If you have a few idle hours over the end-of-year break, try this P&P challenger!
As explained elsewhere, SudokuPW combines both SudokuP and SudokuW (Windoku) modes. So here we want to fill in the grid with values {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F} so that all rows, columns, and 4x4 boxes have different values in each cell, as per normal Sudoku rules, and in addition:
- all cells with the same box Position have different values
- all cells in the same Window (shaded 4x4 areas) have different values
Hidden windows:
- along with the 9 normal (shaded) windows, there are 7 "hidden" windows. One is indicated by being shaded in a slightly different colour (so perhaps not hidden at all!). These are the 16 cells that are diagonally adjacent to the corners of the 9 normal windows.
- the unshaded cells also correspond to 6 hidden windows. Each set of 3 shaded windows in a row or column (ie. a window-band or window stack) has 4 sets of 4 white cells that separate the shaded windows. Each of these 4 sets of 4 white cells in the same band/stack position is also a hidden window.
- knowing the hidden windows is not necessary to solve the puzzle, but when the solution is filled in, every hidden window will have all different values in each cell, so it helps in solving if you know in advance that this is so. Especially on this size grid.
This puzzle's 68 clues are in a fully symmetric pattern, and the puzzle can be solved using singles only. So technically it's "easy"!
Puzzle image:
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Puzzle text:
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Solution:
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Grid W-cell assignments:
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Grid P-cell assignments:
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