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A Bonus Puzzle
🕑 Added 2020-10-02 09:20:36 +0000 UTCWe've been sent this puzzle that we thought we'd share with you all.
Obstacles
Normal sudoku rules apply.
In the final grid, there is a palindromic snake. It cannot touch itself, even diagonally. The given grey squares are the start, end, and midpoint of the snake (although which which must be determined).
One of the given coloured lines is a thermometer, the other is a palindrome. The snake must use at least one square of the palindrome, and may not use any squares of the thermometer.
Two of the given cages add to the same sum: the snake must not use any of those cages' squares, and uses every square of the other two cages.
https://cracking-the-cryptic.web.app/sudoku/r8nnq6h3qD
Comments
51:22 .. What a puzzle.. the discovery of the snake and the bifurcation.. Best demonstrated by Mark in his puzzle "How to Cheat".. Simply love that technique.. comes with its own risks..
Euan Walker
Cool puzzle. 29:39 on the second go. Started by working out which of the cages had to be on the snake, then what the snake probably looked like, and then off and running. I got down to the final set and couldn't see a way to the end except bifurcation from the point where you have two options on the thermo. Interested in what the logical solve is there.
