RAT RUN 36: Alternating Currant
(Eingestellt am 29. April 2026, 04:05 Uhr von marty_sears)
SOMEDOKU: Fill the grid with the digits 1-9 so that each row N and column N contain exactly N distinct digits, with the rest of the cells in that row / column being repeats. For example, only 3 distinct digits appear in row 3, and any of these can be repeated multiple times in order to fill the row.
AIM OF EXPERIMENT: Finkz and Phinx must both reach the cupcakes by finding a path through the maze. The paths must not visit any cell more than once, cross themselves or each other, or pass through any thick maze walls. The paths may only intersect at the cupcake cell.
As well as moving orthogonally, they may move diagonally if there's a 2x2 space in which to do so, but may never pass diagonally through a round wall-spot on the corner of a cell.
BLACKCURRANTS: If a blackcurrant sits between two digits, one is double the other.
REDCURRANTS: If a redcurrant sits between two digits, one is odd and the other is even.
GRAPES: If a grape sits between two digits, they have a difference of at least 5.
CAGES: Digits may not repeat within a cage. Each cage has the same total, to be deduced. If the digit on a cage's electricity symbol is 5 or higher, the cage may not be entered.
TEST CONSTRAINT: In this experiment, both rats visit the same number of cells. Any pair of cells (one on each path) that are an equal distance from the cupcake cell sum to the digit on the cupcake cell. Thus, both paths combined form a valid 'zipper' line, with Finkz and Phinx at the ends and the cupcake cell in the middle.
Lösungscode: Digits in column 8 not visited by either rat, reading downwards
Kommentare
am 13. Mai 2026, 19:14 Uhr von Lykrast
Ouuurgh this is not the kind of puzzle I'm used to. But I did get through it with only a little help from the ctc solve to get me started.
That is a lot of stuff unfolding story-wise tho :o
so that's time for real hype for the final puzzles to see how that unwinds
am 11. Mai 2026, 23:55 Uhr von Hima
It took me 631 minutes. I've cleared the entire board more than 3 times , still it was a fun experience.
am 11. Mai 2026, 06:23 Uhr von ziratha
Wow, I genuinely thought there was no way this puzzle was solvable when I first saw it. Amazing.
am 6. Mai 2026, 02:38 Uhr von Hima
It took me 631 minutes. I've cleared the entire board more than 3 times , still it was a fun experience.
am 4. Mai 2026, 15:31 Uhr von JVA
Probably my dirtiest solve out of any of this, my inexperience with somedoku and my incompetence with zippers are to blame
am 3. Mai 2026, 18:32 Uhr von BG03
It took me 90 mins to spot what "alternating currant" meant. And another 90 mins to the finish line. First time doing a somedoku - thanks again Marty!
am 2. Mai 2026, 05:19 Uhr von MikeMeech
This one was fantastic!
My biggest struggle was that I kept thinking the cage sum and the cupcake cell were the same unknown number.
am 1. Mai 2026, 17:49 Uhr von kobs
Never ceases to amaze me just how satisfying some of these puzzles are once we get over that first hurdle.. Then feel stuck for another 20 minutes - find a way around that and so on.
This one didn't feel as difficult as some other Rat Run puzzles, but that could also be me just trying some things at the start to act as a break in rather than pure logic flow (then figuring out the logic for it after!).
Fantastic again, looking forward to the sneaky "?" between this and episode 37
am 1. Mai 2026, 14:41 Uhr von ako
*speechless*
am 30. April 2026, 23:05 Uhr von Exigus
Best story since I saw "Primer". Thanks!
am 30. April 2026, 11:39 Uhr von Puzzlefan
Oof, this was a tough one. Mostly because I cannot set my mind to it not being sudoku. And I forgot about the 'digits in cages do not repeat'-rule. But after a few mistakes, it went a lot smoother and the mental fog cleared. I dislike these puzzles because of what it does to my brain, but I like the fact that you managed to create another lovely rat puzzle with a different ruleset again. So sad to see this coming to an end!
am 30. April 2026, 03:13 Uhr von Dcs
I've been making my way through blackjackfitz's somedoku series recently and the familiarity really helped! What an amazingly unique puzzle.
am 30. April 2026, 01:15 Uhr von QuiltyAsCharged
Incredible! I love the Somedoku variant and was so pleased to see it make it into Rat Run.
