Cages Constriction (Slitherlink Chaos Construction Sudoku)
(Published on 8. April 2023, 10:43 by rockratzero)
This puzzle is a combination of Chaos-Construction Sudoku and Slitherlink. It is my first chaos construction puzzle, and I am quite happy with the result. Enjoy!
Sudoku Rules. Place the digits 1-9 in each row column and to-be-defined 9-cell region. Additionally shade one cell in each row and column that does not contain a digit and does not belong to any region.
Slitherlink Rules. Draw a single non-intersecting loop along some cell edges.
-The loop cannot branch off or cross itself.
-Clues in the bottom right of a cell indicate how many of the edges surrounding the cell are visited by the loop.
Chaos Construction Rules. Build regions of orthogonally connected cells in the grid that contain the digits 1-9 with no repeats. Two orthogonally connected cells not separated by a slitherlink border or a shaded cell must be in the same sudoku region.
Two smaller adjacent subregions may be connected to form the larger 9-cell regions if other rules are upheld.
-Clues in the top left of a cell sum a number of orthogonally connected cells comprising a "killer cage". Digits may not repeat in such cages. The size of the cage is the same as the slitherlink clue found in the same cell. A cage may not cross over a slitherlink border. Cages may not overlap and do not include shaded cells. The clue does NOT need to be found in the upper left cell of a cage.
-Circles indicate that the sudoku digit and Slitherlink clue for the cell are the same.
EXAMPLE PUZZLE "Slightly Squeezed"
Play on Penpa+
Play on SudokuPad (Answer check on digits only)
MAIN PUZZLE "Cages Constriction"
Play on Penpa+
Play on SudokuPad (Answer check on digits only)
Solution code: Row 7 digits and shading (Use "X" for shaded cells), followed by the number of Slitherlink segments that cross column 8. Eleven characters, no spaces.
Comments
on 7. July 2024, 10:26 by rich_27
I loved this!
on 8. October 2023, 19:15 by coreng
Fabulous setting! Not incredibly hard, just time consuming to find the next deduction. There were points when I thought I broke the puzzle, but then I remembered a rule and it just worked. Thanks!
on 22. April 2023, 12:30 by Silverstep
Rules clarification: Is it allowed for a killer cage to contain a shaded cell?
rrz - no, killer cages only contain cells with digits. that is a very nuanced question indeed. I will adjust the rules here slightly to make that point.
on 18. April 2023, 17:47 by peacherwu2
Magnificent puzzle! Though the rule description can be refined.
rrz- thank you for your comment - what rule has you confused?
on 18. April 2023, 14:36 by wildbush7
Wow, magnificent puzzle - thoroughly enjoyed it even though it took me longer than I care to admit!
on 11. April 2023, 22:03 by Ekkojensen
Thanks for setting this! I really liked the combination of puzzle types and rules. Alltogether very difficult, but without any single step feeling too hard.
on 11. April 2023, 18:38 by Playmaker6174
Lots of fun and satisfaction, despite my brain didn't function so well at certain points :)
on 11. April 2023, 18:34 by kjholt
Unless I'm very bad at math (which I admit is a possibility), I believe the rules should say there must be 10 regions (rather than 9). Amazing puzzle :) Plus having the solution code in the Penpa solution pop-up is something I wish every setter would do!
rrz - Thanks! You are correct that was silly of me, I just removed "nine" from the rules and will update the links with such rules.
on 8. April 2023, 14:54 by AnalyticalNinja
Now that was a very cool puzzle. I really enjoyed finding the interactions that made this one work, very satisfying from beginning to end. Thanks so much for sharing rockratzero! :)
