Goldilocks and the Renbans (Killer + renban sudoku)
(Published on 23. April 2025, 12:42 by Qodec)
- Sudoku: Each row, column, and region indicated by thick borders in the grid must contain the digits 1 to 9 once each.
- Killer cages: An area surrounded by a dashed line is a 'killer cage'. Digits in a cage cannot repeat, and they sum to the number in the upper left corner.
- Renban: Digits along purple lines are a set of non-repeating consecutive digits in some order.
You can play this puzzle online using Sudokupad: https://sudokupad.app/w12tyqmvs0
Solution code: Row 2 and column 2. I.e. the 9 digits in row 2 from left to right, followed by the 9 digits in column 2 from top to bottom, for example: 123456789 123456789
Comments
on 15. August 2025, 08:45 by Playmaker6174
Wow, such a consistent and rewarding puzzle throughout with so many juicy interactions to be discovered! A few parts definitely took me longer than expected x)
on 21. July 2025, 18:38 by StephenR
Good one, thanks. I felt like the solve of this one crept up on me and caught me slightly unawares.
on 26. April 2025, 11:19 by Djirt
Спасибо за прекрасную головоломку! Великолепные взаимодействия Renban линий и киллер судоку!
on 25. April 2025, 11:10 by Mr.Menace
Everything one would expect from a qodec puzzle. Thanks so much for this beauty!
on 25. April 2025, 09:30 by polcat
Amazing, thank you!
on 25. April 2025, 09:15 by TheNineElements
Solve Time: 50:59
I rated this 3/5 difficulty.
This is an excellent puzzle all around! It really had a lot of great ideas, and the clues (+their placements) worked together brilliantly, and the game logic that arose was totally unexpected.
I think the break-in (and very early midgame) was definitely the hardest part of the puzzle. It felt somewhere around average 3* difficulty. All of the big ideas were still totally fair for 3*s, but I did find them a bit tough to spot nonetheless.
The midgame until the end was a bit easier IMO, and once I had placed several digits, the rest of my solve went very smoothly until the end. The logic for this phase felt around an easier 3*.
I began solving this puzzle yesterday, but had to quit early on after the first handful of minor notes/deductions in the break-in. I resumed my solve from where I left off then, and I needed to spend several minutes trying to recall where I had stopped. This contributed to my solve taking a bit longer than normal, which ended up being closer to my solve times for hard 3*s. Since my time was skewed by that extended break, my "true" solve time would probably have been closer to ~40-45 minutes - being indicative of an easier 3* overall.
On the whole, the puzzle was excellently set/designed, and the difficulty was reasonably approachable/straightforward. The logic flowed very nicely, and I definitely recommend giving the puzzle a solve!
Thanks for sharing!
on 24. April 2025, 12:38 by Franjo
Thank you very much for creating and sharing another amazing masterpiece.
on 24. April 2025, 09:34 by Snookerfan
Excellent puzzle, great fun! Thank you
on 24. April 2025, 09:25 by wuc
Very clever. The break in is awesome. At least 3*. What a (long) marvelous coffee break. Thx.
on 23. April 2025, 19:34 by PinkNickels
Incredible how each piece impacted others. Impressive setting and a very rewarding solve. Thanks for sharing.
on 23. April 2025, 17:34 by EmX68
Beautiful puzzle! Loved how the constraints worked together, thanks!
on 23. April 2025, 16:53 by GeorgeTheToad2
Another fantastic killer, you never fail to impress. Thank you Qodec.
on 23. April 2025, 16:39 by Niverio
Splendid!
on 23. April 2025, 16:30 by Myxo
Lovely!
on 23. April 2025, 16:14 by Piatato
Great fun, thanks!
on 23. April 2025, 15:35 by Fool on Hill
Seriously cool how that unfolded
on 23. April 2025, 13:27 by Exigus
Very nice. I solved it using probably a lot more maths than was really needed.
