Ancient Tablet
(Published on 25. July 2023, 15:51 by Kafkapharnaum)
Huge thanks to henrypijames not just for testing, but also for providing a new, improved wording for my Doppelganger ruleset dopplperschg doppltrgy
GERMAN WHISPERS
– Adjacent digits along every line in the grid must have a difference of at least 5 (dgits can repeat along a German Whisper line if allowed by the other rules)
DOPPELGANGER
– Every row, column, and box contains the digit 0 always, as well as eight out of the nine digits from 1 to 9 (ie, it's missing one digit that is not 0)
– No two row, no two column, and no two box may be missing the same digit
– For each 0 in the grid, the digits missing in its row, its column, and its box must be three different digits
*** Also, note that a zero always acts as itself (ie, the lowest possible value), regardless of what digits it's replacing in its box, row and column
SOLVING LINKS (no solution check)
Solve on Penpa – with tracking cells
Solve on Penpa – main grid only
Solve on the CTC app – with tracking cells
Solve on the CTC app – main grid only
Solution code: Row 8
Comments
on 7. August 2024, 14:04 by The Book Wyrm
Utterly brilliant puzzle.
Lots of very cool and interesting logic throughout. The doppelganger ruleset being able to disambiguate the high-low polarity without any extra clues is very cool, and makes for a neat puzzle. So much interesting logic here, using a variety of deductions from both doppelgangers and whispers.
Rather hard, especially one step nearer the end for me, but nothing unreasonable.
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What a great feeling to wake up to this, thank you so much! I'm thrilled you enjoyed the puzzle like that. And very well observed about the more Doppelganger-specific deductions in this one - I'm very impressed by all the solvers who solved this one as their first of this kind. Thanks so much again for all your feedbacks!
on 31. March 2024, 10:40 by bodemeister
This is literally one of the best, most elegent, and most fun puzzles of all time. Finally 5 gets included in the action! Excellent mix of doppelganger and German whispers back and forth throughout the solve. Every placement from the first digit (won't spoil where) to resolving two different high/low coloring configurations and placing the final digits, this puzzle is a rare gem. Thanks!!!
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Wow, thank you so much for yet another solve and for such kind words -- I'm thrilled you had fun solving this one and thought that highly of it, this really means a lot :D
on 16. November 2023, 22:29 by MicroStudy
highly cool, and as a society we should bring back grey whispers
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Hahaha, true, I mean, don't they just look slick like that? -- Thanks so much for the solve and comment, I'm glad you liked the puzzle!
on 16. November 2023, 22:28 by Myxo
Lovely puzzle! The ruleset seems intimidating at first, but the puzzle teaches its concepts very nicely :)
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:O ! filuta was just telling me that you were solving the puzzle on stream, looks like you were already on the home stretch! Thank you so much for the solve (and stream), I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the puzzle! :D
on 24. October 2023, 18:07 by Yann
Insane ! You start thinking that it's an easy (but inventive) coloring puzzle, but then you discover a whole world, made of wonderful and thrilling deductions about the polarity and the value of the cells, and when you're beginning to enjoy this, the puzzle resolves unexpectedly ! Thanks for setting this beauty !
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Thank you so much for your solve and awesome comment, I'm thrilled you appreciated the puzzle like that! This one is definitely part of the puzzles that took me the most efforts/tries/whathaveyou to set, so all solves on it are doubly appreciated! :D
on 13. August 2023, 11:15 by wullemuus
Really elegant construction. Having the 3face rule in mind and using the tracking form the solving time was significantly lower than with "Solaris" and for that more fun. Looking forward to the next Doppelganger :D!
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Looks like you're on a roll, thank you so much for your solve and for taking the time to comment!
Also am I getting this right and did you solve Solaris without the 'tracking cells'? :O I mean, I always provide a 'main grid' option only but I always assume solvers would use the 'QoL' version -- I'm not even sure I could do without those myself XD Anyhow, I'm glad it went smoothly with this one here and that it was fun, thanks so much again!
on 27. July 2023, 22:45 by Mennoo_
What a puzzle! Loved every second of it.
Very very difficult indeed, but the solving process is so much fun, I enjoyed every second of it. It takes a long time to make deduction after deduction without being able to fill in a digit, including some very difficult steps. But once you get to the digits the solving is more straightforward, but not dull with the ruling of the 0 representing 3 different digits for either column, row or box
on 25. July 2023, 21:00 by Piatato
Absolutely stunning construction! Perhaps the best doppelganger puzzle so far, it's just so amazingly elegant!
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Thank you so much for such a comment, I'm well and truly happy that this puzzle could inspire that -- combined with that first solve, that really made my day! :D
