(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
This paired variation merges some “between lines” with repeated clone shapes that look like Candy Canes in a Christmas Day puzzle from clover!

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or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Candy Canes

Author/Opus: This is the 89th puzzle from Clover, 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). Numbers along each line must have values strictly between the values of the two numbers in the circle cells bounding that particular line. (For example, R1C3, R1C2, R1C1, R2C1, and R3C1 must have values between 1 and 7, the values in R1C4 and R4C1.) Additionally, each shaded, connected shape (“clone”) in the grid must include the same numbers in the same positions with no rotations or reflections. Numbers may repeat within a clone.

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

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 1:44, 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 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 the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
Today’s Genuinely Approachable Sudoku is actually three 6×6 Arrow Sudoku: a real “Buy None Get Three” treat. Note: Grid “22” is much more difficult than “23” and “24” despite similar appearances and considered a “bonus”.

PDF

or solve grid 22 online (*Harder bonus)
or solve grid 23 online
or solve grid 24 online (all using SudokuPad)

Theme: Buy None Get Three

Author/Opus: This is the 70th puzzle from Philip Newman, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: Standard Arrow Sudoku rules: Insert a number from 1 to 6 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region). Some arrow shapes are in the grid; the sum of the numbers along the path of each arrow must equal the number in the circled cell. Numbers can repeat within an arrow shape.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Note that today the hat times apply to the combined times for grids 23 and 24; 22 is a bonus for top solvers to try to also do with the others within the hat times. Two party hats (🎩🥳): 6:00; One party hat (🥳): 12:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Free-Range Faveoloolithid.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:26 (22) + 0:37 (23) + 0:33 (24), with SudokuPad replay files for 22, 23, 24 all shared as downloads 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 Arrow Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Arrow Sudoku to get started on. More Arrow Sudoku puzzles can be found in these books in our e-store.

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.)
As another holiday approaches, enjoy this two for one special from Bill Murphy where two Sudoku grids overlap in four of their regions.

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or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 67th puzzle from Bill Murphy, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: This puzzle contains two overlapping 9×9 classic Sudoku grids that will share the same numbers in the overlapping spaces. Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region of either Sudoku grid.

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

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:19, 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.

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
The recent and remarkable set of paired variations by clover! continues with some thermometer shapes and some black dots indicating doubled values.

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or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Polka Dots

Author/Opus: This is the 88th puzzle from Clover, 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). If a black circle is given between two adjacent cells, then the two numbers must have a ratio of 2. Pairs of cells without circles can have any relationship. Also, 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 🦕: dotty Dollodon.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 3:10, 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.

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
To get the numbers 19, 20, and 21 to work in an Advent puzzle, Philip has expanded this grid to 10×10 size and a lot of 0, 1, 2, and 9 values are given. Can you solve this extra large challenge?

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or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Short Day, Long Puzzle

Author/Opus: This is the 69th puzzle from Philip Newman, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: Variation of Sudoku rules (insert a number from 0 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region). If a white circle is given between two adjacent cells, then the two numbers in those cells must differ by 1. If a black circle is given between two adjacent cells, then the two numbers must have a ratio of 2. Pairs of cells without circles can have any relationship.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 10:00; One party hat (🥳): 25:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Archaic Amphisaurus.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 6:22, 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.

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
We may be right that the symmetric pattern of white Consecutive Pairs clues will do a lot to get this GAS from Bill Murphy going.

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or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: You May Be Right

Author/Opus: This is the 66th 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). If a white circle is given between two adjacent cells, then the two numbers in those cells must differ by 1. Pairs of cells without circles can have any relationship.

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

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:13, 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 Consecutive Pairs Sudoku puzzles on this website. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Consecutive Pairs Sudoku to get started on. More Consecutive Pairs Sudoku puzzles can be found in these books in our e-store.

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 some connected Renban sets with some Killer cages for another two-variant experience from clover!.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Pinwheel

Author/Opus: This is the 87th puzzle from Clover, 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). Numbers along each line must form a non-repeating consecutive set, in any order. (For example, a 4-cell Renban line could be 4352, but not 5679 or 2312.) Also, the sum of the numbers in each cage must equal the value given in the upper-left corner of that cage. Numbers cannot repeat inside a cage.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 6:30; One party hat (🥳): 12:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: spinning Sahaliyania.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:08, 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.

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
The Advent calendar continues with an anti constraint that will separate the solvers who read the instructions from those who jump right in.

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or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: Keep ‘Em Separated

Author/Opus: This is the 68th puzzle from Philip Newman, 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). No two orthogonally adjacent cells can be consecutive (i.e., differ by 1).

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 9:00; One party hat (🥳): 20:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Misnamed Megadactylus.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:21, 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 Consecutive Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Consecutive Sudoku to get started on.

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 Star shape with six regions made out of nine triangles forms a fun geometric variation for today’s GAS.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Author/Opus: This is the 65th puzzle from Bill Murphy, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any bold region or row (including the two directions of diagonal rows). Rows extend across the empty center of this diagram when considering the no-repeat rule.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 6:30; One party hat (🥳): 12:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Hexagonal Hesperosaurus.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 1:17, with Penpa Plus replay this time.

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.

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.)
Clover! is back with another two variant puzzle, this time merging XV Pairs and Quadruples thinking in one connected experience.

PDF

or solve online (using SudokuPad)

Theme: XV and IVs

Author/Opus: This is the 86th puzzle from Clover, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) team.

Rules: Standard Arrow Sudoku rules: Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region). Whenever an X or V, reflecting the Roman numerals for 10 or 5, is placed on the edge between cells, the numbers in the two adjacent cells must sum to exactly 10 or 5. (Pairs of cells without an X or V mark can have any sum value.) Also, numbers in white circles must appear in at least one of the four surrounding cells.

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view): Two party hats (🎩🥳): 6:30; One party hat (🥳): 12:00. All other solvers earn a 🦕: Roman Rhabdodon.

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): 2:33, 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.