Sudoku RPG
(Published on 8. May 2024, 16:58 by Corvin)
Killer-Cages (Dungeons): Digits in cages cannot repeat and must sum to the value shown in the upper left corner of the cage.
Thermometers (Quests): Digits on a thermometer strictly increase as they move away from the bulb.
Kropki (Treasures and Keys): Cells separated by white dots are consecutive in value. Cells separated by black dots have values in 2:1 ratio. No negative constraint.
Arrows (Quests): The value of digits along an arrow must sum to the value of the digit in the corresponding circle. Digits may repeat if allowed by other sudoku rules.
Odd/Even (Traps): Cells containing a gray square are even, cells containing a gray circle are odd.
Help the hero (green dot) defeat the final boss (red dot) and save the Sudoku world! Draw the path the hero takes, the path doesn't fork or touch itself, not even diagonally.
The final bosses cell (red dot) is locked and needs to be opened with a key.
Levels:The hero starts at Level 0 and gains levels from completing quests/dungeons, opening chests and disarming traps.
Bosses in dungeons, circle/bulbs in arrows/thermos, the digit inside a treasure/trap all display the amount of levels gained for completing their respective clues.
Dungeons: Each killer cage is a dungeon, the hero can only enter it if he's at least of a level equal to its sum.
To complete the dungeon the hero must traverse it completely without leaving to finish it.
The boss inside a dungeon is always the last cell the heroes path touches before it leaves, it will be the highest number in the dungeon (or tied for it).
Quests: Arrows and Thermos are quests that start at the circle/bulb.
To complete a quest the hero must traverse the clue without leaving it.
Traps: Even and Odd clues are traps, the hero can't walk over them.
Keys/Treasures: White Kropki dots are keys that are picked up when the hero walks over the white dot.
Black Kropki dots mark one of the dot adjacent cells as a treasure chest, the hero can only walk over such a cell when he has a key, which will consume it to open the chest.
Inside the chest is a power-up or item. The type of reward depends on the parity of the chest: Even is a power-up, odd is an item.
The hero can never visit both parts touched by a black Kropki dot.
Power-ups are permanent changes to the game rules.
Items are one use only.
Each reward can only be gained once.
Power-ups:
-Numbers in dungeons can now be repeated if allowed by other rules.
-The path of the hero is allowed to touch itself.
-Thermos now strictly decrease from the bulb.
Items:
-The heroes path can fork once. One of the two paths must stay within the region where the item was used.
-Disarms a single even trap (allowing the hero to pass over it), gain levels equal to its value.
-Disarms a single odd trap (allowing the hero to pass over it), gain levels equal to its value.
Play on SudokuPad by Sven Neumann
Solution code: Row 3
Comments
on 27. June 2024, 10:25 by zrbakhtiar
@Onkel_Dagobert in general cannot. but once you get power up, you can.
on 9. May 2024, 19:11 by Onkel_Dagobert
This is just impossible. In a 66 cage, digits have to repeat
on 9. May 2024, 06:23 by Corvin
@LuanMerlin I missed that one. I adjusted the rules/puzzle to disambiguate the path. The solution and way to solve it is the same as the previous version but now there's only one way to go through the final dungeon.
on 9. May 2024, 06:13 by Corvin
Slightly adjusted the rules and puzzle (added a white Kropki in Box 3) to disambiguate the path in the final dungeon.
on 9. May 2024, 05:32 by Corvin
Fixed some errors in the wording.
on 9. May 2024, 05:29 by Corvin
Based on the feedback I upped the difficulty to 2 Stars and tried to make the wording of the rules clearer.
on 9. May 2024, 04:46 by LuanMerlin
It took me some time to fully understand the rules but I quite liked the puzzle. However, although I was able to solve the sudoku part, I cannot see how I am supposed to know how exactly the path is turning in the last dungeon.
on 8. May 2024, 22:59 by stonetim
Attempted a couple times, but there are far too many rules, with a lot of ambiguity. I love the idea of a Hero following along a quest, which matches to a snake line following some rules, but there are too many, and all are non-standard in some fashion.
Perhaps create again, with a singular special ruleset, otherwise normal constraints.
At least that is my opinion on this.
on 8. May 2024, 20:08 by VitP
I'm actually the target audience for this type of game, but i can't do it. Why?
Basic advice for sudoku setters:
Pluralitas non est regula sine necessitate.
You lead off with 5 variant rules. That is about the limit, but it's still fine, because they are all standard rules. THEN there is a snake. and THEN you still have to wade through 2/3 of the rules, none of which are standard. That's no longer fine.
Since i'm here for a 15 min puzzle, i'm not going to study the rules for half an hour ... and i LIKE complex games.
You MUST present the information most effectively.
1) Describe the path COMPLETELY. Don't make me search the rules for bits and pieces, and try to resolve contradictions.
2) Tell me how to WIN. Why do i care about "levels", "items", "quests", etc.? How do i "beat" the boss?
3) Each special WORD must be defined properly. It needs its own section, and be easy to find within the body of the rules.
on 8. May 2024, 20:08 by abadx
Hmm... too many rules for a 1 star puzzle...
