1. Cauldron
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.
Renban lines: purple lines contain a non-repeating set of consecutive digits in any order.
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. Cat-like Reflexes
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.
Zipper lines: along lavender lines, each pair of digits that are the same distance from the center of the line have a sum equal to the digit in the center cell.
Very rough difficulty estimate: 5/10
Play online: SudokuPad | unshaded
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3. Balance Beams
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.
Palindromes: gray lines are palindromes, which contain the same sequence of digits in either direction.
Quadruple circles: a digit inside a white circle appears in at least one of the four cells surrounding that circle.
Very rough difficulty estimates: 7/10, 5/10
Play online: SudokuPad
Extra clues: SudokuPad
Some other puzzles I enjoyed this week:
Nine Lines, by Blobz
In the City, by addie
20,000! Three times for luck, by Fool on Hill
Unusually Hot, by Marty Sears
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This week’s meta-description:
Zipper lines continue to ease their way into the roster of “standard” constraints.
For premium subscribers, hints and two more bonus puzzles are below. This week: more X-sums!
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