Easy as 1, 2, 3...
(Published on 31. July 2026, 01:06 by Kjupatrick)
By Patrick Junke
Rules:
1. Normal Sudoku rules apply. (Place each digits from 1 to 9 in each row, in each column and in each 3x3 region.)
2. Standard killer cages rules apply. (In dotted regions, digits don't repeat and sum to the indicated total.)
3. Two orthogonally adjacent digits sum to 10 if there is an X between them, and sum to a value other than 3, 10, 12, or 17 if there is no X between them.
Here is a link to a SudokuPad version of the grid.
Solution code: Digits of the last row from left to right :
Comments
on 31. July 2026, 17:43 by Arheus
This was a nice puzzle, it wasn't difficult per se (I would rate it 3* for difficulty), but rather you had to be thorough and do a lot of scanning. Slow and steady :)
Patrick > Thank you!
on 31. July 2026, 13:40 by brskri
Nice puzzle, scanning for the negative constraints and working out what's restricted is the hardest part. I like puzzles like this that let you walk right in -- but remain challenging, rather than folding directly after the break-in.
Patrick > Thank you ! I'm quite happy with the balance in the progression for this one indeed. It's not always the case.
on 31. July 2026, 12:44 by XhcnoirX
I found it quite difficult but at the same time I always found yet another small deduction that helped me narrow down stuff some more, slowly opening up the puzzle. Very, very nice!
Patrick > Thank you ! I agree with your description, it's this kind of puzzle.
on 31. July 2026, 08:10 by Kjupatrick
Lowering estimate difficulty from 4 to 3.
on 31. July 2026, 02:21 by lmdemasi
Neat. Felt like 3* to me rather than 4*.
Patrick > Thank you for your comment and feed back!
