(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
A missing “wildcard” value is important to figure out in this Sudoku variant by Bill Murphy.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 13th puzzle from Bill Murphy, 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, there is a “wildcard” number to be determined while solving. Cells with a greater than (>) symbol must contain a number larger than the wildcard and cells with a less than (<) symbol must contain a number smaller than the wildcard.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 8:00; One party hat (🥳): 15:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Magical Monoclonius.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:38, 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.