Cookie Crime Part 3: On The Scent (Nala‘s Adventures #29)
(Published on 6. February 2026, 10:57 by SandraNala)
While the story is connected, it is definitely possible to solve each of these puzzles without having solved the previous one!
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Cookie Crime Part 3: On The Scent
Nala gathered enough information to have a good idea about the identity of the cookie thief. And the best part is: she knows where to look for him. All she has to do is follow the scent she was able to pick up from the shed fur she found. An easy job for a nose as good as hers! Follow along if you want to find the cookie thief as well!
Masyu-esque rules apply: Draw a path that passes through all circled and rectangled cells. The path must go straight through the cells with circles, with a turn in at least one of the cells immediately before/after each circle. The path must make a turn in all the rectangles, but must go straight in both cells immediately before/after each rectangle.
The path starts in box 1 on the cell marked with „Start“, moving in the direction the arrow is pointing. The path ends on the "culprit cell".
Normal Sudoku rules apply: Place the digits 1-9 in every row, column and box exactly once each.
Additionally the grid is partially covered in fog. Placing correct digits will clear the fog from surrounding cells, possibly revealing more clues.
Digits in circles are odd and digits in rectangles are even.
For each box the path visits, while it stays within the box, digits along the path must strictly increase from where the path entered the box up to where it leaves the box. (Think: build your own thermometer)
The path is allowed to touch diagonally if it wants to, but it can not touch itself orthogonally.
Digits separated by a white dot are consecutive. Digits separated by a black dot are in a 1:2 ratio. Not all possible dots are given. (There is no negative constraint.)
Drawings in the grid are simply cosmetic!
Click to play: Cookie Crime Part 3: On The Scent
Solution code: Digits from row 9 (left to right):
Comments
on 15. February 2026, 00:31 by soupseason
I never came across your puzzles before a couple weeks ago so I decided to go back and solve all of Nala's adventures in order. I had so much fun and as a bonus I got to try a lot of sudoku variants I didn't know or was too scared to try before this. What an amazing series of lovingly crafted puzzles :)
Sandra here! Aww thank you! Warms my heart to read this. There is truth to every of our puzzles, so a lot of the praise should actually go to Nala for constantly providing inspiration!
on 9. February 2026, 23:57 by Schatzmeister
Now we need more adventures with the culprit, too!
Sandra here: Good idea! I’ll see what I can come up with :)
on 9. February 2026, 20:01 by dzamie
Criminal apprehended! Ironically, my familiarity with Masyu was my biggest hindrance in this puzzle - I kept forgetting that the line can't touch itself orthogonally, and so kept considering possibilities that would be possible in normal masyu, but impossible here.
Sandra here! I can imagine :D thanks for helping Nala solve her first crime case! :)
on 8. February 2026, 16:13 by Klausku
this 3-part-adventure was fun. I love the straight forward logic in it. Thanks for sharing.
on 6. February 2026, 17:41 by Franjo
Thank you very much for creating and sharing another lovely path-puzzle following beautiful Nala.
on 6. February 2026, 17:37 by Playmaker6174
Super fun to follow the entire case, thanks again for the experience x)
on 6. February 2026, 16:35 by PsyMar
For anyone having trouble seeing the digits in the square boxes -- try the experimental dark mode feature on sudokupad. this puzzle looks much better with it!
Sandra here! That is a good suggestion. Another option is to turn on outlines for digits which will give them a white outline :)
PsyMar here again -- I didn't know about the outlines, I'll have to find that, that would help with so many puzzles!
on 6. February 2026, 13:20 by wuc
Very nice 1.5* to me. Very steady flowing with nice approachable steps. Great setting thx.
