Barnes & Noble
Feb 4th
I was interested to spot that Barnes & Noble (in the US) are now selling one of my self-published books – Killer Sudoku: 100 easy to hard puzzles and how to solve them.
So if you’re in the US and fancy getting hold of a copy (they get really hard by the end!) then there’s now another way to buy it. You even get 10% off if you’re a member. 
Samurai Killer Calcudoku
Jan 28th
Samurai Killer Calcudoku puzzle
I haven’t posted much here recently because I’ve been spending my time on Sudoku Xtra, so here’s a large puzzle to fill the void a bit.
This is a five-grid Samurai Killer Calcudoku:
- Place 1 to 9 into each row, column and 3×3 box of the five underlying 9×9 Sudoku grids
- Place numbers into the Calcudoku dashed-line cages to fulfil the results at the top-left of each cage. The given operator when applied between all of the numbers must give the stated result, e.g. the solution to “5+” could be “2+1+2″. For subtraction and division start with the largest number, so for example “3-” could be “6-3″.
- Numbers can be repeated in Calcudoku cages, subject to the row, column and 3×3 box constraints.
Unlike my other puzzles I haven’t used any symmetry in this one, but I’m not sure it’s really that obvious on a puzzle like this one. It’s not especially hard, but with so many places to potentially go it might take you a little while.
Good luck!
Sudoku Xtra issue 3 now available!
Jan 25th
I’m really pleased to announce that issue 3 of Sudoku Xtra magazine is now available for download!
This issue is packed full of all sorts of puzzles, including SOS (Samurai Outside Sudoku!), Toroidal Inequalities and many more. Community puzzles include picture puzzle Mosaic from Clarity Media, and some fantastic Slitherlink-Masyu cross-over puzzles called Shotgun Slitherlink from David Millar of The Griddle. There’s also some brilliant Klump and Navigrid puzzles from Vexus Puzzle Design.
With 121 puzzles it will almost certainly take you far more than the month until issue 4 to complete, so you’d better get hold of it as soon as possible!
Pre-printed versions will be available in the next couple of days, but you can download and print it yourself immediately!
Outside Sudoku
Jan 14th
Here’s something new (for me at least) – an Outside Sudoku puzzle. This one’s 6×6, just to get the ball rolling, but I have some larger ones (including some Samurai ones) ready for Sudoku Xtra issue 3!
The numbers outside the grid reveal some, none or all of the numbers that go somewhere in that same row or column anywhere up to the first bold line encountered – in other words, they go in that row/column of the adjacent bold-lined region. If more than one number is given then the order need not necessarily be the same as that shown.
For example, look at the top-left. The 4 and the 1 both go somewhere in the first three squares of the top row, but not necessarily in that order. Below them the 6 goes in the first three squares of its row, and at the bottom-left of the puzzle the 4 and 5 go into the bottom two squares of the left-most column.
Then just follow through as a regular Sudoku until it is solved. Good luck!
Happy Christmas!
Dec 25th
Happy Christmas! Thanks for following my puzzle blog this year, and there’ll be many more puzzles in the year to come!
Gareth
Sudoku Xtra issue 2 now available
Dec 23rd
I’m very pleased to announce that as of 24 hours ago Sudoku Xtra issue 2 is available for download or ordering in printed form.
It contains a staggering 121 puzzles, with only just a few of each type so there is a huge range of variety. At just £2.95/$4.95 it really is great value, but if you’re still not sure take a look at the sample part of issue 1 still available on the Sudoku Xtra site.
New puzzles for this issue include some crazy Sudoku variants, such as Samurai Killer Calcudoku Inequality, and a whole load of novel community-supplied puzzles, including Puzzle L and Knight’s Tour.
With so many different puzzles you’re sure to find not just one but lots of puzzles you’ll enjoy, so check out Sudoku Xtra today!
Futoshiki puzzles
Dec 19th
Futoshiki 7×7 puzzle
Futoshiki 6×6 puzzle
It’s been a little quiet here the past week or so due to circumstances beyond my control, but in preparation for the launch of Sudoku Xtra issue 2 tomorrow I thought it would be fun to post a couple of left-over puzzles here. These are nothing particularly unusual, I’m afraid – just some regular Futoshiki puzzles, in fact, but I don’t think I’ve posted any of these to this blog before so it was probably about time I did!
The rules of the puzzle are really simple – just place 1 to 6 or 1 to 7 into each row and column, whilst obeying the inequality signs (this means that the arrows should point at the lower number of each adjacent pair, where shown).
I’ve mixed up the already varied puzzle sizes a bit more in Sudoku Xtra issue 2, so several of the puzzle types that were all 9×9 in issue 1 are now at a range of sizes (mostly 6×6, 8×8, 9×9, 10×10). I’ve also tried to make sure the Skyscraper puzzles aren’t quite so tricky as last time round! In fact I’ve tried to make sure there’s a slightly wider range of difficulties on many of the types. This is something I’ll refine further over future issues, as I continue to find out what people think of the various puzzles.
I’m still putting the finishing touches to the issue, so I’d better get back to that now. Enjoy the Futoshiki!
Inequality Calcudoku
Dec 10th
Here’s a fun little puzzle – a Calcudoku Inequality puzzle.
Just place 1 to 6 into each row and column whilst obeying the bold-lined cages’ operator totals. These give the result of applying the stated operator between all numbers in that region, so for example the result of adding together all the squares in a ‘24+’ region must be 24. Similarly the squares in the 1728x region must all multiply to that total. Unlike in Killer Sudoku, you can repeat a value within a cage (but you must still obey the constraint to not repeat a number in a row or column).
There are also some inequalities marked. These show that the value of one square is lower than the value of a square next to it. The arrow always points to the smaller number.
Good luck!
Samurai Star Inequality
Dec 8th
Samurai Star Inequality puzzle
I’m tempted to just say “good luck”, because frankly I think you’ll need it! Not of course in the literal sense, since this is an entirely logical problem, which requires absolutely no guess work, but in terms of finding the right areas to make progress quickly.
So having started at the end, let me introduce you to this Samurai Star Inequality puzzle. In all cases the “<” and “>” arrows point to the smaller number of each pair. Other than that it’s a regular Samurai Star – place 1 to 9 into each row, column and marked 3×3 box of each of the 5 underlying 9×9 grids (including the one in the centre).
And now back to the beginning: Good luck!
Inequality Sudoku
Dec 4th
Inequality 2-grid Samurai Sudoku
Inequality jigsaw 6×6 Sudoku puzzle
On the Sudoku Xtra forums Marilyn suggested the great idea of an inequality Samurai puzzle for issue 2, so I’ve been having a look at doing this. And here’s the first result!
I’ve started off with a regular 6×6 jigsaw Sudoku, but have added inequalities, just to get you warmed up, then I’ve included my first ever Samurai Inequality Sudoku puzzle, albeit a 2-grid one for now.
You’ll notice in both puzzles here that I have included all inequality arrows, so you have far more information than you need – this is deliberate, to make them easier! On the 6×6 puzzle there are five really nice diamond shapes in the centre area, but in general I think having all the arrows is ugly (or lazy!) so I don’t plan to include them again in future (just as I’ve never included them in past published inequality/Futoshiki puzzles).
The rules of Inequality Sudoku are pretty simple – just place the numbers as you would in a regular Sudoku (or regular Jigsaw Sudoku in the 6×6 case), but obey the less-than (”<”) and greater-than (”>”) signs between squares. These indicate that the value of the number in a square is either less than or greater than its neighbour. And that’s it!
Good luck!
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