1. Foldout
Normal sudoku rules apply (fill each row, column, and 3x3 box with the digits 1-9 once each), and all clues are standard.
Killer cages: the sum of the digits inside each cage is equal to the small number in the top left corner.
Very rough difficulty estimate: 3/10
Play online: SudokuPad | unshaded | F-Puzzles
New to variant sudoku? Check out these beginner-friendly guides to killer cages and other popular rulesets.
Some Cracking the Cryptic updates. First I was lucky enough to have two of my puzzles featured in the last week: Split Decision, from Volume 126, and Millstone, which is one of the toughest puzzles I’ve ever made and almost certainly the toughest to appear on CtC (although there’s a path Simon didn’t take that might’ve made things a little easier). Thanks to them for both features, and in particular for being willing to take on Millstone with the camera rolling 😁
Also, they just reached 600,000 subscribers—an absolutely staggering number—and they very kindly asked me to contribute to a special pack of puzzles to celebrate the milestone, which you can find here. I haven’t had a chance to try the rest of the pack, but looking forward to it!
2. Orangeburg
Normal sudoku rules apply (fill each row, column, and 3x3 box with the digits 1-9 once each), and all clues are standard.
Arrows: the sum of the digits along an arrow is equal to the digit in the connected circle, and these digits can repeat if allowed by other rules.
Thermometers: digits on thermometers increase from the bulb.
Digits in cells separated by a white dot are consecutive.
Very rough difficulty estimate: 6/10
Play online: SudokuPad | F-Puzzles
3. Golden Gate
Normal sudoku rules apply (fill each row, column, and 3x3 box with the digits 1-9 once each), and all clues are standard.
Correctly placed digits clear the fog around them.
Killer cages: the sum of the digits inside each cage is equal to the small number in the top left corner, and digits cannot repeat within a cage.
Nabner lines: gold lines contain a non-repeating set of digits, and no two digits on the same line can be consecutive (regardless of their position on the line).
Very rough difficulty estimates: 8/10, 6/10
Play online: SudokuPad
Extra clues: SudokuPad
Some other puzzles I enjoyed this week:
Arrow Sudoku, by KEKW
Four Fours, by Sir Moose
The Parker Miracle, by Blashyrkh
Hooked on Sudoku, by Blashyrkh
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This week’s meta-description:
I don’t keep a journal, but I’ve found myself using puzzle titles as a crude way to remember noteworthy events, like the time this winter when our bathroom stopped working and I had to learn about Orangeburg pipes.
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