No! Not The Vs! (Nicolas Cage)
(Published on 4. August 2023, 16:04 by gdc)
This puzzle is themed around an infamous scene from The Wicker Man. The Hitchcock vibe was not intended, but it's there, isn't it? Enjoy!
- Normal Sudoku rules apply.
- On green German Whisper Lines adjacent digits must have a difference of at least 5.
- Cells separated by a V sum to 5. Not all Vs are necessarily given.
- Digits in the cage are odd and may not repeat.
Play Online: CtC, f-puzzles, sudokulab
Difficulty
I don't think there is any one particularly difficult deduction needed to solve this and it's supposed to be suitable for new solvers. However, it takes some time to untagle all the clues and it's not always obvious where the weak spots are. Therefore I'm putting this in as a 2/5. Thanks to everyone who test-solved this on the CtC discord!
I'm planning to set a more intricate nicolas cage puzzle with the vampires ruleset soon. This will take advantage of the fact that vampires can be odd and large (greater than 10) at the same time. Stay tuned for that!
Solution code: Row 1 (9 digits)
Comments
on 9. August 2024, 19:41 by wobblysquash
I'm new to variant sudoku so even a lot of 1 stars I get stuck on. But I get what people mean now about having a lovely flow. This one made me use my brain but each digit solved led to the next in a great way. Extra thumbs up for the title!
on 9. October 2023, 01:05 by gdc
update rules wording and add solution check
on 7. October 2023, 18:42 by Fra314
Beautiful setting, cool puzzle!
on 10. August 2023, 15:35 by One Eyed Man
Great puzzle. Took me a while to find the break in but how the cage interacted with the whispers and V's was brilliant. Loved it.
on 9. August 2023, 21:38 by SolidTux
Very fun one!
As a new solver, the break in was surprisingly fast, but I did struggle afterwards (mostly though because I didn't see obvious things).
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Thanks, SolidTux! Yes, the puzzle gives you plenty of digits for finding the break-in but doesn't "collapse". I'd say it's normal that the finishing phase takes a bit longer than one might expect.
on 7. August 2023, 20:10 by puzzlepandit
I enjoyed it.
on 6. August 2023, 13:24 by anyeyeball
Very nice puzzle. Thanks!
Looking forward to your vampires ruleset puzzle, so here is an actual Nicolas Cage quote on the subject: "I don't drink blood, and last time I looked in the mirror, I had a reflection."
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Thanks for the flavorful quote! I already posted the vampire puzzle on the CtC discord for feedback. It's coming to logic-masters soon.
on 6. August 2023, 13:09 by SHERAX
Nice colorful experience:-)
on 6. August 2023, 09:26 by roavin
Beautiful opening to get the first digit, and a pleasant solve after that. Very, very well done!
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Thanks! I was very happy when I found a ruling for the nicolas cage that works both for the flavor and the opening logic.
on 4. August 2023, 20:48 by peep50183
V satisfying, thank you :)
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Glad you found it satisfying. I'ts what the puzzle is supposed to bee :)
on 4. August 2023, 18:12 by mathpesto
Came for the title, stayed for the VERY FUN solve :)
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I'll take that compliment, and these huggies :)
on 4. August 2023, 16:52 by sujoyku
Thank you for this very fun puzzle, gdc! The combination of the Vs and the whisper lines allows a really speedy solve.
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Thanks sujoyku! Based on the solve numbers so far, I feel there are some people agreeing with you
on 4. August 2023, 16:44 by NotThatKindOfDoctor
The German Whispers are perfect. The Vs are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die.
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Haha! Hoped for some nicolas cage quotes in the comments. Good start!
