Figuring out how to clearly explain these rules for the ambiguous line type was a pain - thankfully, my testers helped where they could!
----
Rules:
- Normal sudoku rules apply.
- Disjoint - the digits in gray squares form a set of the digits 1 through 9.
- Jeopardy Lines - each purple Jeopardy Line is either a Dutch Whisper - where neighboring digits differ in value by at least 4, or a Parity line - where neighboring digits must switch between being odd and even.
- NO LINE MAY SATISFY BOTH CONDITIONS ANYWHERE ALONG ITS LENGTH. Branching Jeopardy lines maintain the same condition throughout. Digits may repeat on lines if allowed by other rules.
- Examples of legitimate Jeopardy sequences - Dutch: 2-8-4-8-2-6, 1-5-9-3-7. Parity: 1-4-5-8-7-6-3-4. Example of illegitimate sequence: 1-6-2-5-9-2 (since there are both parity switches and Dutch Whisper pairs.)
- XV sums - digits separated by V sum to 5; digits separated by X sum to 10. No negative constraint.
- Kropki Dots - digits separated by a white Kropki dot are consecutive; digits separated by a black Kropki dot are in a 2:1 ratio. No negative constraint.
----
Puzzle:
Solution code: Row 9 digits left to right
on 16. March 2026, 15:02 by penny121
在奇偶线上的相邻数字不能相差大于4
on 16. March 2026, 15:01 by penny121
在奇偶线上的相邻数字不能相差大于4
on 15. March 2026, 22:03 by BG03
Thanks for the lovely puzzle. Very smooth solve.
Fully understanding the jeopardy rule is necessary for solving the final deadly pattern!
>>>NSM here - glad you picked up on that, it's one of my favorite little flourishes.