The second level of self-setting is “Partial Setting Automation”. The author, who has come up with a previously interesting grid pattern, finds a new starting seed, and then uses computer assistance to add all other numbers to generate lots of valid puzzles which guide the picking of a preferred “gem” from suggested characteristics including novelty, breadth of solving path, and the kind of steps.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Intelligence is Thinking * The Box (2 of 5)

Author/Opus: This is the 585th puzzle from Thomas Snyder.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Difficulty (highlight to view): 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:30, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for all entries in A Story of Self-setting Sudoku. Follow this link for other classic Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Sudoku to get started on. More classic Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

Note 2: Comments on the blog are great! For a more interactive discussion, please also consider using our Twelve Months of Sudoku? post on the GMPuzzles Discord. Not a member of the Discord? Click this link for basic access.

This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.
Like a Little Killer Sudoku, the internal arrows in this Sum Detector Sudoku indicate the sum of some number of cells along their path, but the number of cells must be determined.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 30th puzzle from Clover, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules (insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region). Also, the number in each cell with an arrow must equal the sum of the values in one or more cells along the diagonal pointed at by the arrow, starting with the cell that the arrow points to directly. (For instance, R1C3 could equal R2C4, or R2C4+R3C5, or R2C4+R3C5+R4C6, and so on.)

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 6:30; One party hat (🥳): 12:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: additive Anzu.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:34, with SudokuPad replay file shared as a download for now (requires loading via settings menu with improvements expected before people should use this regularly).

Solution: PDF; solving video with explanation to be added later from GAS team.

Note: Follow this link for other less common variations of Sudoku.

Note 2: Comments on the blog are great! For a more interactive discussion, please also consider using our Daily GAS discussion post on the GMPuzzles Discord. Not a member of the Discord? Click this link for basic access.