Artisanal Sudoku, Volume 238

1. Overlay

• 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.

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

• Very rough difficulty estimate: 2/10

Play online: SudokuPad | unshaded

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

SudokuCon starts this Thursday! If you’re going to be in Manchester, excited to see you! (Please feel free to say hi 😀) If not, live stream passes are still available.

2. Cistern

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

• Thermometers: digits on thermometers increase from the bulb.

• Digits in cells separated by a V sum to 5.

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

• Very rough difficulty estimate: 5/10

Play online: SudokuPad

The Artisanal Sudoku book is available now! Order from Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, or your retailer of choice. If you’ve already bought a copy, please leave a rating and review to help others find it. Thanks!

3. Hydrangea

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

• Region sum lines: box borders divide each blue line into segments with the same sum.

• 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 estimates: 8/10, 6/10

Play online: SudokuPad | with labels

Extra clues: SudokuPad | with labels

Some other puzzles I enjoyed this week:

• Oddity, by Michael Lefkowitz

• Floating Through Space, by gdc

• Circumdifference, by Kaktuslav

• Edgy, by ThePedallingPianist

Thanks for subscribing to Artisanal Sudoku! Feedback is always appreciated, just leave a comment, reach out on Bluesky, or reply to this email. If you liked these puzzles, you probably know someone else who’d like them too, so please spread the word. If you’re interested in submitting a puzzle, click here for more information. And if you want to try more of my puzzles—many of which are tougher than the ones you’ll find here—check out my page on Logic Masters Deutschland.

This week’s meta-description:
I don’t think I’ve mentioned that I’m going to be speaking at SudokuCon. But don’t let that discourage you from going!

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