Make Room
(Published on 5. July 2023, 00:36 by Jay Dyer)
Rules
- Deconstruction: Contained within the grid are nine non-overlapping 3x3 square regions, to be located. Each region contains the digits 1-9 once each, and no digit repeats in a row or column. Cells outside regions do not contain digits.
- Numbered rooms: Numbers outside the grid (to be determined) are numbered rooms clues: if the clue is a digit d, then d appears in the row/column by the clue in the Nth cell from the clue's end, where N is the first digit in that row/column seen from the clue's end. Every row and column has a valid numbered rooms clue placed at both ends.
- Renban: The digits on a red line (including numbered rooms clues) may not repeat, and form a set of consecutive digits, that may or may not be in order. A line may contain any number of digits, including none.
Solution code: Row 9, not including numbered rooms clues. Use X for empty cells.
Comments
on 4. January 2024, 14:45 by Fool on Hill
Great puzzle. Cool break-in and then a tough challenge.
on 18. July 2023, 02:01 by MaizeGator
I am convinced that Jay Dyer is an alien or something. There is no way that a human brain can create a puzzle like this.
I really like puzzles like this that have an easily-spottable break-in with a considerable ramp-up in difficulty. Although I struggled mightily in the middle, I was interested enough to persevere, and I am very glad that I did.
Hopefully this isn't too much of a spoiler, but for anyone who is struggling as much as I did, asking SET-theoryish questions about the geometry of overlapping boxes helped me to find a way through the puzzle logically. I think this may be typical of deconstruction puzzles, but I hadn't done enough of them to internalize it.
on 18. July 2023, 01:43 by shteev
Quite astonishing. Incredibly hard tho!
on 17. July 2023, 21:43 by wullemuus
Really marvellous! Especially in the beginning and the end brilliant interactions.
@Maize Gator: Like in other numbered rooms the digits outside the grid could repeat. Beside the ones on renban lines they have no influence on the puzzle.
on 17. July 2023, 12:25 by MaizeGator
Rule clarification: can digits repeat in the rows/columns outside the grid? For example could r0c2 be the same as r0c7?
The way the rules are written, I think this seems fine, but I’m horribly stuck and can’t think of anything else
on 15. July 2023, 15:32 by killer_rectangle
@wullemuus Yes, they must contain digits. Note that EVERY row and column must have a numbered room clue.
on 15. July 2023, 11:05 by wullemuus
Just for clarification: There are 14 cells outside the grid on renban lines. Must they contain digits or not?
on 6. July 2023, 23:33 by peacherwu2
I have to take a nap after starting this after two hours.
on 6. July 2023, 17:28 by samuel1997
For those who are confusing with the Numbered rooms rule, it means that EVERY first digit in EVERY row and column in both directions has to be a valid numbered rooms clue.
E.g. let say there is a row consists of XXDDDXXDDDX(X for empty cell, D for a digit).
Then the first digit in this row from the left, which is 3rd position, can't be 1, 2, 6, or 7, as from that direction, digit can't be put in the 1th cell, 2th cell, 6th cell or 7th cell from that end as they are empty cells.
From the other direction, the first digit, which is 10th position, can't be 1,5 or 6, as from that direction, digit can't be put in the 1th cell, 5th cell or 6th cell from that end as they are empty cells.
Hope this help.
on 6. July 2023, 01:47 by Myxo
What an incredible puzzle! I found it very difficult, though.
on 5. July 2023, 20:40 by wand
wow, this was an absolute marvel. my brain still hasn't gotten used to the constraint but there were so many surprises in there
