(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
If you really care about symmetry, then you might think Bill’s theme here is a B A D I D E A as the patterned clues outside the grid seem to be missing something. We expect you’ll find today’s GAS to be G R E A T anyway.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: B A D I D E A

Author/Opus: This is the 54th 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). Numbers along indicated diagonals must sum to the given total outside the grid.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 8:00; One party hat (🥳): 14:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Stylised Stegoceras.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:36, 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 more Genuinely Approachable Sudoku puzzles on this site. 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.