Standard sudoku rules: each row, column, and 3x3 box must contain all the digits from 1 to 9.
Digits separated by an X must sum to 10; digits separated by a V must sum to 5.
All the lines are both entropic lines and sum lines:
Any three consecutive cells along a line must contain a digit from (123), a digit from (456) and a digit from (789).
Digits on a line have the same total for each region the line enters. Different lines may have different totals.
Solution code: Enter row 5.
on 23. March 2024, 04:25 by Nostor
Thank you for a lovely puzzle. In my opinion it's pushing towards 3* probably. I loved the break-in and the flow afterwards, as it is by no means just giving in once the break-in is done.
on 23. March 2024, 00:54 by EPH
@VitP I had the basic idea and layout for a long time. It took quite a bit of work, going down dead ends, until I found something that would work. After that, I tried a bunch of things to make it solvable by a human in an enjoyable way. Somewhere I may have the version where you really have to work stuff out on paper. Thanks for the solve and comments.
on 22. March 2024, 17:04 by apcostel15
Looks like it's going to be a wild break-in, but it's a bit more constrained than you'd initially think. Once you dig into it, it opens nicely. Pretty fun puzzle!
on 22. March 2024, 15:38 by VitP
two comments:
1) i find it remarkable that the setter could even envision this, let alone construct it.
2) calling it difficulty 2 is a stretch. it's not that it's LOGICALLY difficult, rather it's PSYCHOLOGICALLY difficult. non-experts will not even imagine that there MIGHT be the severe restrictions that allow for a solution, and will give up.
3) i needed paper notes to work out the first 3 lines
on 22. March 2024, 10:17 by Sinuit
Great puzzle. Thanks!
on 21. March 2024, 19:06 by EPH
Thanks, sujoyku! The first version of the puzzle DID have a "sophisticated" break-in. More of a chore break-in. lol
on 21. March 2024, 18:28 by sujoyku
Thank you for this great entropy/region sum line puzzle, EPH! At the beginning, I was a little scared the break-in could be very sophisticated, but although the logic was not obvious, it was approachable and had a nice flow throughout. Thank you for setting and sharing!