Proper Destruction
(Published on 10. October 2025, 00:00 by NXTMaster)
The rules are as follows:
- Place the digits 1-9 once in every row, column, and marked diagonal.
- Chaos Destruction: All given regions must be "destroyed" by making sure they do not contain all the digits 1-9. The grid also consists of nine hidden, orthogonally connected regions that each do contain all the digits 1-9. Digits in circles represent how many of its orthogonally and diagonally adjacent cells, including itself, belong to both the given and hidden regions where the circle resides (i.e., where they overlap).
- Proper Destruction: All circles have been given. Additionally, every region is destroyed by a unique digit (i.e., no two regions may share the same repeating digit).
The puzzle is available on SudokuPad with answer check on only the sudoku digits but also available on Penpa+ with answer check on sudoku digits and hidden region boundaries using the Green Edge tool (mark the perimeter/border). Have fun destroying!
Solution code: Column 6 (top to bottom). Include a "-" to separate digits belonging to different hidden regions.
Comments
on 21. February 2026, 08:49 by Justalilguy
Quite tough to figure out the digits and to keep track of the negative constraint, regions, destruction.I'm amazed that the grid works so well. The logic was so varied it felt rewarding after finding a new way to make progress. Thanks!
on 18. October 2025, 18:33 by marcmees
Drawing the regions needed, (within my limits) some T&E but getting the digits right was by itself already worth the effort to get to that point. Thanks
on 18. October 2025, 11:29 by NXTMaster
Changed solution code notation from using "|" to "-"
on 18. October 2025, 09:28 by marcmees
Don't have that one on my keyboard. I will try Copy/paste but maybe you could change the bar into a more accessible "-"? Thanks
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Absolutely. I realize now that conventionally dissection puzzles use "-" to represent region borders. Sorry for the inconvenience
on 17. October 2025, 21:07 by marcmees
Q: what's the sign one has to put in between regions: "/" ?
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The website makes the font into italics but it's actually the vertical bar | . Just copy-paste it if possible.
on 11. October 2025, 01:40 by Da Letter El
a realization on a missed possibility of the construction of a region that borders the left side had me stumped for ages not understanding how to avoid a contradiction in a complete opposite portion of the grid. really interesting region building.
on 10. October 2025, 21:13 by War
The sudoku was quite easy, Proper destruction + and - is very constraining. The region drawing was incredibly difficult.
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Fair assessment. When setting the puzzle, I struggled heavily making sure the hidden regions had a unique configuration without ruining the negative constraint. The difficult region drawing with a relatively easy sudoku is what makes Proper Destruction stand out among all the other destruction puzzles.
on 10. October 2025, 06:04 by blueberrypug
brutally hard, but I feel like I missed several key points that I should've seen sooner
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Thank you for the feedback. I tried to keep the given digits to a minimum without making the puzzle a guessing exercise.
