+    dfs_max_length(grid, start_x + dx, start_y + dy, visited)
+  end.compact.max
+
+  visited.delete [start_x, start_y]
+
+  ans || -Float::INFINITY
+end
+
+p dfs_max_length(grid, start_x, start_y, Set.new)
diff --git a/2023/23/sol2.rb b/2023/23/sol2.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..74d540e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2023/23/sol2.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+require 'set'
+
+$stdout = File.open('aoc.out', 'w')
+grid = File.open('aoc.in') do |f|
+  f.readlines.map do |line|
+    line.chomp.chars
+  end
+end
+
+start_x = 0
+start_y = grid[0].index { |c| c == '.' }
+
+end_x = grid.size - 1
+end_y = grid.last.index('.')
+
+$interesting_points = Set.new
+$interesting_points << [start_x, start_y]
+$interesting_points << [end_x, end_y]
+
+# other interesting points are those with more than 2 neighbors
+
+grid.size.times do |x|
+  grid[0].size.times do |y|
+    dirs = [[-1, 0], [1, 0], [0, -1], [0, 1]]
+    next if grid[x][y] == '#'
+    if dirs.count { |dx, dy| (0...grid.size) === (x + dx) && (0...grid[0].size) === (y + dy) && grid[x + dx][y + dy] != '#' } > 2
+      $interesting_points << [x, y]
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+# p ['interesting', $interesting_points]
+
+$cache = {}
+def shortest_distance(grid, x1, y1, x2, y2)
+  $cache[[x1, y1]] ||=
+    begin
+      q = [[x1, y1]]
+      d = { q[0] => 0 }
+      until q.empty?
+        # p q
+        x, y = q.shift
+        if [x, y] != [x1, y1] && $interesting_points.include?([x, y])
+          next
+        end
+        dirs = [[-1, 0], [1, 0], [0, -1], [0, 1]]
+        dirs.each do |dx, dy|
+          next unless (0...grid.size) === x+dx && (0...grid[0].size) === y+dy
+          next if grid[x+dx][y+dy] == '#'
+          next if d[[x + dx, y + dy]]
+          d[[x+dx,y+dy]] = d[[x,y]] + 1
+          q << [x+dx, y+dy]
+        end
+      end
+      d
+    end
+
+  $cache[[x1, y1]][[x2, y2]]
+end
+
+$adj = Hash.new { |h, k| h[k] = [] }
+
+$points_flat = $interesting_points.to_a
+
+$points_flat.each_with_index do |u, i|
+  $points_flat.each_with_index do |v, j|
+    if shortest_distance(grid, *u, *v)
+      $adj[i] << j
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+# p shortest_distance(grid, 0, 1, 5, 3)
+# p shortest_distance(grid, 5, 3, 3, 11)
+
+$max = 0
+
+# this works but is too slow
+def dfs_longest_path(grid, start, stop, visited, current_total)
+  if visited[start]
+    return 0
+  end
+
+  if start == stop
+    $max = [$max, current_total].max
+    p $max
+    return current_total
+  end
+
+  visited[start] = true
+
+  ans = $adj[start].map do |next_point|
+    d = shortest_distance(grid, *$points_flat[start], *$points_flat[next_point])
+    dfs_longest_path(grid, next_point, stop, visited, current_total + d)
+  end.compact.max
+
+  visited[start] = false
+
+  ans || -Float::INFINITY
+end
+
+# Takes about 3 minutes to run on my fastest machine
+p dfs_longest_path(grid,
+                   $points_flat.index([start_x, start_y]),
+                   $points_flat.index([end_x, end_y]),
+                   Array.new($points_flat.size, false),
+                   0)