This puzzle was full of surprises (much like the unfolding narrative.) My intuition about which ways the paths would go or what the cage totals might be was completely off the mark!
am 29. April 2026, 20:03 Uhr von dinonugs
Whenever I think "the rat can't go that way, its impossible", Finkz and Phinx prove me wrong. You'd think I'd have learned by now...
am 29. April 2026, 17:30 Uhr von skuntsel
Pure brilliance as ever! Thank you, Marty!
am 29. April 2026, 16:52 Uhr von Nairurian
The plot thickens but the puzzles continue to delight.
(My inability to remember the rules also continues, I spent 10+ minutes at the end with only 3 cells left due to having missed the part about cages having the same sum).
Marty: haha I'm very surprised you were able to get that far without using that
am 29. April 2026, 15:45 Uhr von mscha
Oof!
I'd given up on this puzzle at least three times, but, of course, always came back. Finally I realized a possible break, proved it in a very complex way, only to immediately realize a very simple way to prove the same thing.
From there on, it was tricky but I made steady progress.
Not my first Somedoku, but I haven't done them nearly enough to build up an intuition.
Very curious about next weeks “?”...
am 29. April 2026, 15:32 Uhr von Fool on Hill
Nicely done - not so hard as I thought it would be, but still a challenge.
am 29. April 2026, 13:42 Uhr von johncj
Yet another great puzzle in the series. In the future I will be able to tell my grandkids that I solved the rat runs the same day as they came out.
am 29. April 2026, 13:32 Uhr von ViKingPrime
I think we must all begin to take stock and come to terms with the fact this journey is almost over, and what a journey it has been. This has been... at least the time and value of a triple A game? But with more polish and love put into it, and dispensed for free.
For Marty, I'm sure there will be a tremendous sense of both freedom and loss when this is all said and done.
am 29. April 2026, 12:44 Uhr von blackjackfitz
Huzzah! As someone who is intimately familiar with somedoku I can say that I still found this to be a good challenge. So pleased and honored to see somedoku find its place in Rat Run as the first (for now?) non-sudoku. Enjoyed every second of it! Thanks Marty.
am 29. April 2026, 12:19 Uhr von Christounet
Hmmm, that question mark in the schedule and the unsual empty slot next wednesday are highly suspicious. Nice to know there might be more surprises ahead! Thanks :)
am 29. April 2026, 12:09 Uhr von Franjo
The combination of Somedoku and Zipper Lines made the solution of this (quite hard) puzzle a wonderful new experience for me. Thank you very much for creating and sharing another brilliant episode of this brilliant series.
am 29. April 2026, 11:15 Uhr von Rab3aron
Amazing puzzle! That was one of the hardest Rat Runs for me, especially since I don’t have much experience with Somedoku puzzles.
I struggled a bit at the start, but after the break in it was smooth and very rewarding.
am 29. April 2026, 09:51 Uhr von agenthans
110:20 - Destroyed me as I have never tried solving any Somedoku variants. Still a fun solving regardless!
am 29. April 2026, 07:28 Uhr von antiknight
Cool ideas in this one, but it turned out to be harder than the previous puzzles!
am 29. April 2026, 06:25 Uhr von LunchEntity
58:18. Absolutely delightful. I've never run across the "somedoku" variant before and it definitely bends one's brain in interesting new ways.
am 29. April 2026, 05:58 Uhr von Resyn
71:48 for me, amazing logic and flow! Feel like I might have missed some somedoku tricks that would have made it easier.
am 29. April 2026, 05:26 Uhr von Silverscree
Wow! I'm glad that I have some decent amount of experience with somedoku or I think I would have been struggling with this one. Good luck Simon!
There were some really nice deductions in here that I haven't seen before in somedoku. The nature of RAT RUN with its meandering paths lends itself well to creating new ways to connect disparate parts of the grid.
Here's hoping that we get a squishdoku or tesselation rat run in future, perhaps as epilogues!
Edit: I only just noticed the date listed for Experiment 37! Exciting events ahead...
