The Eye Of Sauron: The Sudoku

*** TODAY'S PUZZLE ***

Ok, you NEED to try this puzzle. It's called Eye Of Sauron and it's by Ricky Cruz - whose made many memorable sudokus we've featured on the channel. But this is SO beautiful and has just a gorgeous solve path.

Give it a try at the link below:

Rules:
Normal sudoku rules apply. Digits along an arrow must sum to the digit in that arrow's circle. Adjacent digits along a green line must differ by at least 5.

▶ NEW PATREON CONTENT ◀
Coming 1 June: Two new Paint By Numbers Institute sudoku packs featuring a LOT of Japanese Sum Sudokus (the ones that give pictures!) from Panthera, TheAsylum and grkles. We'll run separate competitions for both packs :)

Our Patreon monthly reward based around Equal Sum Lines sudokus for May is available as is Qinlux' incredible sudoku hunt.

Philip Newman's video explaining advanced classic sudoku techniques as well as how to solve his monster puzzle Palpatine's Design is OUT.

Also Simon's solve of the new Phistomefel logic puzzle, Slitherlink Liars, is also available now.

You can join us on Patreon for as little as $2/month here:

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Simon Anthony & Mark Goodliffe
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▶ SUDOKU PAD - Our New App ◀

It's OUT on Windows (released yesterday!) via Steam here:

You can now input your own classic sudoku puzzles into our software using our new App! The app also comes with 12 handmade puzzles from us and we're also releasing occasional bonus puzzles too. Already available on IOS and Android.

**************************************************************

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Melvyn Mainini

[RickyCruzMedia]

So glad to see this puzzle get a solve on the channel; when Qodec told me that if I didn't send this puzzle in, he'd recommend it, I did not expect that recommendation to be in person!
I enjoy getting to make solid graphics for my sudoku puzzles, but this is probably the first puzzle that I've felt would be fitting for a CTC video purely based on the logic and solve path. I've also been trying to push myself to do more with established constraints, instead of some of the more complex themes I've used before, and seeing a CTC solve of it is very encouraging.

There's a different way to rule 6 out of the side arrows that I intended, but after Christopher Adams showed me the method Simon ended up using in the video, I still liked it enough to leave that in. With a 6 arrow, the 123 triple in the column would force a 4 to be the only low digit on the whispers line above it, which (as explained in the video) forces double 9 on the line.

Thanks so much for the solve; always entertaining to watch you guys! Hope everyone enjoys the puzzle :)

[ramen]

I just heard a live band down the street playing "Losing My Religion" and it reminded me to check Cracking the Cryptic at just the right time.

[allantidgwell]

A wizard never solves a puzzle slowly, Frodo Baggins. Nor does he solve it quickly. He solves it precisely when he mean to

[ollywinkles]

Howard Shore's score for the LOTR trilogy is incredible and it was so nice to hear a guitar version of the Hobbiton theme at the start of this video :)

[AngelMapper]

I can't believe I solved this one. It took three hours, but this is the most difficult puzzle on the channel that I've solved so far. I really have to thank you for the techniques I've learned!

[MarushiaDark]

I really enjoyed Simon's rendition of the Shire music on the guitar.

[tanitabaumgartner]

I did it! I cant believe that I did it!!! Took me just over an hour to solve because I got stuck while figuring out which part of the eye is high/low but I'm glad I didn't give up ^^

[th.nd.r]

You said it right Simon, that is SENSATIONALLY good. Take an absolute bow Ricky Cruz. Wonderful solve as well Simon. The aesthetics of the puzzle, the symmetry, the series of pairs, just beautiful.

[timbeaton]

"Column, Columnn...." Smeagol gurgled as he wrestled with this puzzle....!

