Easy Peasy Sudoku Advent (04) - Sum or Product Frame
(Published on 4. December 2025, 06:00 by Richard)
This sudoku advent calendar contains 24 variants that were included in my Sudoku Variants Series (SVS) but turned out to be too hard to be solved by a wide range of puzzlers. I aim for difficulties of 1-2 stars and have written some general and/or specific hints as well. I hope some players will try the original SVS puzzle #224 after solving the advent version.
Sum or Product Frame
General hint for this type:
Mark which clue is a sum and which a product. For primes or clues greater than 24 that is clear, but more often it helps to look at clues combined. So clues for the same box, row or column.
Out of the two 20-clues top left (row 1 and 2) one must be a product (1, 4, 5) and the other must be a sum (3, 8, 9). The 20-clue below column 1 cannot be a product, since the 1 in box 1 is part of the 6-clue on top of the column.
Apply classic sudoku rules.
Clues outside the grid indicate either the product or the sum of the first three digits in the corresponding direction.
Solution code: Column 5
Comments
on 11. December 2025, 11:50 by rasyidmystery
I was actually able to input the solution before finishing the puzzle, cuz the last number i struggle against is all the number on row 2 and 3. like I have all the number on other row, but on that 2 row is completely empty
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Thanks for your solve!
For easier puzzles like this one, I can imagine there are more paths through the puzzle. For me column 5 was the last to complete. I hope you still had fun with the puzzle...
on 9. December 2025, 05:15 by Richard
Fixed minor grammar mistake and added the SVS-number to the link.
on 5. December 2025, 00:38 by Rollo
Sehr schön, aber für mich schwer.
on 4. December 2025, 20:34 by dzamie
Very nice! It was pretty tricky to find ways to break in (besides the obvious 6-clues), but slowly and steadily, it worked out.
on 4. December 2025, 12:42 by Franjo
After the easy-peasy start this one got quite challenging for my poor old brain - and I gave 3*… Anyway, thank you very much for creating and sharing this lovely puzzle.
on 4. December 2025, 09:28 by flutchman
Very nice again. Loved the way everything resolved on the end. That was spectacular (at least in the solve path I ended up in)
And indeed, easy is not as easy as easy used to be. Variant sudoku has come a long way over the last years.
on 4. December 2025, 08:44 by Statistica
Sehr hübsch. Aber was hier als Anfänger-Rätsel durchgeht... Ich werde alt ;-)
on 4. December 2025, 07:09 by Piatato
Indeed a lot easier than the original!
