Sudoku Variants Series (462) - Hitlines
(Published on 10. April 2026, 06:00 by Richard)
For this Sudoku Variants Project I have planned to publish a unique Sudoku variant every week.
Hitlines
Inspiration for this type comes from Ratfinkz.
Solve online in Sudokupad.
Hint:
Of course this puzzle can be solved by logic alone, although there is one specific cell that plays a key role in the solving process.
I will see how long it takes before I am running out of ideas.
Apply classic sudoku rules.
Digits on hitline arrows must all be different. The number in the attached cirlce or pill indicates the sum of all digits that equal their position number along the corresponding hitline. Two-digit numbers in pills must be read from left to right.
I.e. a hitline with digits 925416 would have a clue of 12, since the digits 2, 4 and 6 are placed on their position numbers and 9, 5 and 1 are not.
Solution code: Column 1
Comments
on 12. April 2026, 19:21 by pmays123
Very satisfying. Thank you
on 11. April 2026, 11:10 by Flinty
Lovely puzzle with a constraint that really resonates with me.
@Richard, for what it’s worth it was a 15 minute solve for me. Buttery smooth, and the step you are referring too is very fair (1.5/5 difficulty) logic for the constraint.
on 11. April 2026, 09:54 by marcmees
The fact that a lot of players are looking for low hanging fruit is the logical result of the rating system where a 1* puzzle gets the same stats as a 5* puzzle. This offers quite a number of players the opportunity to boost their stats on 1 star puzzles (and fog puzzles) only ... and there are enough of those puzzles/players. Maybe rethink the rating system? Weighed rating?
@Richard: don't change anything to your setting "by logic only". It's highly appreciated.
on 11. April 2026, 06:17 by Richard
It is such an enormous contrast: sometimes I am lyric about a step I build in some of my sudokus, and then after a day of solves looking at the ratings and I am so disappointed...
This one is no exception. This is not a 90%-puzzle, but one high in the nineties!
The problem consists of two parts:
1. of course our infamous notorious downgrader that we all know;
2. people who don't find the logic; need to guess and give a lower rating as a result.
If I say that this puzzle can be solved by logic alone, it CAN be solved by logic alone; you just may look a bit further, but than the rewards are high.
But I seriously have to rethink about what kind of puzzles I will publish in the future; it looks like the players are looking for low hanging fruit; simple puzzles that you can rush through instead of the ones that need a bit more thoughts.
In this case: if you found the spot I mentioned, you can put it as a generalized solve step in your tool box for future solves; there is something to learn, so to say...
I have put the specific step in a hidden comment for those who are interested.
on 10. April 2026, 23:41 by dzamie
Got a box and most of a row, but stalled soon after. There's just so many possibilities left, and I'm having one hell of a time narrowing them down.
Fun while it lasted, though!
---
You are stuck at the expected place. Progress can be found in the hidden comment.
on 10. April 2026, 12:48 by Piatato
Very nice!
on 10. April 2026, 10:45 by Franjo
Thank you very much for creating and sharing another beautiful SVS-puzzle. Absolutely amazing how this unfolds.
on 10. April 2026, 09:44 by MartinR
Was worried I'd broken it at the start as I thought the hitline starting position was the tip of the arrow - had to refer to the original problem to find it was the other way. Might be worth clarifying this in the rules? (As this variant doesn't have diamonds or pointers like the others to specify position 1)
on 10. April 2026, 09:14 by Statistica
Großartig :-)
