Logic Masters Deutschland e.V.

Pseudohexaphobia (Secret Satan)

(Published on 15. September 2026, 09:00 by Agent)

This was my puzzle gift for MattYDdraig during the Secret Satan event.

Rules

  • Place a digit from 1 to 9 into some cells in the grid, leaving the remaining cells empty. In any row or column, the digit 6 may appear at most three times and the other digits may not repeat.

  • Yin Yang: Shade some cells in the grid so that all shaded cells are orthogonally connected, all unshaded cells are orthogonally connected, and no 2×2 region is entirely shaded or entirely unshaded.

  • Empty cells must by shaded, cells containing any digit other than 6 must be unshaded, and cells containing a 6 may either be shaded or unshaded.

  • Japanese Sums: Clues outside the grid represent the sum of each contiguous group of digits in the corresponding row or column. Two consecutive groups must be separated by at least one empty cell. For any row or column, either all clues or no clues are given.

  • A Japanese Sums clue can either be a Truth, a Knapp-Daneben, a 6-Daneben, or a Satanic Lie, which depends on the amount of 6s included in the contiguous group of digits represented by that clue.
    • Truth: When there's no 6, the digits must sum to the clue number.
    • Knapp-Daneben: When there's a single 6, the digits must sum to one more or one less than the clue number.
    • 6-Daneben: When there are two 6s, the digits must sum to 6 more or 6 less than the clue number.
    • Satanic Lie: When there are three 6s, the digits may sum to any number except one more, one less, 6 more, 6 less, or equal to the clue number.

  • Each letter represents a different digit from 0 to 9. All clue numbers are strictly positive integers with no leading zeroes.

Pseudohexoneiros (9x9, 1-6)

Pseudohexaphobia (13x13, 1-9)

Solution code: The digits in the last column from top to bottom, ignoring empty cells. Then the total number of shaded 6s in the grid.

Last changed on -

Solved by MattYDdraig, mnasti2, han233ing, cyddrdrd, Myxo, MaizeGator, MonsieurTRISTE, Jesper, ibag, widjo, NEWS, ns08, bodemeister, CutieRainbow, junho75689, lupo
Full list

Comments

on 19. September 2026, 11:45 by ibag
A wonderful gift — and luckily, not only for MattYDdraig. ;-)

on 17. September 2026, 17:42 by Jesper
Pretty Satanic :)

on 17. September 2026, 02:16 by MaizeGator
It's been a while since I solved this one but I remember it threatened multiple times to turn my brain into a pretzel

on 17. September 2026, 01:31 by Myxo
An epic journey!

on 17. September 2026, 01:07 by cyddrdrd
One of the craziest puzzles I have ever solved recently. So cool!

on 15. September 2026, 18:17 by mnasti2
Bonkers, very cool!

on 15. September 2026, 13:40 by MattYDdraig
This needs a lot more stars on both aspects.

Thank you so much for this, the combination of Japanese Sums, cipher, ambiguous/lying clues with a touch of knapp daneben was pretty much everything I'd asked for, and you've fulfilled all of it, and then some, with additional chaos and mayhem.

A truly beautiful gift, and I'm very glad it's being shared with the world (or at least the small corner of the world that can appreciate it.)

Difficulty:5
Rating:98 %
Solved:16 times
Observed:1 times
ID:000UTH

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