Parity Cave
(Published on 4. December 2023, 00:26 by Prof.Dori)
Parity Cave
Rules:
Normal sudoku rules apply. Shade some cells such that all shaded cells are orthogonally connected, and all unshaded cells are orthogonally connected (a 2x2 area MAY be fully shaded or unshaded). For each N, row N and box N both have exactly N shaded cells, which contain exactly the digits from 1 to N. Adjacent cells on the red line have different parities i.e. one digit is odd and the other digit is even.
Solution code: Row 1 followed by row 2.
Comments
on 4. December 2023, 23:52 by masu33
Thanks for the construct, it was truly a delightful ruleset. Probably only interesting for this one occassion, but entertaining to think about nevertheless.
on 4. December 2023, 19:15 by drbs
In truly exquisite craftsmanship, this stands as a genuine masterpiece.
on 4. December 2023, 17:36 by Niverio
Very intriguing that such a grid exists. The solve path is pretty nice, a few steps were in unexpected places which lengthened my solve time quite a bit.
on 4. December 2023, 15:47 by Calvinball
Instant classic! It's always great when a minimalistic grid has such a smooth and enjoyable solve path.
Also I'm pretty sure, I know the moment Marty was talking about, and I can confirm it's delightful.
on 4. December 2023, 01:17 by marty_sears
This is another quintessentially Dorlir masterpiece from Dorlir :D This should be included on his Greatest Hits album, it's genius.
I found this way more inuitive and doable than his Yin Yang thermos puzzle. That was brilliant, but this one I found even more elegant and smooth. I only needed one or two very small hints for this... for whatever reason this puzzle was quite well suited to the way my brain works and the sort of puzzle I'm good at.
The solve path definitely has a miraculous feeling quality. At the start you can't fathom how on earth it's all going to resolve itself with so few clues, but there are a few 'aha!' moments where you suddenly appreciate something new about the puzzle which will help you not just for that step but for the rest of the solve. It's a very fun learning journey.
There's one particular bit about halfway through where something is forced in an unexpected but delightful way. It's one of the trickier steps, but so satisfying, and I think you'll know what I'm talking about when you find it.
