RAT RUN 34: On Reflection
(Published on 15. April 2026, 03:31 by marty_sears)
Normal sudoku rules apply.
AIM OF EXPERIMENT: Finkz and Phinx must both reach different cupcakes by finding a path through the maze. The paths must not visit any cell more than once, cross themselves or each other, share cells, or pass through any thick maze walls.
As well as moving orthogonally, they may move diagonally if there's a 2x2 space in which to do so, but may never pass diagonally through a round wall-spot on the corner of a cell.
BLACKCURRANTS: If a blackcurrant sits between two digits, one is double the other.
REDCURRANTS: If a redcurrant sits between two digits, one is odd and the other is even.
GRAPES: If a grape sits between two digits, they have a difference of at least 5.
VIDEO CAMERAS: The digit on a grey camera indicates the total SUM of the digits in any visited cells that the camera's lens points towards (before a wall is reached, which blocks vision.) A video camera cell itself may not be entered.
TEST CONSTRAINT: In this experiment, all of the low digits in the grid (1s, 2s and 3s) must be visited, but none of the high digits (7s, 8s, and 9s) may be visited. The two rats' paths must be perfect reflections of each other across the positive diagonal (marked with a thin pink line).
Solution code: Digits visited by either rat in column 7, reading downwards
Comments
on 13. May 2026, 14:48 by Lykrast
Another nice one! Smooth lesbian rat sailing through that solve and didn't feel that hour pass by. Was fun going back and forth between the two sides of the mirror as one constrained the other and vice versa.
On the story that is sadness, hope the rats will recover ok from what happened last time...
on 22. April 2026, 01:16 by wunder108
Another very enjoyable puzzle! Im becoming sad as the end is coming.
PS I agree with mscha, the positive diagonal name doesn't make much sense to me.. As sudoku is more a matrix than a graph, you could call it anti-diagonal in opposition to the main diagonal.
on 18. April 2026, 23:49 by ako
A bit too much sudoku for my taste; at least that's what I thought, until realizing, the formula for the last camera too has two sides, not just a sum. None of the puzzle elements was really hard, but rather well hidden at plain sight. So the three stars on difficulty appear ok to me. And even if it was not my favorite rat run, it is still too good for less than five stars. Thank you once again!
on 18. April 2026, 13:26 by damo_89
I too found this hard until I read and understood the rules properly. The path can't visit any 789 and must visit all 123. Forgetting this second part makes the puzzle substantially harder :D
on 17. April 2026, 13:41 by alconja
This one seems quite divisive difficulty-wise. I see some people commenting that it's quite easy, but I'm struggling with it far more than the last few 4 & 5 star ones (and I see some other comments agreeing). I'm guessing there's more single steps of "spot the pressure point" that block the solve if you miss it...
*Edit: Just re-read the rules and I'd missed (and forgotten from last time) the fact that walls block cameras. No wonder I've been stuck for the last hour... :|
*Edit 2: Yep, ok. 3 stars. XD
(Excellent puzzle as always!)
on 16. April 2026, 21:25 by Klausku
I like puzzles with almost perfect symmetry. This one is brilliant because the logical steps jump so smootly from one side to the other. Thanks Marty.
on 16. April 2026, 09:13 by AshBrown
3 hours + here. My own pencil marking was my downfall i think
on 16. April 2026, 04:53 by Glasgow
Smooth! I loved the variety of logic that could be brought to find the paths. Fun puzzle.
on 16. April 2026, 00:07 by VolpeRosso
The thot... it plickens! (amazing puzzle, yet again - my favourite part of the week) <3
on 15. April 2026, 23:11 by davidz32z
Maybe the rat run I've struggled most with so far. Really really clever setting and i loved all three hours of it!
on 15. April 2026, 22:36 by davidemsa
It's wild that you managed to make everything resolve while having the colour of a single dot be the only symmetry breaking thing.
on 15. April 2026, 22:28 by Christounet
Rest In Phinx.
on 15. April 2026, 18:31 by DonQuichopp
What a wonderfully flowing solve! I enjoyed this greatly! And all in time for tonight's (hopefully) CtC video. Thanks Marty
on 15. April 2026, 18:07 by stranac
There's a new rat run, such a wonderful surprise! I was convinced today was Tuesday :)
on 15. April 2026, 17:47 by wuc
Brilliant. Many parts where you have to spot the pressure point. So easy to spend lots of time missing it. Great setting thx.
on 15. April 2026, 17:03 by Calvinball
A path mirror?! Such a lovely idea and an even better execution of it. Thanks Marty!
on 15. April 2026, 16:36 by blackjackfitz
Huzzah!
on 15. April 2026, 15:02 by mr_sandalis
My intelligent thought today was to tilt the screen 45 degrees so I would stop tilting my head to watch the symmetry of the paths. Luckily more intelligent thoughts came after that and I didn't do it.
on 15. April 2026, 15:00 by GeorgeTheToad2
Fantastic.
on 15. April 2026, 14:35 by Nairurian
Another great addition, it felt pretty smooth And more approachable even though I had to restart about 20 minutes in (since I kept getting the reflection wrong and coloured the wrong cells).
on 15. April 2026, 12:49 by Fool on Hill
Another beautiful solve path, with some cunning deductions
on 15. April 2026, 11:02 by Rab3aron
That was super fun! Slightly easier than the last few ones yet still challenging, thank you for the amazing puzzles!
on 15. April 2026, 10:44 by Exigus
Another wonderful addition. Thanks!
on 15. April 2026, 10:38 by LunchEntity
Everyone keeps saying it's not as hard as some weeks have been but I dunno, I broke this multiple times before solving. Maybe doing taxes broke my brain.
on 15. April 2026, 10:03 by Myfyr MJ
Very nice, 3 stars is about right.
It’s a long time since I managed to solve one of these rat puzzles!
on 15. April 2026, 09:47 by cullenmersch
Thank you for another brilliant puzzle. This may have been the smoothest solve in the series for me!
Also, the story definitely has taken a turn that I didn't expect. I can't wait to see what happens next.
on 15. April 2026, 05:21 by Samoth
A nice break (relatively speaking, at least) from the past handful of rat runs, a wonderful puzzle all-around as usual!
on 15. April 2026, 04:53 by antiknight
Cool puzzle not hard like the earlier ones! It has some interesting steps tho.
on 15. April 2026, 04:50 by QuiltyAsCharged
Lovely puzzle. It's a bit of an easier chapter this week, but easy to get off course if you don't carefully consider every possibility!
on 15. April 2026, 04:43 by cmusson32
Beautiful puzzle yet again. Classic Marty style with the pathfinding that I have come to really enjoy
on 15. April 2026, 04:38 by Angara
It's not so difficult, but it's a very beautiful puzzle. Thank you, Marty! Pray for Elliott
