6x6 Loop-Pack: Volume 1 (Renban, Entropic, Kropki)
(Published on 20. April 2024, 16:58 by gdc)
Unlike my previous 6x6 packs, I decided to make this one more thematic and use some constraints throughout all puzzles. These constraints are "loop-finding" and "sight-lines".
- Normal Sudoku rules apply.
- Draw a one-cell-wide loop of orthogonally connected cells. The loop can't touch itself, not even diagonally.
- Circles are on the loop. Squares are not on the loop.
- A digit in a circle/square counts how many cells of the same type (loop/non-loop) it sees in the row and column, including itself. The other type blocks vision.
Each puzzle contains an additional loop-constraint that is inspired by common variant-sudoku clues (such as renban lines). Click on the images to solve the puzzles on SudokuPad. If you are new to loop-puzzles or sight-lines, there are examples (with images) below. Thanks to all the testers!
Explanation: Loops
Drawing an orthogonal loop means that each cell on the loop shares an edge with exactly two other cells on the loop. Since the loop can't touch diagonally, the "interior" of the loop is also orthogonally connected (i.e. "edge-connected").
Explanation: Sight-Lines (circles, squares)
Circles count the number of seen loop-cells in the same row and column with non-loop cells blocking the vision. They always count themselves so a sight-line clue can never be 0. Squares do the same but they count non-loop cells. The images below show examples of valid fills for circles and squares. Colored cells are seen by those clues.
Volume 1?
I made a bunch of puzzles with this constraint now and decided to only put 3 of them into this pack to make things more manageable. Volume 2 is available here and a link to volume 3 will be added as soon as it's released.
Solution code: The last three digits from row 6 of each puzzle (3 digits each, 9 digits total)
Comments
on 28. August 2024, 15:50 by ThymePass
All three puzzles were great fun and ... educational thanks to the progressively dwindling number of circles + squares! Thanks for putting these together :)
On to volume 2!
on 8. May 2024, 10:19 by CHalb
Very nice puzzles :) . And thanks for the hint towards the copy feature. Well, it does work, but my problem was to find it and to recognize it as what it is.
on 7. May 2024, 09:34 by gdc
@CHalb: SudokuPad has a "Copy Rules to Clipboard" feature. If this isn't working for you, please get into contact with the SudokuPad support. I'm not going to bloat this page with the rules for each individual puzzle.
on 6. May 2024, 20:34 by CHalb
I can't copy the instructions as text from sudokupad?! No matter how short they are: That's definitely for sure quite significantly annoying for me. Please add them here.
edit: Ok, I managed to copy the text of the left one somehow. Don't no how, won't try further and can't unmark the text in sudokupad :(( . Please complete instructions here.
on 30. April 2024, 20:57 by ChinStrap
Another great snack pack of logic from gdc!
on 23. April 2024, 19:43 by gdc
add link to volume 2
on 21. April 2024, 22:14 by Sinuit
I loved the constraints and the difficulty. They are quite easy but not trivial. So, as with all good snacks I would have loved to have more than three of them. :-)
Thanks a lot for sharing!
on 21. April 2024, 18:47 by fitzie
three seems to be a good number, but making these the same theme really made this pack fun to do.
on 21. April 2024, 04:40 by brightonsimon
Chewier than expected for 1* 6x6s but most enjoyable, thank you :-)
on 20. April 2024, 21:36 by LehanLehan
I'd prefer little packs like appetizer. Thanks for the puzzles,it always tastes good.
