Logic Masters Deutschland e.V.

This is my response to a isamooks prompt which was to create a puzzle with the vampires ruleset by damasosos. Thanks to the testers. Hope you enjoy!

Image created with devianart (AI): source

• Normal sudoku rules apply.
• Loop: Draw a one cell wide loop of orthogonally connected cells. The loop may touch itself diagonally, but not orthogonally.
• Vampires/Prey/Targets: Digits on the loop act as vampire cells and digits not on the loop act a prey cells. Each vampire cell has at least one orthogonally adjacent prey cell and targets one of those prey cells.
• Values: The value of a vampire cell is its digit plus one. The value of a prey cell is it digit minus the number of vampires that target it.
• Killer: Values in a cage sum to the total in the top left corner. Digits may not repeat in a cage, but values may.

Example

Here is an example of a valid loop path (grey) and a valid cage. The natural cage total is 6 (1+2+3). It is adjusted up twice by the vampire cells (r4c2, r4c4) and adjusted down three times by the "bites" (marked with an X) i.e. r4c3 is targeted 3 times. In other words, the cage is valid because 5=(1+1)+(2-3)+(3+1)=2-1+4.