Big Bands Sudoku by Bill Murphy

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
Bill Murphy brings a clever, bendy version of Sudoku reminiscent of our familiar Shape Sudoku variant. Can you twist and turn your thinking to get everything to fit?

Big Bands Sudoku by Bill Murphy

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 26th 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, each band outside of the grid must be put into the grid, with some bends and rotations needed to make them fit exactly to an interior band of matching length, labeling the interior bands with the same numbers in the same relative positions.

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

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:54, 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 and solving video with explanation 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.

Count Different Arrows Sudoku by Bill Murphy

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
This variant, posted initially during our first few weeks of GAS puzzles, comes back again with arrows that tell you how many different numbers appear on the path.

Count Different Arrows Sudoku by Bill Murphy

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 25th 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). The number in the bulb of an arrow indicates the number of unique numbers that appear along the arrow.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 7:00; One party hat (🥳): 13:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Spiked Saichania.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:59, 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 and solving video with explanation 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.

All Odd or Even Sudoku by Bill Murphy

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
Can you figure out which lines contain odd numbers and which lines contain even numbers in this puzzle by Bill Murphy?

All Odd or Even Sudoku by Bill Murphy

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 24th 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, along each line in red, all numbers must be odd or all numbers must be even.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 7:11; One party hat (🥳): 13:13. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Obligated Orodromeus.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:26, 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 and solving video with explanation 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.

Full or Half Sudoku by Bill Murphy

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
Can you determine which cages are full of just even or odd numbers and which cages may be split in half?

Full or Half Sudoku by Bill Murphy

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 23rd 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, cages must contain either all even numbers, all odd numbers, or exactly half even and half odd numbers. (In other versions of this variation, cages are marked that must be full or half, but in this particular grid there are no marked cages so their nature must be determined.)

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 7:00; One party hat (🥳): 13:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Shouted Out Secernosaurus.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:42, 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 and solving video with explanation 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.

Zone Sudoku by Bill Murphy

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
Will the “Kingbreaker” be too much for you or can you control all the zones just fine in this sudoku variation by Bill Murphy?

Zone Sudoku by Bill Murphy

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Kingbreaker

Author/Opus: This is the 22nd 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, numbers given in the upper-left of a cage must appear in at least one of the cells of that cage.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 6:30; One party hat (🥳): 12:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Who will look after the Dollodon?.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:17, 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 and solving video with explanation 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.

German Whispers Sudoku by Bill Murphy

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
This cute German Whispers Sudoku by Bill Murphy looks a bit more like another kind of familiar variation. Can you sort out the new logic to solve this one?

German Whispers Sudoku by Bill Murphy

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Hmmm

Author/Opus: This is the 21st puzzle from Bill Murphy, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules (insert a number from 1 to 8 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region). Adjacent numbers connected by a green line must differ by at least 5.

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

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:57, 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 and solving video with explanation 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.

Odd-Even-Big-Small Sudoku by Bill Murphy

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
In Odd-Even-Big-Small Sudoku there are lots of category clues to the first two numbers inside the grid. Can you figure out how those make a unique solution?

Odd-Even-Big-Small Sudoku by Bill Murphy

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 20th puzzle from Bill Murphy, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules (insert a number from 1 to 8 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region). Clues outside the grid give the nature of the first two cells seen from the direction of the clue as follows:
O for Odd = (1,3,5,7};
E for Even = {2,4,6,8};
B for Big = {5,6,7,8};
S for Small = {1,2,3,4}.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 6:00; One party hat (🥳): 11:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Subtle Supersaurus.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:59, 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 and solving video with explanation 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.

Frame Sudoku by Bill Murphy

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
Can you figure out the glue for this puzzle (the three number sums from the outside frame clues) to get enough going to complete the grid?

Frame Sudoku by Bill Murphy

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Wound Up Here (By Holding On)

Author/Opus: This is the 19th 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). Clues outside the grid indicate the sum of the first three numbers seen from the direction of the clue.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 7:00; One party hat (🥳): 13:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Optimistic Ozraptor.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:04, 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 and solving video with explanation 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.

Either/Or Sudoku by Bill Murphy

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
We’re huge fans of this variation that very closely resembles tradition Snyder Notation (except for the cross-region marks). Can you solve this near-classic that is a quite fun puzzle?

Either/Or Sudoku by Bill Murphy

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 18th 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, the numbers given on the edges between cells must belong to one of those two adjacent cells.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 9:00; One party hat (🥳): 18:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Dryer Linheraptor.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 5:32 where, despite these being like TS’ normal notation, not being able to cross out used clues / having circles in SudokuPad really impacted midgame, 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 and solving video with explanation 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.

Thermo-Sudoku by Bill Murphy

W-W-W-W-W-W-What are you doing today? Solving this fun Thermo-Sudoku from Bill Murphy, as we all do the worm.

Thermo-Sudoku by Bill Murphy

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Doing the Worm

Author/Opus: This is the 16th puzzle from Bill Murphy, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: Standard Thermo-Sudoku rules. (Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region. Some thermometer shapes are in the grid; numbers must be strictly increasing from the round bulb to the flat end.)

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 7:00; One party hat (🥳): 13:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: OPENTHEDARWINSAURUS.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:02, 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 and solving video with explanation from GAS team.

Note: Follow this link for more Thermo-Sudoku puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Thermo-Sudoku to get started on. More Thermo-Sudoku puzzles can be found in these books in our e-store. Also, visit this page to purchase all of the puzzles from the 16th World Sudoku Championship including some Thermo-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.