Sudoku
Any sudoku lovers here? I've just recently started watching Cracking The Cryptic YouTube channel and it's brilliant, they post videos nearly every day and well worth watching (the guy's excitement is contagious)
Can also play along with their puzzles and they have phone apps as well if you want to actually play the game.. although i'm not good enough yet to solve any of those difficult video ones so I just watch them lol
Have a look and if you think you can solve the puzzles, play along and post ITT how you got on!
Also if you know any other good sudoku websites/channels post them here too, the different variations (chess, sandwich, killer sudoku etc) seem really interesting i'm trying to get better at all of them
Sweet!
I just found out today that there are three Youtubers that have posted videos of my Airport Fog puzzle.
I submitted the puzzle (although it was an earlier version by mistake) to BremSter.
About a week later, I discovered that Clay Loves Logic made a video (unknown to me).
Today I saw a reference to Puzzle Patzer's video (also unknown to me).
I think it is because fog puzzles are fun, and not usually too difficult (especially mine). I do wish they would try to contact me first, but they probably can't find me easily.
I won't give the links this time, but Logic Lemur Gaming and Frank Puzzles also used the same fog puzzle. I guess people really like fog puzzles.
I won't give the links this time, but Logic Lemur Gaming and Frank Puzzles also used the same fog puzzle. I guess people really like fog puzzles.
This was a well constructed puzzle Eric. I am not usually fond about the combos (German Lines, bulbs, maximums, etc), but they all seem to help each other. Took me about 25 mins, FWIW..
In case anyone is interested, here is the link to my puzzles page.
In case anyone is interested, here is the link to my puzzles page.
any of them classic/regular sudokus
I thought there was another, but it didn't get put in there.
I thought there was another, but it didn't get put in there.
Hi Eric
That was much harder than the NYtimes daily Hard puzzles
Some notes below
Spoiler
There was an interesting spot here, and I was not sure if I got lucky to see it or whether it was part of the intended solve, as there is not a ton of info to start out here after a couple of scans.
I noted that if C8:R8 is a 1, then C9:R3 is a 1, and therefore C4:R1 is a 1, and therefore C5:R8 would be a 1 which would be impossible. This confirmed that C8/R1 was a 1.
I have screenshot below.
After that I struggled to find an approach that could take me home from there, but I think it was restriction on the 4s (in row 4, IIRC) and then 9s started the dominoes falling.
Nice puzzle..
While the puzzle can certainly be solved without special tricks (as you have shown), there is something that can make it a little easier/smoother maybe.
Spoiler
Whenever two digits are in cells that are a 180° rotation from each other, they always add to 10. Without something clearly breaking this symmetry, any deduction you can make must apply symmetrically with the corresponding digit. As for the given digits without their partners, you are guaranteed there is a solution by filling in the "missing" digits. Doing this would make the solve somewhat easier, even if you didn't prove the digits logically.
This is where the title came from. Gurth's Symmetrical Placement refers to solutions of puzzles with such a setup. The theorem states that if there is a solution to such a puzzle, there must be a solution that maintains the symmetry. So someone could use that idea to fill in missing counterparts, or they could choose not to, and simply solve the puzzle using symmetric logic. Hence: To G or not to G.
that might explain the struggle...lol
Anyway, nice puzzle.
I emailed CtC to suggest your puzzles Eric and I received this reply
Thanks, POGcrazy! I had submitted a puzzle a while ago and hadn't seen/heard anything since. It's nice to know he recorded a solve (I assume it's the puzzle I submitted). Simon probably knocked out a bunch so that he could enjoy the Christmas season without a daily recording session. I will laugh pretty heartily if it comes out on Christmas day.
Congrats Eric! I'm too tired to watch it tonight but will tomorrow 😀
Lol, I was just coming to put the video here. Thanks again, POGcrazy.
I played a game in the Major Leagues! Even if I go back to the minors, I've always got that.
Lol, I was just coming to put the video here. Thanks again, POGcrazy.
I played a game in the Major Leagues! Even if I go back to the minors, I've always got that.
Good job Eric. I am so rusty/bad at anything but classics I had no hope of getting it so I just watched the reveal. Seeing all the steps Simon had to get through to a breaking point was neat.
I have no idea how one has the design mind to basically reverse engineer a game so it will be enjoyable when played from the start - and beatable, but not easily!! - but kudos to you for having the intellect, will and persistence to do just that. 👍
PS. Knowing you, and seeing the four cage boxes, I was not surprised phistomefel's ring played a role...lol
I was thinking..."it's Eric, of course you need to look at phistomefel's ring"...lol
Thanks, AK.
I've been trying not to use the Phisto Ring lately, but I found a way to use it a bit differently, as Simon found out.
As for setting puzzles, it's less a case of reverse engineering than a case of solving a puzzle that doesn't exist yet. Start with an idea or interaction of clues. Take that as far as you can, then see what you can add to get further along without breaking it. Sometimes you have to massage multiple parts to get them to work together.
If you get something that seems to work, and doesn't look like a dog's breakfast, try to solve it from the beginning. Does it feel good? Is it too inconsistent? Revision time. After that, let it rest and come back next day or something, and give it another go. When you are setting, you know the tricks and what you are supposed to get to at each stage, so it's easy to cut corners. We want the solver to be able to do it with the corners as given.
In a way, it's like painting. You sketch in the basic idea, and as you paint you see what works and what doesn't, and shift things around, play with the lighting, and so on.
