The creator of the puzzle apparently died a week ago:

https://nypost.com/2021/08/17/sudoku...ji-dead-at-69/

I have created a new puzzle, which I hope to post soon. I haven't started proper alpha testing yet. It may be necessary to add clues to make it more human-solvable.

Distribution of the Cracking The Cryptic Greatest Hits should happen soon. Once I get my copies, I will randomly select one of the POG sudoku family who has sent me correct solutions to the puzzles I have posted here. That POGger will receive a free copy of the book. One draw entry for each puzzle solved. You just need to send me a finished grid in any format.

I would be happy to receive comments on difficulty, fun, playability, break-in, solution path, what-have-you; but these are not necessary for the contest.

If anybody else wants to try setting sudoku puzzles, I am happy to be a tester, if you want one, or simply a player if you don't. The most important thing about starting setting puzzles is just do it. Don't worry if you think it is too easy or hard, whether it is fun, or it is too complicated/simple. That is what feedback is for. If you want to use something I have put into a puzzle, please do so; the best setters all learn from each other (not that I am in that class ... yet).

Cuatro Cruces

Standard sudoku rules apply.
Each marked diagonal contains no repeated digits.
Digits on arrows sum to the number in the attached circle or pill. Two digit sums are read in the direction of the arrow.
The teal line is a German Whispers line: adjacent digits along the line must differ by at least 5. It overlaps with one arrow.
Digits cannot repeat within a cage. The digits in each cage sum to more than 40. The sums are not necessarily distinct.

https://f-puzzles.com/?id=yzy5jsfc

Contest status

Because I kept messing it up, I am giving credit for the quarks puzzle to anyone who tried it.

For the rest of the puzzles, I have the following solutions:

	Extra region	XVXV	Kropki	Little cages	Arrow sudoku	Quarks	Cruces	Dotty	Hot Swirls
ArcticKnight		X	X	X		X
Lattimer						X	X
Onuzq		X		X		X
bolt2112				X

If you solved anything I haven't marked, it isn't in my inbox, so please (re)send them to me.

20:46, started out very nicely. Was stuck with the diagonals for a bit, but eventually found what went where.

I did 5 others that I never messaged, fortunately I did download the snapshots though, I'll send them over.

2 of them have titles that don't exactly match the table, so you'll have to help me match them (so I know which ones I haven't done yet)... XV Little Killer and Little Killer Killer. I'm guessing these are XVXV and Little cages, but want to be sure.

Thx Eric but you can leave me out of the draw. I am just a dabbler and I think much of the book might be above me. Applaud what you are doing though, both with the setting tests here and the book prize draw

Sure, no problem. On the other hand, you are the easiest to get the book to.

Thanks for participating!

done. I found it hard... over an hour...

Lines, Lines, Lines

Standard sudoku rules.
Standard little killer rules.
Standard arrow rules.
Standard thermo rules.
The blue lines are renban lines – each contains an unordered set of consecutive digits.

This one shouldn’t be hard after the break-in. Hopefully, the break-in will take a bit of thought.

https://f-puzzles.com/?id=yzv4783b

Solved in 20:xx, I clicked off before noting the exact time. Will send screenshot.

One thing I really disliked, and not sure there is anything you can do about it due to software, is that it's difficult to see the pencil marks on the renban lines, especially when down to 2 numbers.

Yeah, I noticed that about the lines. I tried a few, but I'll see what I can do.

I thought you could make the pencil marks bigger, don't know how though.

23:46 felt slow when doing the math of the diagonals.

Done in under 30 mins. sent screen shot. was fun

Here is a new one. This one might be more difficult, at least to start.

What’s My Line

Normal sudoku rules apply.

Diagonals: each of the main diagonals must contain all of the digits 1 to 9.

Between line: all digits on the line must have values strictly between the values of the circles at the ends of the line.

Thermometer: values of cells on the thermometer are strictly increasing from the bulb end.

German whispers line (brown): consecutive cells along the line must have a difference of at least 5.

Renban line (purple): cells on this line have values that form a set of consecutive numbers, in any order.

Palindrome line (grey): cells equidistant from the middle must have the same value eg 146641.

Anti-palindrome line (green): cells equidistant from the middle must have values which sum to 10. Equivalently, cells equidistant from opposite ends must sum to 10. eg 421986.

https://f-puzzles.com/?id=yjka6d77

For the anti-palindrome there are only 3 cells.. is the rule even possible..

I am probably missing something...

EDIT. are you just saying the two on the ends are 19 or 28 or 37 or 46. ??

All cells the same distance from opposite ends must sum to 10.

Jeez Eric...You realize that if I did not understand it that saying the same thing again is not any help...lol. All you did was change "equidistant" to "the same distance."

There is a green right angle covering 3 cells.

I am assuming that cell C5:R1 is the middle? Correct?

If so, it would appear there are only two cells (C4:R2 and C6:R2) that are equidistant from the middle. But, these are also the only two cells that are on opposite ends.

So either the 2nd rule is redundant, or I still don't understand what you are trying to say.

Tell me like I am 5 years old...

Are you looking for 2 numbers totaling 10 in cells C4:R2 and C6:R2?

I have no idea why you example has 6 numbers...

That was a challenging one! 44:21

AK - his wording is deliberate, it took me a while to figure it out.

Is it C4R4 and C2R2 adding to 10 and then C6R4 and C8R2 adding to 10 as well?

The nth cell from the left (along the green line) added to the nth cell from the right (along the green line) sums to 10.

Sorry, AK. I missed this part on my first read. An anti-palindrome can have any length, like a normal palindrome line. I just used a length of 6 as an example of what I meant by anti-palindrome. I deliberately avoided using an odd length because it gives away too much.

Hear is how I understand the rule. Please confirm

C4:R2 + C6:R2 = 10
C3:R3 + C7:R3 = 10
C2:R4 + C8:R4 = 10
C1:R5 + C9:R5 = 10

is that it?? If not please name the cells that need to add to 10 to adhere to your anti-palindrome rule. You noted you avoided using an odd number in your example because it could give too much info, but I don't get an odd number of pairs. I get 4when I try and understand what the rule means, which makes me think I still don't understand it.

Only C5:R1, C4:R2, C6:R2 are part of the green anti-palindrome line. No other cells are involved. The first from the left and the first from the right add up to 10. The same is true for the second from each end.

Thx. I get it now...