Cryptic Sudoku and Cracking the Cryptic

I know Wordle is the big casual game of choice right now, both on the forum and off, but over the last few months I've been really into super difficult Cryptic Sudokus.

They're supremely satisfying to decode and crack the logic. Very equivalent to good puzzle games like Baba Is You or The Witness.

Cyptic Sodokus typically follow the traditional rules with added complications, and frequently offer no given digits.

The hub of the community around this is a YouTube channel run by two British puzzle masters, called Cracking the Cryptic.

Their YouTube channel posts two or three videos solves a day, sometimes up to an hour long (I recommend double speed).

I usually try attempting the puzzle first then use the videos if/when I get stuck.

If anyone wants to try out the daily puzzles and compare times in here, it would be fun to have company!

Here's one of yesterday's videos. My time on this one was 48:11. PUZZLE LINK, rules inside



Here's their most watched video with more than 7 million views! PUZZLE LINK, check video for rule set

I'm a massive fan of both Killer Sudoku and Sandwich Sudoku, I like the variation that those types bring.

The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

I've tried the ones on Microsoft Sudoku that replace the numbers with symbols and that was more than challenging enough for me.

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same but also I don't think these actually are cryptic in that sense, the two videos linked certainly aren't.

OrangeRKN wrote:

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same but also I don't think these actually are cryptic in that sense, the two videos linked certainly aren't.

Yup! Spot on. It is more formal logic than knowing the specific language tricks required for a Cryptic Crossword. Accessible to anyone willing to put in the time and effort. Every single one is solvable with no training or specialist knowledge. A huge part of the appeal.

Clarkman wrote:

OrangeRKN wrote:

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same but also I don't think these actually are cryptic in that sense, the two videos linked certainly aren't.

Yup! Spot on. It is more formal logic than knowing the specific language tricks required for a Cryptic Crossword. Accessible to anyone willing to put in the time and effort. Every single one is solvable with no training or specialist knowledge. A huge part of the appeal.

I spent a good few minutes staring at the one linked in here with no idea what the lines were for - after watching the video I see that there's a "rules" button which explains what they mean. They should probably make that more obvious!

Jenuall wrote:

Clarkman wrote:

OrangeRKN wrote:

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same but also I don't think these actually are cryptic in that sense, the two videos linked certainly aren't.

Yup! Spot on. It is more formal logic than knowing the specific language tricks required for a Cryptic Crossword. Accessible to anyone willing to put in the time and effort. Every single one is solvable with no training or specialist knowledge. A huge part of the appeal.

I spent a good few minutes staring at the one linked in here with no idea what the lines were for - after watching the video I see that there's a "rules" button which explains what they mean. They should probably make that more obvious!

Yup, they have done since in all videos.

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same, when it comes to crypic crosswords, i'm far too stupid.

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same, when it comes to crypic crosswords, i'm far too stupid.

I'll say, nobody else spells Thursday with an F.

Jenuall wrote:

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same, when it comes to crypic crosswords, i'm far too stupid.

I'll say, nobody else spells Thursday with an F.

That's rich coming from someone who gets all their knowledge from the Junior Encyclopedia of Space.

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same, when it comes to crypic crosswords, i'm far too stupid.

I'll say, nobody else spells Thursday with an F.

That's rich coming from someone who gets all their knowledge from the Junior Encyclopedia of Space.

I can't help it, I went to art college

Jenuall wrote:

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same, when it comes to crypic crosswords, i'm far too stupid.

I'll say, nobody else spells Thursday with an F.

That's rich coming from someone who gets all their knowledge from the Junior Encyclopedia of Space.

I can't help it, I went to art college

To be fair, we'll just be grateful if you can count without banging your head against the screen.

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same, when it comes to crypic crosswords, i'm far too stupid.

I'll say, nobody else spells Thursday with an F.

That's rich coming from someone who gets all their knowledge from the Junior Encyclopedia of Space.

I can't help it, I went to art college

To be fair, we'll just be grateful if you can count without banging your head against the screen.

At least I wouldn't lose a battle of wits against a stuffed iguana

46:24 for this one today for me. Reasonably easy one. Give it a go!

One of the guys on that channel streamed playing through 'The witness'. He just carved through it!

Jenuall wrote:

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:

Vermilion wrote:

Jenuall wrote:The word "cryptic" immediately puts me off, if it's anything like cryptic crosswords I'll be banging my head against a wall!

Same, when it comes to crypic crosswords, i'm far too stupid.

I'll say, nobody else spells Thursday with an F.

That's rich coming from someone who gets all their knowledge from the Junior Encyclopedia of Space.

I can't help it, I went to art college

To be fair, we'll just be grateful if you can count without banging your head against the screen.

At least I wouldn't lose a battle of wits against a stuffed iguana

What's an iguana?

Thanks for highlighting these Clarkman. Tried the first one in your post and enjoyed it but got stuck a few times and eventually gave up.

Tried Code - 63 today and still got stuck a couple of times and had to check the video but eventually finished in 94 minutes(!)

Will definitely play a few more. Been a long time since I've done sudokus and I don't know a lot of the strategies but these are great as the accompanying video really helps explain it.

Clarkman wrote:I know Wordle is the big casual game of choice right now, both on the forum and off, but over the last few months I've been really into super difficult Cryptic Sudokus.

They're supremely satisfying to decode and crack the logic. Very equivalent to good puzzle games like Baba Is You or The Witness.

Cyptic Sodokus typically follow the traditional rules with added complications, and frequently offer no given digits.

The hub of the community around this is a YouTube channel run by two British puzzle masters, called Cracking the Cryptic.

Their YouTube channel posts two or three videos solves a day, sometimes up to an hour long (I recommend double speed).

I usually try attempting the puzzle first then use the videos if/when I get stuck.

If anyone wants to try out the daily puzzles and compare times in here, it would be fun to have company!

Here's one of yesterday's videos. My time on this one was 48:11. PUZZLE LINK, rules inside



Here's their most watched video with more than 7 million views! PUZZLE LINK, check video for rule set

I don't understand the rules of the first one.

Digits along the blue lines must have an equal sum within each box they visit. For example, r2c5 + r2c6 = r3c7 = r4c8.

Erm.

Ironhide wrote:I don't understand the rules of the first one.

Digits along the blue lines must have an equal sum within each box they visit. For example, r2c5 + r2c6 = r3c7 = r4c8.

Erm.

I had to watch the start of the video to understand that too. Basically the cells that a line passes through in each box (3x3) must be equal. If it passes though more than one cell in one box and a single cell in another then the sum will match the single box.

The example in the rules is:
(Row 2 colomun 5 + row 2 column 6)
Row 3 column 7
Row 4 column 8
Will all be equal.