Caged by a Secret Killer
(Published on 23. February 2024, 04:33 by PhoenixAki)
This is the first in my Escape the Killer series. Continue the story with Escape the Foggy Liar after you finish this one!
- Normal sudoku rules apply. Place the digits 1-9 in each row, column, and 3x3 box without repetition.
- Killer Cages: Digits in dotted-line cages must sum to the value in the top left corner of the cage. In this puzzle, these totals are given as letters and their value must be deduced. Each letter has a unique sum. For instance, the value of A can not be the same as the value of C, G, or E.
- Diagonal: Digits may not repeat along either of the marked diagonals.
- German Whispers: Adjacent digits on a green line must have a difference of at least 5.
- Consecutive Pairs: Digits separated by a white dot must be consecutive.
- Inequalities: Inequality symbols (< and ^) point to the lower of two digits.
To increase accessibility to my puzzles, I include hints in my puzzle posts (see below). I also post solution videos on my Patreon and YouTube channel. Puzzles released prior to February 2026, as well as my snackdoku and variant sudoku 101 series will continue to get public solution videos on YouTube, while others will be Patreon-exclusive.
Hint 1: You can reduce C and E to 2 options each because of what the overall rows must sum to.
Hint 2: Once you know what C and E are, those sums aren't usable by A and G. That, along with the given digits in columns 1 and 9, heavily restrict what A and G can be.
Hint 3: Don't forget that German whisper lines can never have a 5 on them. What does that mean about where 5's can go?
Solution code: Column 4, from top to bottom, as a 9-digit string
Comments
on 28. January 2026, 01:12 by PhoenixAki
Added links to Patreon.
on 12. January 2026, 01:40 by PhoenixAki
Added 3 hints after learning recently how to do that in HTML. Wish I knew this last week when I went over all my posts...oh well.
on 4. January 2026, 03:14 by PhoenixAki
Updated post as part of an effort to improve consistency of rule phrasing and post layout across all my puzzles. Similar edits will come to my other puzzles soon™
on 12. December 2025, 09:58 by marajade
Loved this! I found it harder than it's supposed to be for a while until I remembered that little unique sum detail, and then it was smooth sailing!
on 15. November 2025, 12:50 by Nightmare2805
Very clever
on 24. April 2025, 16:52 by KingIsulgard
13:23 but 2* for the break in
on 4. April 2025, 19:58 by PhoenixAki
added link to newest puzzle
on 11. March 2025, 10:53 by PhoenixAki
updated puzzle post format to match my other puzzles
on 20. January 2025, 19:54 by Friedhelm
Very well done!
on 19. January 2025, 22:23 by PhoenixAki
added link to solution video
on 7. April 2024, 21:28 by Q-Rog
Nice construction. Thanks!
on 4. April 2024, 23:58 by wuc
Found it easier than most 2 star. Cool puzzle thx.
on 28. March 2024, 05:46 by CcmarvMD
Absolutely beautiful puzzle, from deducing the cages to the way the german whispers got involved on the diagonals, just absolutely WOW. Amazing puzzle!
on 26. February 2024, 07:46 by PhoenixAki
Thanks to everyone who solved it so far! I did not expect ~120 solves in only ~2 days and I'm glad it's well-received. I have a few ideas for future puzzles but I don't currently have enough time to make any more, I expect that to change by around April or May :)
on 23. February 2024, 22:16 by Virux
Really really nice. Smooth sailing the whole way through. Lovely break-in with really fun math. A wonderful debut as a puzzle setter. Hope you will make another one similar to this one. Really fun to solve
on 23. February 2024, 16:24 by One Eyed Man
Really enjoyed this. Great construction and smooth solve.
on 23. February 2024, 16:24 by Xexxis
I thought this was excellent, even more impressive if it was your first released puzzle! Well done!
on 23. February 2024, 15:45 by VitP
A little bit of math in my life
A little bit of math by my side
A little bit of math's all I need
A little bit of math's what I see
A little bit of math in the sun
A little bit of math all night long
A little bit of math, here I am
1,2,3,4,5
8,9,10,11,12
... G-A = 4
on 23. February 2024, 11:23 by Fra314
Well constructed and super fun!
on 23. February 2024, 06:13 by rameshsrivats
Very nice puzzle.
on 23. February 2024, 04:42 by PhoenixAki
edit: made small addition to description
