Logic Masters Deutschland e.V.

Initial Setter Difficulty: 3/5

Normal Sudoku rules apply
Place the digits 1-9 so that they do not repeat in any row, column, or 3x3 box.

Dutch Flats
Every 5 in the grid must have a '1' directly above it or a '9' directly below it. It may have both, but it doesn't need both.

Zombie Cages
Digits in cages must sum to the number in the top-left corner, and digits cannot repeat within a cage. All cages must grow by at least one (could be more!) orthogonally connected cell, spreading like a zombie infection. Cages cannot share cells.

Special Thanks
Palpot for sharing the workload of setting of this puzzle with me. We both really hope you enjoy it.
This puzzle was initially set for Scojo's Halloween discord prompt. Following Scojo's live solve the puzzle has been significantly reworked as an early deduction was far tougher than we hoped and there was no easy way to amend just the start. This has allowed Palpot and I to make a much improved version. Thanks to GoodCity, Sujoyku and gdc for testing.

We have been blessed with guest setters producing Dutch Flat Mates puzzles, and incredibly have a rough order of releases all the way into 2025, including 3 upcoming debuts.
The next 2 weeks see the return of Sujoyku with a clever puzzle that has a twist on the standard Killer Cage, and Prof.Dori making his Flat Mate debut with a wonderful and very approachable twist on the standard Flat Mates rule.

To play this weeks Dutch Flat Mates, please click here: Play CTC
To play with simplified visuals, please click here: Accessible Version

Hint to Start

What are the options for the 7 cage, and what is left to go in the 9 cage?
Keep on top of your Flat Mate deductions, as happy 5s are especially important in the flow of this puzzle.

Example Puzzle
Small example image, covering the basics of the new rule:
The left 15 cage grows and takes the cells in yellow (1+2+3+4+5=15).
The right 15 cage grows and takes the cells in orange (1+2+5+7=15).

This Weeks Puzzle

Previous puzzles in the Dutch Flat Mates series:

• #01 - 18 Oct 23 - Classic
• #02 - 25 Oct 23 - Thermometers
• #03 - 01 Nov 23 - German Whispers
• #04 - 08 Nov 23 - Region Sum Lines
• #05 - 15 Nov 23 - Sandwich Sums
• #06 - 22 Nov 23 - Little Killer
• #07 - 29 Nov 23 - Kropki
• #08 - 05 Dec 23 - Zipper Lines
• #09 - 12 Dec 23 - Renban - By GoodCity
• #10 - 19 Dec 23 - Nabner - By GoodCity
• #11 - 26 Dec 23 - Skyscrapers - By GoodCity
• #12 - 03 Jan 24 - Dutch Whispers
• #13 - 10 Jan 24 - Killer Cages
• #14 - 17 Jan 24 - Arrows
• #15 - 24 Jan 24 - Ten Lines
• #16 - 31 Jan 24 - 159 Index and Even - By GoodCity
• #17 - 07 Feb 24 - Friendly Cells
• #18 - 14 Feb 24 - Quads
• #19 - 21 Feb 24 - Silent Killer - By GoodCity
• #20 - 28 Feb 24 - XV and Equality
• #21 - 06 Mar 24 - X-Sums
• #22 - 13 Mar 24 - Numbered Rooms - By GoodCity
• #23 - 20 Mar 24 - Diagonal X-Sums
• #24 - 27 Mar 24 - Yin Yang (Neighborhoods) - By Palpot
• #25 - 03 Apr 24 - Hit Points
• #26 - 10 Apr 24 - Counting Circles
• #27 - 17 Apr 24 - XY Difference - By GoodCity
• #28 - 24 Apr 24 - Double Sandwich Sums
• #29 - 01 May 24 - Foggy Knights
• #30 - 08 May 24 - Look and Say Little Killer
• #31 - 15 May 24 - Slingshot - By GoodCity
• #32 - 22 May 24 - 258 Index and Odd
• #33 - 29 May 24 - Rellik
• #34 - 05 Jun 24 - Search 9 - By Palpot
• #35 - 12 Jun 24 - Diagonal Outside
• #36 - 19 Jun 24 - Entropic Snake - Collab with Palpot
• #37 - 26 Jun 24 - Rossini - By GoodCity
• #38 - 03 Jul 24 - Pointer Arrows
• #39 - 10 Jul 24 - Same Difference - by Marty Sears
• #40 - 17 Jul 24 - Battenburg and Average Arrows
• #41 - 24 Jul 24 - Omnipotent Lines - by Sujoyku
• #42 - 31 Jul 24 - Modular Snake
• #43 - 07 Aug 24 - Hot and Cold Lines - by Marty Sears
• #44 - 14 Aug 24 - Minmax Quads - by Sujoyku
• #45 - 21 Aug 24 - Quad Sums - By GoodCity
• #46 - 28 Aug 24 - Entropic Whispers - by gdc
• #47 - 04 Sep 24 - Thripper Lines
• #48 - 11 Sep 24 - Index Lines - by Marty Sears
• #49 - 18 Sep 24 - Kroopki Doots - by Damo_89
• #50 - 25 Sep 24 - Frameless / X-Less X-Sums
• #51 - 02 Oct 24 - Full Rank - By GoodCity
• #52 - 09 Oct 24 - Japanese Sums
• #53 - 16 Oct 24 - Chaos Construction Shifter - Collab with Palpot
• #54 - 23 Oct 24 - Ten or Eleven - By Marty Sears
• #55 - 30 Oct 24 - Split Peas - By SamuPiano