The Hardest Puzzle Of The Year

*** NEW PATREON SUDOKU HUNT JUST OUT ***
We've just released our December monthly reward - The
Cryptic Scriptures Of The Secret Snake Society - a sudoku hunt featuring nearly 20 puzzles by some of the greatest setters on the planet. Anyone who solves them all gets shoutout! Remember that patrons gets access to their own special channel on the CtC Fan Discord server - where you can find hints ;)

*** TODAY'S PUZZLE ***
There is a lot we could say about Rosette by Gliperal. It is undoubtedly one of the cleverest puzzles we've ever seen. It also must be one of the hardest! Simon very nearly turns the video off...

Play it at the link below:

Rules:
Normal sudoku rules apply. Digits along grey "fast" thermometers must increase by at least 2 at a time starting from the bulb end. The large red ring is made up on 5 normal thermometers glued tip-to-bulb. ie travelling clockwise around it, digits must increase with no more than 5 exceptions.

*** NEW GAS PACK IS OUT ***
The new GAS pack is out on Steam for PC here:

It's already out on Android and App Store. 60 original puzzles by Sam Cappleman-Lynes, Clover and Philip Newman!! Earn party hats and dinosaurs with these brand new puzzles!

We've also released a FREE app full of handmade puzzles to celebrate reaching 500k subscribers - simply download the Cracking The Cryptic app on Android, Steam or App Store and then select the 500k pack. We're streaming a playthrough of this app and you can watch all seven episodes

▶ Contact Us ◀

Twitter: @Cracking The Cryptic

Our PO Box address:

Simon Anthony & Mark Goodliffe
Box 102
56 Gloucester Road
London
SW7 4UB

(Please note to use our real names rather than 'Cracking The Cryptic'.)

▶ SUDOKU PAD - Our New App ◀

You can input classic sudoku puzzles into our software and help support Sven, the programmer responsible for the wonderful user interface we all use to play these puzzles everyday. The app also comes with 12 handmade puzzles from us:

iOS:

Android:

ALSO on Amazon: Search for “SudokuPad”

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[Gliperal]

This is another one of those puzzles, like Quite a Mouthful, that I fully expected to never see a video (I believe I said something to that effect in the submission email). No testers could solve it, I had to create a solution guide to even get it validated, and at the time of this video going live it still has only 3 solves on LMD. Simon truly is remarkable. Not only finding the logic, but to be able to explain something so abstract and theoretical in a way that viewers can follow. Highlighting exactly the ideas that I wanted to showcase -- the notion of distance around the clock face, and the way the 3-cell thermos on the side effectively cancel those digits from the sides of the ring (even if it did end up being easier to get the breakthrough by trying candidates on the right). Plus that ability to instantly hone in on the right ideas (even if it took a moment to understand them). No 15 minute pauses this time. As soon as one trail ran cold, to instantly think "I probably need to look here now." Really impressive to solve this in just under 100 minutes.

I often fear that the logic in my puzzles will go unseen, in part because they are frequently too difficult, and in part because I always seek out logic that hasn't been seen before and can't be solved in the same way as a conventional puzzle. This is possibly one of my favorite creations in that regard, and knowing that the ideas have finally been seen by more than 3 people... I cannot express how happy that makes me feel. I couldn't ask for a better Christmas gift.

[cathybryant]

Don't you love those moments when Simon says a puzzle is impossible. Then he stares at it for a while and says "I do have one small thought". And we're off!

[jensschmidt]

I think Simon takes great joy in saying "Do have a go yourself" after he said - not 5 minutes earlier "I don't know whether I can solve this." Yeah, thanks Simon... I'll pass just this one time...

[mityaadamskiy]

It is quite telling when things like "this number has to be at least one" (51:44) actually make sense!

[thetaphi]

Mate, if your solves were further out of this world, you'd be arriving in a blue police box.

[HonkeyKongLive]

Honestly, more than anything, I'm amazed by Simon's ability to keep grinding at a puzzle for nearly 2 hours and not start making errors or get frustrated and quit. If a puzzle takes me more than about 30 minutes I have to bail, let alone over 3x that. And doubly so when it takes THIS long to even begin to start putting anything in. After 2-3 minutes if I can't even see how to begin, I definitely quit. This is a marvelous watch even if I'm only half an hour in.

[Wecoc]

The "As useful as a chocolate teapot" should be updated to "As useful as a one cell thermometer"

[SirJefferE]

"I've got twenty minutes, time to check out today's puzzle."
*checks title*
"...I'll come back later. Wonder what Mark is up to today."

[stumbling]

This video is a testament to Simon's superb solving skills. Although, bloody hell I hope this isn't anyone's introduction to the channel or sudoku for that matter!

[JohnADoe-pgqk]

I think Simon is in dire need of a big piece of cake after this marathon puzzle.

[nikolaz]

I love when mark tells Simon to open the puzzle on screen 😂

[shaunbrowne]

> realizes that there are 9 unique digits in pink and blue combined

> does nothing with this information

> is shocked when that area develops into a series of pairs

I'm just razzing you, Simon--I could never have done this puzzle.

[Shippochi]

This doesn't feel like a puzzle I could solve at all in this lifetime, but your explanations are so thorough that I followed all of your logic the whole way through! How delightfully satisfying it is to have been here for this 2 hour journey. This is truly why I follow this channel.

[zakaryjaynicholls]

I can normally keep up with Simon a little bit, but even trying to follow this has turned my brain to jelly. Amazing to watch.

[thoughtbyte]

Wow, wow, wow. This is a mind bender, a true masterpiece. I am in awe of Gliperal's construction here. And Simon, I love watching you take on these insanely difficult masterpieces, this solve of yours is also a work of art. Brilliant puzzle, brilliant solve!

[annaweigand]

Dear Simon,
I admire your logical abilities and your perseverance with almost unsolvable puzzles (Sudokus)!
What I've wanted to tell you for a long time: you embark on a mathematical journey of discovery and you argue like a mathematician proving a new theorem.
As many others stated before me: Brilliant puzzle, brilliant solve!

[th.nd.r]

OH MY GOODNESS. Via the power of the Internet, we are standing in the presence of two geniuses. Gliperal and Simon, the setting and solving were both unbelievably excellent and entertaining. I’m in utter shock. Utterly incredible. Thank you both for doing what you do.

Re: 5:50 — color and flavor are not the same! You could have a chocolate cake with purple frosting, for instance! Not to mention the fact that you can probably get the cake part itself color dyed. Might be hard with chocolate though but still.

[dennismazzlack]

I normally watch your videos before i go to sleep because it is relaxing, but this one felt like a thriller :D

[longwaytotipperary]

Chuckling at Simon’s conversation with himself about how to start/ whether he can complete the puzzle. Knowing that it wouldn’t be on the screen if he couldn’t makes this funny and not sad. I know you can and you did - so well done, Simon!!

[FelipeRodrigues-vjzb]

I just watched an hour of a Sudoku video where no digits were placed an yet I was still paying attention. Everyone comments on Simon's solving skills but he's also a great entertainer.