Step Step Sums Sums
(Published on 24. April 2026, 00:00 by NXTMaster)
This puzzle was directly inspired by The Book Wyrm's
Full Full Rank Rank and Sotehr's
Step Sums. After having solved FFRR, I wanted to make my own nested puzzle, but no constraints inspired me with ideas until I test-solved Step Sums. This was the result.
The rules are as follows:
- Inner 9x9 Sudoku: Place the digits 1-9 once in every row, column, and 3x3 box. Digits separated by a kropki must have a difference of 1 and digits on gray squares must be even.
- Inner Periodic Sums: All 36 cells bordering the Sudoku grid have a number equal to the sum of N and every Nth digit in the row/column moving away from the clue, where N is the first digit seen from the clue. Only digits within the Sudoku grid are taken into account.
- Outer Periodic Sums: Clues outside the inner periodic sums indicate the sum of N and every Nth digit in the row/column moving away from the clue and including the inner periodic sums, where N is the first digit seen from the clue. Double-digit inner clues are read as two single-digit numbers. Read the tens digit first when reading left to right/top to bottom and the ones digit first when reading right to left/bottom to top.
The puzzle is available on
SudokuPad and
Penpa (answer check only on digits within the Sudoku grid). Watch your step at the end!
Solution code: The nine digits of Row 7 in the Sudoku grid
Last changed on -
Solved by Sotehr, sanabas, snowbaby, steeto, Zzzzz..., SKORP17, 6rank, marcmees
Comments
today, 10:51 by 6rank
Wow, only five stars out of five for difficulty. For me it felt even more difficult than that.
Nonetheless I somehow enjoyed the solve :)
on 24. April 2026, 00:12 by Sotehr
It's an absolute honor that my pet constraint was the inspiration to such a wonderful puzzle.
I wish everyone careful counting!