Runway (Killer sudoku with maximum totals + arrows)
(Published on 6. October 2024, 19:06 by Qodec)
- Sudoku: Each row, column, and region indicated by thick borders in the grid must contain the digits 1 to 9 once each.
- Arrows: Digits along an arrow sum to the digit in its attached circle.
- Maximum killer cages: An area surrounded by a dashed line is a killer cage. Digits in a cage cannot repeat. If a number is given in the upper left corner of a cage, the digits in that cage sum to that number - or less.
You can play this puzzle online using Sudokupad: https://sudokupad.app/0qxs14n4hl
Solution code: Row 1 and column 5. I.e. the 9 digits in row 1 from left to right, followed by the 9 digits in column 5 from top to bottom, for example: 123456789123456789
Comments
on 24. December 2024, 10:01 by TheNineElements
Solve Time; 127:00
I rated this 5/5 difficulty.
Wow this one was tough and just seemed to refuse to collapse! Very hard but very beautiful puzzle with loads of clever ideas. The whole puzzle from start to finish was hard, and only began to get easier once I finally cracked the possibilities/arrangements '<=18' cage towards the top right of the puzzle (maybe 100 minutes in). Even after that, the classic sudoku wasn't trivial and the cages/arrows still had several tricks that needed to be used to make deductions.
The first phase of the break-in was very beautiful and well-thought out. Once I spotted the initial idea/geometry and could begin progressing at the bottom of the grid I felt that the puzzle was well-paced and packed a ton of tricky ideas into each of the clues. The first trick for the break-in that I spotted was probably 4/5 difficulty - but the rest of the break-in and early phases of the solve were undoubtedly 5* difficulty.
The middle phase of the solve was an entropy-balancing-act that pushed the limit of my capabilities as a solver - but was super rewarding when I spotted new tricks to whittle down possibilities/placements. 100% 5/5 difficulty for me. I got stuck maybe 4 or 5 times for 10+ minutes where I would attempt pencil-marking/coloring for a while until I was able to spot geometries (like more advanced killer cage logic tricks) that then propagated to a new area of the puzzle. Despite being quite difficult and a long solve, the puzzle did feel like it had a planned-out solve path right up until the very end.
After I figured out (much of) the nature of the <=18 sum cage, the remainder of the solve was between 4-5/5 difficulty. Due to the amount of time it took me and the sheer number of hard deductions required to progress, I had to rate this puzzle 5* difficulty.
This puzzle is pretty much at the limit [of difficulty] for my sudoku skills/experience/knowledge, but was super rewarding to solve and was a serious challenge. Amazing puzzle and great setting. I have no idea how you were able to set such a delicate solve packed with so many different and complex ideas, but the fact you did is a testament to your creativity & skill as a setter.
Thanks for creating this puzzle & sharing it to the community!
on 7. November 2024, 10:15 by Christounet
Just brilliant ! Thanks :)
on 16. October 2024, 10:59 by Inanbana
Throughout the puzzle challenge and difficulty never decrease… Really nice one
on 16. October 2024, 00:31 by Bellsita
That was really hard!!! Qodec you broke me.
on 15. October 2024, 02:02 by tallcat
Masterclass in intricate setting
on 12. October 2024, 18:59 by NEWS
Super Hard.
on 11. October 2024, 23:33 by GeorgeTheToad2
Wow, lots of new logic in this beauty. Thank you.
on 10. October 2024, 12:20 by Playmaker6174
What a ridiculously clever (and intricate) puzzle. It should be illegal to set something that clicks this nicely together xd
on 9. October 2024, 08:27 by Laake
Incredible stuff!
on 7. October 2024, 21:05 by dumediat
Challenging but rewarding, thank you for helping me through some sticking points!
on 7. October 2024, 20:47 by Myxo
Amazing!
on 7. October 2024, 12:26 by Snookerfan
Very nice! Gorgeous, but very hard to find solvepath. Thank you
