Rules:
- There are 2 puzzles presented in the grid:
1) - Normal 9x9 Sudoku rules apply. Place the digits 1-9 in every row, column and box.
- Normal Arrow rules apply. Digits along an arrow must sum to the digit in that arrow's circle.
2) - (Modified) Tapa: Shade some empty cells black to create a single connected wall. Cells with numbers/ ?s cannot be shaded, and the shaded cells cannot form a 2x2 block anywhere in the grid.
Variant: In this puzzle, some of the Tapa grid's clues do not give how many continuous runs of wall segments exist. Instead, the red question marks simply provide how many of the 8 surrounding cells are shaded. Black question marks are normal Tapa clues. In both colours of question marks, the resulting shaded cell count represents which digit needs to be placed in the Sudoku grid in the corresponding position.
Example: If R6C1 in the Tapa grid was a valid 2/2 clue, the ? would represent 4, and a 4 would be placed in R6C1 in the Arrow Sudoku grid. Likewise, if R8C9 was a clue of 4, R8C9 would be a 4 in the Arrow Sudoku grid.
Puzzle Links: The puzzle is most optimally solved in Penpa+ as both grids are presented side by side. Answer check is enabled for correct number placement in the Sudoku grid + any gray correct shading for Tapa grid.
If you are unfamiliar with Penpa's interface, I have also created singular grids in F-Puzzles and CTC:
CTC: Arrow Sudoku Grid Tapa Grid (Arrow grid has answer check for correct numbers.)
F-Puzzles: Arrow Sudoku Grid Tapa Grid
Solution code: Column 6 of the Arrow grid (top to bottom), followed by the length of the continuous wall segments of the first row, followed by the last row, followed by Column 8 of the Tapa grid (left to right and top to bottom)(A continuous string of digits, no commas or spaces in between)
on 27. December 2023, 14:23 by Niverio
Adjusted the name to include the event for which the puzzle was created.
on 21. November 2023, 04:07 by KNT
neat
on 19. November 2023, 16:51 by Playmaker6174
Very cool puzzle with lots of harmonies between both grids, which required myself here to stay conscious throughout. Thanks for this gift :)
on 31. December 2022, 18:19 by Agent
Cool idea, lovely interactions between the linked puzzles!
on 31. December 2022, 14:24 by tallcat
Thoroughly surprised at myself that i managed to solve this! Was a lot of fun and very nicely put together!
on 29. December 2022, 13:02 by Qodec
Fresh and rewarding! Loved it!
on 29. December 2022, 06:08 by ONeill
A really great idea and executed very well! Thanks :)
on 28. December 2022, 13:36 by abed hawila
fascinating puzzle!
on 27. December 2022, 23:52 by JayForty
Fun puzzle, quite tricky to get started but flowed smoothly once I got used to it and remembered all the restrictions :D Thanks!
on 27. December 2022, 18:25 by Vebby
Very nice! Great concept and a lot of fun to solve. Thanks Niv!