This is how you learn the Time War
(Eingestellt am 26. Februar 2025, 04:51 Uhr von pdyxs)
This is the first of two puzzles based on the novel 'This is how you lose the time war', which is one of my favourites of the last few years. This puzzle will help acclimatise you to the ruleset, and be ready for the full 9x9 puzzle: This is how you live the Time War.
Rules
Sudoku: Fill the grid with the digits 1-6, so that each digit occurs exactly once in every row, every column and every 3x2 box.
Space-Time: Each row of the grid represents a slice of time, with the top row as the earliest and the bottom row as the latest. Each column of the grid represents a different location in space.
Timelines: Two Time Agents, Blue (2) and Red (5), are jumping forwards and backwards through space-time to help their side win the time war. The marked columns each represent an agent's timeline - each digit in the column shows the agent's age when they appear in that row. The rows below the grid can be used to keep track of each agent's age in each column, and are not a part of the solution.
Time Jumps: When jumping from one cell to the next (ie. when their age increases by 1), a Time Agent may travel as much as they like in time, but only up to 2 columns in space. For example, if Blue at age 3 is in column 2, their digit must appear in columns 1, 3 or 4 in the row where they are age 4.
Controlling cells: When the first Time Agent appears in a column, they take control of the cell they land in and all cells below them. Another Time Agent appearing later (ie. further down) in the column will take control, starting at the time that they arrive, if and only if they are older than the original Time Agent. For example: in a column that reads 142356, where Blue (2) has age 3 and Red (5) has age 4, the 2 and 3 would be Blue and the 5 and 6 would be Red.
Winning locations: For each column, take the sum of the cells controlled by each Time Agent - the Time Agent with the highest sum wins the location. Clues below the grid denote the winning sum (or the tied sum, in a tie).
Losing the Time War: The Time Agent who wins the most locations wins the war. No-one can win the war.
4x4 Example Puzzle
The Puzzle
Lösungscode: The squares that Blue controls in rows 3 and 4 (row 3, then row 4)
Kommentare
am 27. Februar 2025, 17:11 Uhr von spectria.limina
I misunderstood the rules, which led to a very messy and confused first solve.
Once I realised the mistake I'd made, I went back and did it from scratch and it flowed easily. Very nice puzzle, and fantastic implementation of a very tricky concept in Sudoku! I love the flavour, and it makes me sad that Red and Blue will never meet.
am 27. Februar 2025, 10:03 Uhr von pdyxs
Thanks for the lovely comments qoala, etoler, gfoot and brewring!
am 27. Februar 2025, 10:02 Uhr von pdyxs
Adding link to the next puzzle
am 27. Februar 2025, 07:54 Uhr von qoala
Loved this puzzle. I'll need to wait until tomorrow to solve the next one. Wait. Time travel. See you then!
am 27. Februar 2025, 06:35 Uhr von etoler
If you haven't solved this one yet, you're probably not solving the 9x9. If you HAVE solved this one, you won't be able to resist the 9x9.
am 26. Februar 2025, 14:58 Uhr von gfoot
Fun but very challenging to get your head around - until you figure out the consequences of the rules, it is quite daunting - looking forward to the next one for sure so I can put my learnings to the test!
am 26. Februar 2025, 12:21 Uhr von brewring
Absolutely loved this idea. I didn't look at the example so it took me a while to get the initial breakthrough but then it was fantastic. (Slight spiler warning: Absolutely love that the war ended in not only tie for locations but also the total controlled points)
