Sudoku Variants Series (481) - Counting Circles
(Published on 21. August 2026, 06:00 by Richard)
For this Sudoku Variants Project I have planned to publish a unique Sudoku variant every week.
Counting Circles
Inspiration for this type comes from marty_sears.
I will see how long it takes before I am running out of ideas.
Apply classic sudoku rules.
A circled digit indicates exactly how many circles contain that digit.
Solution code: Column 8
Comments
on 22. August 2026, 14:54 by RobertBe
Wonderful puzzle! Great logic.
on 22. August 2026, 10:01 by damo_89
Lovely
on 22. August 2026, 00:01 by sujoyku
Thank you for this fun puzzle, Richard!
on 21. August 2026, 11:49 by Franjo
Thank you very much for creating and sharing another lovely SVS-puzzle. (Indeed I‘ve been waiting for many months wondering when you would pick up this popular Sears-invention for your immortal series.)
on 21. August 2026, 08:24 by amirs
Spent way too long trying to find a unique solution before the link was fixed, it’s a bit comforting knowing that I didn’t miss anything :)
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Reply: I can imagine that!
Sorry for the inconvenience. I simply forgot to check the link before posting since I was in a hurry...
on 21. August 2026, 08:22 by Richard
Added link to Penpa+. Thx Piatato!
on 21. August 2026, 08:20 by Richard
Oops!
That was the first version of the puzzle that was indeed not unique.
Now the link to sudokupad is correct.
on 21. August 2026, 08:18 by Richard
Updated link for online solving
on 21. August 2026, 08:06 by Piatato
Fun and smooth, thanks!
Here are links for the solvable puzzle:
Penpa: https://tinyurl.com/3crc95my
Sudokupad: https://sudokupad.app/r603umzab5
on 21. August 2026, 07:49 by Piatato
The puzzle in sudokupad seems non-unique.
on 21. August 2026, 07:43 by KNT
The SudokuPad link is missing a given 3 in box 3, and contains two given digits in box 5 that are not in the image. Is that intended?
