Gross Misconduct
(Published on 20. July 2025, 01:00 by marty_sears)
Happy birthday to Lake, whose recent puzzle Easy as RBC - Arrows and Renbans introduced me to this cool RBC ruleset and made me want to make this for him.
Fill the grid with the digits 1-9, plus the letters R, B and C, so that no letter or digit repeats in any row, 3x4 box, or column.
3x4 boxes are numbered 1-12 in normal reading order.
- The value of an R equals its row number.
- The value of a B equals its box number.
- The value of a C equals its column number.
BLACK KROPKI: If two values are joined by a black dot, one is double the other.
RENBAN: Values along a pink line form a non-repeating consecutive sequence, arranged in some order.
GERMAN WHISPER: Adjacent values on a green line have a difference of at least 5.
ARROWS: Values along an arrow sum to the value in the attached circle.
SAME DIFFERENCE: Adjacent values on a turquoise line have the same difference. This difference may be different for different turquoise lines.
Please leave a comment if you enjoy :)
Solution code: Row 7 from left to right, including R, B and C
Comments
yesterday, 21:26 by dzamie
Oh god. This is *definitely* above my skill level.
But it looks cool as hell, so there's no way I'm not gonna try it.
on 24. July 2025, 02:06 by Clementi
ETA: finally solved it, wow, that was quite something. I just love the way it uses familiar rule types - German Whispers, Kropki dots etc. - but their behavior is completely different and novel because of the RBCs. So good.
Is there any way to tackle this on a mobile device, or is a keyboard essential? I can't figure out a way to get an R on my phone
Marty: yes the mobile link is above
Clementi: thank you Marty. I see now that you explained all that above, I just didn't properly read it. Apologies.
on 22. July 2025, 17:56 by Exigus
Hare but still easier than I thought when I started. A very enjoyable solve. Thanks!
on 22. July 2025, 14:23 by richcard
Like others have said, the whole is pretty daunting, but each section is fair and very satisfying. I felt like I was building up momentum too, so a very pleasing finish.
on 22. July 2025, 09:36 by npinguy
Incredible! An all-time classic. Honestly, one of my favourites of yours, and that's saying a lot.
LOVE this RBC ruleset too, and the twists and quirks it puts onto familiar rules.
on 21. July 2025, 19:19 by keesh
This puzzle was epic. Not only because of the size and difficulty, but also because of the journey. Lots of fun moments. And i lost count of how many times i said 'owh no, i've broken the puzzle'.
on 21. July 2025, 16:36 by bboom
This was super fun. A lot happening but never really feeling lost. Most of the funny looking areas yield at least something when you shake them, so always felt like I could keep moving ahead. Thanks for setting this madness!
on 21. July 2025, 13:15 by Franjo
I was scared looking at the grid! Then I noticed the bowling pins and I began to wonder how on earth… This lovely monster is full of surprises. Thank you so much for creating and sharing this masterpiece.
on 20. July 2025, 21:27 by jakestilesowen
This was a really fun massive puzzle! I didn't know how much I liked huge grids with lots of clues and possibilities until I solved this. :)
on 20. July 2025, 17:23 by eladv
Whow, what a beautiful puzzle! The logic is very intricate, but very satisfying. It was very hard for me -- took me nearly three hours.
on 20. July 2025, 17:06 by mscha
Beautiful! This ruleset really messes with everything you think you know about the various rules.
Happy birthday to Lake!
on 20. July 2025, 13:24 by vitaminz
What an absolute epic!
on 20. July 2025, 12:11 by zeniko
What a big birthday gift for Lake. Unwrapping it must have taken quite some time, but also been very enjoyable. Despite its complexity, there always seemed to be several laces to pull for a pleasant flow.
Thanks for sharing with all of us and also for providing a mobile link (and a helpful mnemonic for A).
