Growing a bonsai tree (easy Yin Yang)
(Published on 17. May 2026, 01:10 by Killer Joe)
Hello.
Normal Sudoku rules apply.
Color the grid using two colors so that:
- Each color forms a single orthogonally connected region.
- No 2×2 block is entirely one color.
Digits in a cage sum to the total shown in the cage’s top-left corner.
Within each cage, all odd digits must be one color and all even digits the other color. This odd/even color assignment is consistent across all cages (ie, if odd digits are pink in one cage, then all odd digits in every cage are pink).
Digits separated by a white dot are consecutive.
Have fun.
Solution code: Row 9, first 6 digits.
Comments
on 1. June 2026, 18:05 by zee_zuper_beeg
As mentioned in many other commenters because of the colouring I kept finding myself putting 5 "evens" in a box and then thinking I screwed up before I finally internalized that it's only IN THE CAGES. Had a good laugh at myself once I finally set that in my brain. Fun and funny puzzle!
on 25. May 2026, 01:49 by Vaurien
Oy. I tried this twice before and was certain it was a broken puzzle, then on the third time I realized that the odd/even ONLY HOLDS IN THE CAGES. *facepalms* Once I realized that, it became a quick and fun solve! I need to read better...
on 19. May 2026, 22:34 by Aronana
I love bonsai!
on 18. May 2026, 21:07 by amchap
As others have commented, I too found the mix of coloring everywhere but parity only on cages to be tricky and had to restart once. Fun puzzle though.
on 18. May 2026, 10:41 by Franjo
Thank you very much for creating and sharing this funny easy puzzle. Really nice stuff for those people who want to make first steps in solving variant Sudoku.
on 18. May 2026, 02:12 by Freegerator
I really liked this one, thanks!
on 17. May 2026, 23:37 by Snaques
Somehow messed this up so many times.
The rule applying odd rules only for cages was so confusing throughout the whole thing.
2* for me.
on 17. May 2026, 18:51 by dingledork
Mr. Shake Hands Man approves
on 17. May 2026, 14:16 by GeorgeTheToad2
Bonsaiiiiiii
on 17. May 2026, 14:14 by rojspencer
Nice Yin Yang puzzle. Fairly straight forward if you stick to all the rules and remember how Yin Yang works. Easy to trip yourself up along the way though (as I did forgetting parity only applies to cages). At least 2*.
on 17. May 2026, 13:36 by Gnubeutel
I was struggling so much with colors and parity only having to match up in cages. That threw me off a few times. But once you get a grip on yourself it`s a very nice puzzle
on 17. May 2026, 13:04 by Sotiris6V
For the first 30 minutes I missed the "No 2×2 block is entirely one color."
:)
on 17. May 2026, 11:25 by VitP
ordinarily, yin/yang puzzles cannot be level 1, and even level 2 is a stretch. however, here, the yin/yang aspect is mostly FLAVOUR, so this is level 1 plus knowing the two basic yin/yang conditions.
on 17. May 2026, 10:41 by JVA
This was quite hard, despite being familiar with yin yang
on 17. May 2026, 09:10 by Merovius
Ouff, took me 90m because I forgot one of the basic Yin Yang tricks m( So, only 1* if you're familiar with those rules.
on 17. May 2026, 07:03 by Kirra
I kept getting tripped up by only clin cages is the colour equivalent to the odd/even parity-ness. But once I got past that hurdle quite an enjoyable puzzle (my fault not the puzzle/setter's fault)
Thanks Killer Joe. Was lots of fun.
