Normally I try to keep constraints to a single grid, while populating overlapping boxes with competing constraints. The idea of a single line meandering over all four grids wouldn’t leave me alone, and I’m glad. I like this puzzle, and was still able to keep white dots in the black grid, black dots in the red grid, XV clues in the green grid, and quads in the blue grid. This puzzle might be easier to work with in SudokuPad if you click settings, choose “Experimental”, scroll down, and set “Test Large Puzzle UI” to “On.” I have room for even more editorial content. But I’ve just finished writing content for the previous twelve puzzles back-to-back, so I’m feeling creatively bereft–as evidenced by the text introducing the previous twelve puzzles.
Indecisive
I spend far too much time thinking about the relative power of various constraints, and honestly, Either/Or pairs are one of the weirdest. They provide one-fourth of the information about half the cells of Quadruples clues, except that they do give a lot of negative information about seven cells in a row or column, which is more than many other clue types provide.
Figure Eight-ish
Maybe you see 52/25, but I see a giant disfigured 8, and that is easier to work into a puzzle title than a fraction that reduces to 2.08. The important things is that I’ve given you one of each digit to get started. You’re welcome!
Plus Three
An even dozen regions for the price of nine! 33% more, such a deal! Unless you count each row and each column as a region, in which case it’s only 11% more. But still: three extra regions for the low, low price of your time!
Eight is Enough
Sudoku-X and “Killer Cages” go back more than 30 years, but I’m not sure when Odd & Even showed up. Well-placed circles and squares can knock out four or five candidates from a cell, and that’s without even considering how many of each belong in a given row, column, or box.
All Things in Balance
Dear Diary, I continue to wonder if it’s just me, or if Irregular Sudoku puzzles are difficult for others as well. Also, I’ve worn my crayons down to nubs, and I don’t know how to solve irregular puzzles without coloring…
Near and Far
Some combinations of constraints are difficult for people with colorblindness. So there’s a version of this puzzle as I initially intended it, but a friend with deuteranopia very patiently reviewed more than a half-dozen different attempts to ensure the pink and green cages were easily distinguishable, and this is the version that was clearest for him. So it’s the official version.
Inseparable
These digits are not just good friends, not even just best friends. That’s a relative term, after all, not an absolute term. These digit pairs aren’t just best friend, they’re inseparable. Just try it: you’ll break the puzzle!
Lavender Fields
I really love these “fully-caged” puzzles. Some day I think I could publish one or two of these a week and still enjoy the process. I mean, I do have to pick a color for the untotaled cages, but if I did more of these, I’d just cycle through a short list, repeating colors. And sometimes a puzzle could have a bare minimum number of totaled cages, unlike this one, which has a few more than absolutely necessary–although not many more.
Equal and Opposite Reaction
It isn’t as easy as 1-2-3-4. Or, it’s as easy as isn’t 1-2-3-4. It’s hard to express things in negative terms! The point is: If all of those anti-quad clues were normal quadruples clues, well, this puzzle would be broken. But also, it would be incredibly easy. However, they’re not quads, they’re anti-quads, so they provide slightly less information, keeping this puzzle fun.