Thanks user for getting me into Sudoku

I have no idea how that picture is helping. I can fill them all out mentally and see what fits, I'm saying this just feels like trail and error rather than the process of elimination.

Wait, you're supposed to do that? There's got to be a better technique.

I don't know. Where should it go?

Well, I got it on my first trial. I feel dirty.

You can look at it as taking two steps ahead instead of one. You usually use two restrictions to get a single number, but since you have multiple answers you need to impose a new one which is assuming a slot is occupied by a number.

Yes if you play it on your electronic device

It sucks but yeah, it's one of the reasons higher difficulty sudokus start feeling unsatisfying.

first tip is on the house

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>It sucks but yeah, it's one of the reasons higher difficulty sudokus start feeling unsatisfying.
Damn. It's the first one I completed and yeah, it's unsatisfying.

Also

gottem

How is it not a process of elimination?
You consider a cell, consider a possible number, fill out the rest *without guessing*, eliminate the number from the candidates if you reach a faulty game state, continue as normal.

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Doesn't this make it more satisfying since you had to think of an alternative solution, otherwise you're just following a routine set by the rules, I mean you are still following a structure working out the 7 or 8 gives to many variables where the 3 solutions give 1 failure and 1 success. So it's more complex of a memory game and it breaks the routine. It's a joke seeing the easier puzzles as a brain exercise you might as well be doing times tables up to 9x

When you're down to this point in the puzzle, there's either a hidden technique to wrap it up or it's a trial of elimination as the rest of the puzzle falls together in a cascade.
The real tough parts of sudoku is either the start when finding your first terms or around the middle when you have all of the basic techniques exhausted and are looking for ways to solve using nothing but pencil marks.
I recommend a steam game called Classic Sudoku, it was commissioned by some crazy good sudoku solvers and they write tips on how to solve each of the puzzles that are contained in it. They also commissioned the same dev to make sudoku variants like Chess Sudoku but don't dive into that unless you're super into it.

Didn't mean to post the picture, but since I did, I'll add a few words about it.

There's a looped chain, each cell (except one) can either be 3 or some one other number. Also each cell containing 3 means the neighbouring two must contain some other number. Even if a lot of cells outside of this loop were without a number, you could still apply the same logic to eliminate 3 from some cell of the loop, provided that the first sentence still holds (+ some other precondition).

If it seems any easier, assume *just* that tile is 3, then try filling out *just* the other 3s in the sudoku. You'll get the same result: you'll no longer have a valid space to put 3 in the top-right group, as it'll conflict with a column (in the bottom-right) and a row (in the top-left.)

I still don't know what the red lines are. Why did you cross out the top right, middle?
Here's what I did. I "considered" the bottom right, bottom right to be 8. Which makes the bottom left, bottom right, 3. TR, TL, 7..and so on until they were all correct. I had a 50% chance on the first BR, BR and it happened to be correct so it all worked out.

I don't know man, every other cell I had to be certain before moving forward. Anyway, the hard parts are usually the start so at least I got that on my own.

I think I'm starting to understand. It'll make more sense when I get some much needed rest in a few hours.

different user chiming in.
when selecting which 3 to plug-and-solve for, take notice of the 3-tile L shape in the bottom right squares. If you want to test things out, select ones that will result in a forced result for you to follow along or you won't learn anything. In your particular example, don't bother testing out a 3 starting from either A8 or I3 since those will both leave 2 spots open of the 3 in the bottom and won't lead to a potential contradiction.

>Why did you cross out the top right, middle?
These are lines that connect empty cells.
Put 3 in the cell in top left corner. Now go to the "next" cell (connected by a red line with this one). Since you already put 3 in your first cell, the next one has only one possible solution. Fill in and go to the next cell.
After you fill in 5 cell, you'll notice that you've put two 3s in top right square, which means that initial decision to put 3 in top left corner was wrong.

You can clear most of the hardest normal boards when you learn how to spot empty rectangles. For 3s, the shape in the bottom left links up to a paired 3 in top left box and top right box, then the 37 in the bottom right can never contain a 3.

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trial and error is what you reduce yourself to when your brain can't load the entire puzzle map into RAM

it's not a bad thing, it's just a lower tier solving mechanic

You wouldn't make the thread if you could encompass the current problem properly.

How are they linked? I'm stuck again with this one. Is there a link that I can't see?

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I love these threads, have you guys tried some other sudoku-based puzzles?
cracking-the-cryptic.web.app/sudoku/j8QrGR2qjg

>Normal sudoku rules apply. Along thermometers, numbers must increase from smallest to largest, starting at the bulb end.

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>numbers must increase from smallest to largest
Interesting twist. Would that make the BR, BR, a 1?

It's a simplified way to eliminate a possibility. Empty rectangles are a strategy based on identifying shapes made from potential matches. You can manually think it out if you're unsure.

For example the 1/9 pair in the bottom right box means that the 1/6 pair in the bottom left box can never contain a 1. If the 1/9 pair in row 7 contains a 1, then the 16 pair in the bottom left box can't be a 1, and if the 1/9 pair in column 7 contains a 1, then the 1/6 pair in row 1 can't be a 1, which forces it to be a 6 and forces the 1/6 in the upper left box to be a 1, and that ultimately means the 1/6 in the bottom left box can't be a 1 again.

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Yes. Also, the increasing numbers do not have to be the next possible number. For example, the thermo that ends on 5 on the top right could have for example 431, 321, etc.

I have this one saved from one of the previous threads, but haven't tried to solve it yet.

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I personally enjoy chess Sudoku variants like King and Knight. They both have unique methods to solving boards.

What's the special rule on this one?

Here's another one I liked to solve a lot.
cracking-the-cryptic.web.app/sudoku/g7q2mFfLp7
>Normal sudoku rules apply. In each colored region, the sum of the odd digits equals the sum of the even digits. Digits may not repeat within a colored region

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Oh alright, cheers.

Of course, otherwise you would have several numbers for free. The one I mentioned had to be a 1 due to 2. Is it an easier game?

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>What's the special rule on this one?
It's a "Greater Than" Sudoku.

Most Sudoku variants are slightly easier than normal Sudoku which is why many of them offset this by giving you less information at the start. If you know how to solve normal boards and remember the rules of the variant a lot of times you'll be able to solve the variant easier than a normal board because of the new rules. You rarely need to use advanced solving techniques on variant boards unless it's a really nasty one.