Borderland Sudoku by clover!
(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
In this fresh variation of Sudoku, the numbers in the diamond cells indicate the size of the odd or even group they belong to. Careful counting and shading should get you through to the solution.
or solve online (using SudokuPad)
Theme: On the Border
Author/Opus: This is the 123rd 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). A cell containing a diamond is part of a group of numbers of the same parity connected by edges, and the number inside the diamond indicates how many numbers of the same parity (including itself) form this group. (For example, a diamond containing a 2 must be connected by its edges to only one other even number besides itself; that is, all other edge neighbors of these two numbers must be odd.)
GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 9:00; One party hat (🥳): 17:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: borderline Bothriospondylus.
Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 4:19, 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.
Ooh I went slow and really enjoyed this one. I love it when I’m still using the variant clues to get the last few digits. Another fun setting, clover! I’ll take my dino to the park today, sadly hatless.