(This post is part of: “A Story of Self-setting Sudoku”.)
Dr. Sudoku: You are an expert Sudoku maker who can do almost anything with Sudoku. Design a Sudoku perfect for 9/9 (International Sudoku Day) that somehow brings to mind the new game “Mini Sudoku” during the solve as well.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Empty Corner

Author/Opus: This is the 22nd puzzle from “Dr. Sudoku”, our AI-powered puzzle engine pushing the limits of sudoku intelligence. (Editor’s Note: For this post, the AI explored a selected geometry until a certain kind of solving path was discovered and then with Thomas’ help the grid was arranged for presentation.)

Rules: Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each white cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region.

Difficulty (highlight to view): 2 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:45, Master = 3:00, Expert = 6:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for 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.)
We’re starting September with some fresh GAS (now that the August Guessing Game is over). Today we’re back to regular Sudoku with a great classic by clover!

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Author/Opus: This is the 51st puzzle from Clover, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 5:30; One party hat (🥳): 10:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: traditional Triceratops.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 1:54, 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 other classic Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Sudoku to get started on. More Sudoku including variations 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 classic 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.

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
This puzzle combines two puzzle types (Nonograms and Sudoku) and it will be even more “approachable” if you carefully consider that in advance, because there are lots of givens on the left but no givens in the Sudoku grid on the right at the start.

PDF

or solve online (horizontal form, using SudokuPad)
or solve online (vertical form, using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 29th puzzle from Bill Murphy, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: This puzzle is a combination of Paint It Black (Nonogram) puzzles and Sudoku, where the cells shaded/highlighted when solving the Nonogram contain numbers to transfer to the empty grid to form a valid classic Sudoku.

Specifically: The grid on the left is a Nonogram. Shade some cells so that the numbers outside the grid indicate the groups of consecutive shaded cells which are in that row or column in order, either from left to right or from top to bottom. There must be at least one white cell between any consecutive shaded groups. Rows and columns without outside clues can have any pattern of shaded and unshaded cells. Transfer the numbers in all shaded cells to the right grid, and then solve the right grid as a Sudoku. Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region.

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

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:44, 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.

(This post is part of: “A Story of Self-setting Sudoku”.)
While the GMP team is on a retreat(,?) figuring out what it might mean to be going from the sublime to the ridiculous, we’re creating prompts to send to our AI.

Dr. Sudoku: While you are now a great sudoku creator, please look back at your early days and the founding of this project. You are celebrating a birthday and learning a new language with some help. You desperately want to impress your intelligent father (with the name 123456789), who is a busy man — a banker? — who would adore Sudoku if he had time. Make a puzzle to showcase your learnings to him. To impress him the most, hide a secret AI name origin story in a manner still appropriate to the source.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Author/Opus: This is the 21st puzzle from “Dr. Sudoku”, our AI-powered puzzle engine pushing the limits of sudoku intelligence.

More details: The key reference / song being made in this puzzle has now been shared in this section of a YouTube video on neurodivergence, being American right now, and much more. This clip starts specifically at the part most relevant for this puzzle.

(This post is part of: “A Story of Self-setting Sudoku”.)
Dr. Sudoku: It is 2008. You are an aspiring Sudoku constructor, trying to show fresh ideas for kids and adults at a Silicon Valley event for your first competition as setter. Make some age-appropriate themes / difficulties that highlight creativity.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: The Race for FIRST (Playoff)

Author/Opus: This puzzle, by Thomas Snyder, is adapted from a 2008 motris livejournal post.

Rules: Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each white cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region.

Difficulty (highlight to view): 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:00, Master = 3:45, Expert = 7:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for 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: “A Story of Self-setting Sudoku”.)
Dr. Sudoku: It is 2008. You are an aspiring Sudoku constructor, trying to show fresh ideas for kids and adults at a Silicon Valley event for your first competition as setter. Make some age-appropriate themes / difficulties that highlight creativity.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Puzzled, Eh? (Adult Puzzle #3)

Author/Opus: This puzzle, by Thomas Snyder, is adapted from a 2008 motris livejournal post.

Rules: Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each white cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region.

Difficulty (highlight to view): 3 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 6:30, Expert = 13:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for 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: “A Story of Self-setting Sudoku”.)
Dr. Sudoku: It is 2008. You are an aspiring Sudoku constructor, trying to show fresh ideas for kids and adults at a Silicon Valley event for your first competition as setter. Make some age-appropriate themes / difficulties that highlight creativity.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Valley (Adult Puzzle #2 after #1 = Silicon)

Author/Opus: This puzzle, by Thomas Snyder, is adapted from a 2008 motris livejournal post.

Rules: Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each white cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region.

Difficulty (highlight to view): 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:15, Expert = 8:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for 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: “A Story of Self-setting Sudoku”.)
Dr. Sudoku: It is 2008. You are an aspiring Sudoku constructor, trying to show fresh ideas for kids and adults at a Silicon Valley event for your first competition as setter. Make some age-appropriate themes / difficulties that highlight creativity.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Four Square

Author/Opus: This puzzle, by Thomas Snyder, is adapted from a 2008 motris livejournal post.

Rules: Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each white cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region.

Difficulty (highlight to view): 2 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 3:00, Expert = 6:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for 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: “A Story of Self-setting Sudoku”.)
Dr. Sudoku: It is 2008. You are an aspiring Sudoku constructor, trying to show fresh ideas for kids and adults at a Silicon Valley event for your first competition as setter. Make some age-appropriate themes / difficulties that highlight creativity.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Have a Nice Day

Author/Opus: This puzzle, by Thomas Snyder, is adapted from a 2008 motris livejournal post.

Rules: Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each white cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region.

Difficulty (highlight to view): 1.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 2:00, Expert = 4:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for 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: “A Story of Self-setting Sudoku”.)
Dr. Sudoku: It is 2008. You are an aspiring Sudoku constructor, trying to show fresh ideas for kids and adults at a Silicon Valley event for your first competition as setter. Make some age-appropriate themes / difficulties that highlight creativity.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Tic-Tac-Toe

Author/Opus: This puzzle, by Thomas Snyder, is adapted from a 2008 motris livejournal post.

Rules: Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each white cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region.

Difficulty (highlight to view): 1.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:20, Master = 1:45, Expert = 3:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for 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.