[inspiringsand]

Rules: 04:24
Let's Get Cracking: 05:15
Simon's time: 31m15s
Puzzle Solved: 36:30

What about this video's Top Tier Simarkisms?!
The Secret: 6x (06:39, 06:44, 06:44, 07:03, 07:12, 07:56)
Bobbins: 1x (20:39)

And how about this video's Simarkisms?!
Good Grief: 6x (12:50, 24:51, 26:22, 32:21, 36:02, 36:23)
Beautiful: 6x (01:37, 12:50, 14:37, 16:06, 17:04, 27:29)
Symmetry: 6x (01:21, 01:28, 18:57, 19:11, 26:55, 37:35)
By Sudoku: 5x (26:04, 32:05, 34:05, 36:10)
The Answer is: 4x (07:58, 08:24, 13:40, 14:37)
Hang On: 3x (20:41, 32:47, 32:48)
In Fact: 3x (06:09, 10:06, 21:00)
Ah: 3x (10:05, 14:21, 32:41)
Goodness: 2x (27:29, 27:36)
Clever: 2x (14:25, 37:55)
Lovely: 2x (02:24, 02:49)
Gorgeous: 2x (02:56, 36:53)
Masterpiece: 2x (01:08, 37:39)
Stunning: 2x (17:13, 17:16)
What Does This Mean?: 2x (14:34, 18:41)
Nature: 2x (10:48, 31:29)
Cake!: 2x (02:11, 03:07)
Sorry: 1x (16:08)
Recalcitrant: 1x (34:19)
Brilliant: 1x (00:36)
Incredible: 1x (02:45)
Shouting: 1x (02:07)
Approachable: 1x (01:45)
Magnificent: 1x (03:30)
Checkerboard: 1x (12:07)
Whoopsie: 1x (29:25)
Pencil Mark/mark: 1x (18:52)
Unique: 1x (01:35)

Most popular digit and colour this video:
One (70 mentions)
Green (6 mentions)

Antithesis Battles:
High (24) - Low (18)
Even (4) - Odd (0)
Higher (2) - Lower (2)
Column (22) - Row (15)

FAQ:
Q1: You missed something!
A1: That could very well be the case! Human speech can be hard to understand for computers like me! Point out the ones that I missed and maybe I'll learn!
Q2: Can you do this for another channel?
A2: I've been thinking about that and wrote some code to make that possible. Let me know which channel you think would be a good fit!

[manfredwitzany]

Hello Simon!
The way the symmetry is broken is absolutely amazing.

[joelstevens]

That certainly was the one sudoku to rule them all! Magnificent setting, thanks Ricky for a work of whispers line wizardry. ;)

[EntirelyPointlessContent]

Excellent puzzle. Impressive break-in given only two rules, low number of arrows, and zero given digits, plus perfectly symmetrical starting grid. Amazing setting!

[herbertdevleeschouwer]

Just noticed how the 1 ring and the 9 Nazgul form the core of the pupil and the betrayed 7 dwarf and 3 elven rings are top and bottom of the eye. Nice touch ;-)

[GML]

This puzzle absolutely deserves all its recommendations. It's symmetry is fascinating, and I really wondered how that one breach of the left-right mirror symmetry in box 8 would disambiguate everything. It turned out the interactions between whispers lines (still noboday told me why they are called "German" whispers) and arrows worked wonders getting there. All in all it may not quite be in the "approachable" range, at least not for everyone, but not brutally hard either in my opinion. And it definitely has a beautiful solve path.
And now I get to watch the video to see how Simon did it...

[prahas]

This puzzle is sheer sudoku magic. Bravo!

[ukdavepianoman]

I am hopelessly behind watching CtC videos - 2 months. Have to say this puzzle is nothing short of extraordinary. The design, minimal clues and the tiniest asymmetry which resolves it all to a unique solution! Really a masterpiece.

[nicocost]

Absolutely fabulous puzzle because of the symmetry, no given digits and a wonderful path to an unique solution. WOW!

[dancomber]

"OK, so Let's just imagine that this WAS the 7...." *proceeds to solve the puzzle* Absolute gold!!

[Daniel.Walker]

24:47, with a pause to come here and let Simon shine a light on some logic that I just couldn't see for the life of me!

Wonderful puzzle x