Nobody Home (Negative constraint numbered rooms)
(Published on 20. June 2023, 02:25 by AnalyticalNinja )
Rules:
- Normal sudoku rules apply.
- Digits outside the grid are numbered rooms clues - and must occur in the xth place from the direction of the clue where x is the digit in the cell next to the clue.
- All outside clues are for the same digit to be determined by the solver.
- All such clues are given. (negative constraint, as in the clued digit from the previous rule can't be seen by any potential numbered rooms clue.)
- No cell can be referenced by more than one potential clue. (example, if r2c1 was a 3, then r1c3 could NOT contain a 2 as there would then be two potential clues referencing r2c3.)
I have included a 6x6 example puzzle to illustrate the logic. In it I colored the cells that would be referenced by potential clues red, and I colored the "clued" digit green. The example puzzle can be played with F-Puzzles or CTC (SudokuPad).
Nobody home is playable with F-Puzzles or CTC (SudokuPad).
Hint to get started: (1 can't go in a corner, because it would reference itself in both its row and column. Which is against the rules.)
Solution code: Row N of the solution, where N is the clued digit.
Comments
on 29. June 2024, 19:05 by isajo4002
Going back and forth between looking at indexed digits and doing sudoku was lots of fun thank you for this amazing puzzle they always amaze me
on 23. June 2023, 23:08 by Myxo
Beautiful puzzle!
on 23. June 2023, 12:58 by AnalyticalNinja
Added slight rules clarified.
But if the rules are still unclear, here's a concise translation:
- Normal sudoku rules
- Every digit N on the border points at the Nth cell from the border
- No two digits can point at the same cell
- There's one digit that isn't pointed to
on 23. June 2023, 08:11 by glum_hippo
I found the rule formulation largely confusing, but I imagine it's possibly less fun if you take away the mystery. Very nice puzzle otherwise
on 21. June 2023, 22:34 by RockyRoer
Yay! A sort of Activated Cells-like puzzle, I loved it! Lots of fun figuring out what cell was the “protected” unshaded digit. Thanks for setting and posting it!
on 21. June 2023, 11:24 by AnalyticalNinja
Added hint at the bottom.
on 20. June 2023, 04:39 by mathpesto
A very clever twist on numbered rooms, and not too tricky once you wrap your head around the rules!
