Odyssey 2: Lotus eaters
(Published on 21. May 2026, 17:32 by Testarossa)
After days of wandering in a bitter sea, Odysseus brings his weary ships to a strange and gentle shore. No spears rise against them, no walls bar the way; only quiet fields and the sweet scent of lotus drifting through the air.
Three scouts are sent inland - but they do not return. The lotus steals all thought of Ithaca, and the men forget the ships, the war, and the road home. Odysseus must find them in the fog and draw them back before the island’s sweetness claims them forever.
Rules:
- Normal Sudoku rules apply
- The grid is covered in fog. Placing correct digits may reveal fog somewhere in the grid.
- Draw three one-cell-wide paths from R9C5 to three scouts hidden in the fog. Paths may only move orthogonally, and may not touch themselves or other paths orthogonally (but may touch diagonally). Paths may not enter the sea or the lotus fields.
- Each path should act as a palindrome - digits on a path must read the same from both sides.
- Digits on a lotus fields show how many of the 8 cells around them contain a path.
- Digits in a killer cage must sum to a given total.
For better visibility, turn on "Outlines on digits" in SudokuPad settings, or play Version without background art
Solution code: digits on a path in row 4
Comments
on 24. May 2026, 16:07 by sleeky21
very nice again!
and thank you for the tip with the digit outlines!
on 24. May 2026, 10:49 by Meneerbakker
Very original puzzle! Design and graphics add to the fun so i don't mind the reading challenges.
on 24. May 2026, 04:48 by VitP
brilliant, but super easy (level 1)
again, technical hint, do what the stones say before starting the grid : paint it BLACK
(or yellow)
on 23. May 2026, 21:47 by fremy
I loved the palindrome mechanic, the setting is great also like the first one, always loving how the story is implemented in a sudoku
on 23. May 2026, 18:32 by Plok
Really enjoyed this one. The outline tip ws very helpful. Well worked out theme. Very nice visuals and storyline
on 22. May 2026, 17:41 by Ariadne
Loved it! And am enjoying these themed ones so much!
on 22. May 2026, 17:28 by rojspencer
Loved it!
on 22. May 2026, 17:13 by CitrusGremlin
Funnily enough, I got so engrossed solving this puzzle that I almost missed a telehealth appointment. Talk about effective theming, the puzzle is itself a lotus trap.
on 22. May 2026, 16:46 by Snaques
Man this was fun. Just wasted so much time trying to figure out why it wont work when I just had one of the lotus fields wrong.
In the end it wasn't too difficult and flowed really nicely. Love the aesthetic as well!
on 22. May 2026, 09:21 by cullenmersch
I really enjoyed that, thank you!
on 22. May 2026, 00:57 by abihummel
Most sincerely can't wait for the rest of this series!
on 21. May 2026, 19:43 by wuc
Great theme puzzle. Wished the bg was more transparent. Had to switch because the marking was not readable. Great setting thx.
on 21. May 2026, 19:24 by dzamie
This one was a lot easier to play - even when I switched outlines back off partway through to see, the numbers (the ones that weren't in the water, at least) were still pretty readable.
Plus, I feel like this one had a clearer flow to it, like the solve path was engaging more with the lotus and path rules.
