Artisanal Sudoku, Volume 189

1. Grip Strength

• Normal sudoku rules apply (fill each row, column, and 3x3 box with the digits 1-9 once each), and all clues are standard.

• 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.

• Thermometers: digits on thermometers increase from the bulb.

• Very rough difficulty estimate: 3/10

Play online: SudokuPad | unshaded

New to variant sudoku? Check out these beginner-friendly guides to cages and other popular rulesets.

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2. Bingo, by Jobo

• Normal sudoku rules apply (fill each row, column, and 3x3 box with the digits 1-9 once each), and all clues are standard.

• Renban lines: purple lines contain a non-repeating set of consecutive digits in any order.

• Quadruple circles: a digit inside a white circle appears in at least one of the four cells surrounding that circle.

• Very rough difficulty estimate: 5/10

Play online: SudokuPad

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3. Lawnmower

• Normal sudoku rules apply (fill each row, column, and 3x3 box with the digits 1-9 once each), and all clues are standard.

• Cages: digits cannot repeat within a cage.

• Arrows: the sum of the digits along an arrow is equal to the digit in the connected circle.

• Digits in cells with a shaded square are even.

• Digits in cells separated by a white dot are consecutive.

• Digits in cells separated by a black dot have a 1:2 ratio.

• Very rough difficulty estimates: 8/10, 6/10

Play online: SudokuPad | unshaded

Extra clues: SudokuPad | unshaded

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Non-paywalled bonus puzzle!

I wanted to include a fog puzzle this week, and I’m fond of this one, called Solitude, which uses the “unique constraints” concept. But I prefer to stick to familiar rules for the first three puzzles in each set (and making an alt version with this rule would’ve been tricky), so I decided to go with the more conventional third puzzle above and add this one as a bonus. Enjoy 😀

• Normal sudoku rules apply (fill each row, column, and 3x3 box with the digits 1-9 once each).

• Dynamic fog: correctly placed digits clear fog from their own cell and possibly other cells.

• Unique constraints: a digit may not appear on the same type of clue more than once. (e.g. the digit in r8c2 can’t appear on another renban line, white dot, or black dot anywhere in the puzzle)

• Renban lines: purple lines contain a non-repeating set of consecutive digits in any order.

• Digits in cells separated by an X sum to 10.

• Digits in cells with a shaded square are even.

• Digits in cells with a shaded circle are odd.

• Digits in cells separated by a white dot are consecutive.

• Digits in cells separated by a black dot have a 1:2 ratio.
  (Note that white and black dots are separate constraints. It is still possible, for example, for the digit in r7c2 to appear on a black dot somewhere else.)

• Very rough difficulty estimate: 8/10

Play online: SudokuPad | version without fog

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Some other puzzles I enjoyed this week:

• A Sandwich is not a Snack, by Md88keys

• Skyscraper Yin Yang, by yttrio

• Blue Frame, by Kaktuslav

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This week’s meta-description:
Featuring a *bonus* bonus puzzle, and the Artisanal Sudoku debut of unique constraints.

For premium subscribers, hints and two more bonus puzzles are below.