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Find the solution to this Sudoku puzzle. The only problem is there aren't any normal Sudoku clues. Instead there are only some cryptic clues.

Puzzle Image

What is the solution and how does the puzzle work?

Edit: Now that it is solved, I want to give my inspiration for this puzzle. It gives away part of the answer, so don't look unless you want a hint.

I got the idea for the nonogram part of the puzzle from Sligthly Odd Sudoku. This is still an unsolved puzzle, so take a look at that one if you liked this one.

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  • $\begingroup$ This is ingenious! (rot13.com): V xabj vg zhfg unir orra irel uneq gb fvzhygnarbhfyl znxr n Xnxheb naq Fhqbxh, naq gung sbeprq gur fhqbxh gb or rnfl, ohg V nccerpvngr gung lbh jrer noyr gb znxr gur Xnxheb dhvgr punyyratvat! $\endgroup$
    – Mike Earnest
    Aug 20, 2018 at 15:16
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks. My process was rot13(znxr gur shyy Xnxheb (juvyr xrrcvat va zvar gur Fhqbxh ehyrf) rkprcg gur gjb yrsg pbearef. V gura gevrq znal qvssrerag pbzovangvbaf sbe gur pbearef hagvy V tbg n havdhr Fhqbxh jvgu bayvar fbyire. Vg gbbx ebhtuyl 15 pbzovangvbaf sbe rnpu erfhygvat va nebhaq 200 gevrf orsber V sbhaq n Fhqbxh jvgu n havdhr fbyhgvba.) $\endgroup$
    – Bennett Bernardoni
    Aug 20, 2018 at 15:23
  • $\begingroup$ This puzzle is so much more elegant than mine! I only smushed together random ideas that I thought that were clever, yours is simple but effective $\endgroup$
    – JMigst
    Aug 29, 2018 at 15:05

1 Answer 1

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The first thing to do is

look at the top and left clues. These form a nonogram / Picross puzzle, which has this solution:

enter image description here

Next,

the bottom and right clues. In all the places where there are two groups of shaded cells, there is only one number, and vice versa. This suggests that the groups of empty cells are relevant -- in fact, the unshaded cells in the center form the grid for a Kakuro (Cross-Sums) puzzle! Keeping in mind the additional constraint that numbers can't repeat anywhere within a row, column, or box (even if blocked by shaded cells), this can be solved as follows:

kakuro step 1 kakuro step 2 kakuro step 3
kakuro step 4 kakuro step 5 kakuro step 6
kakuro solution

And finally, the Sudoku can be solved:

sudoku step 1 sudoku step 2 sudoku step 3 sudoku step 4
sudoku solution

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    $\begingroup$ Congradulations. rot13(Hasbeghangryl, gur Fhqbxh erfgevpgvbaf znqr vg rnfvre gb fbyir gur Xnxheb. Ubjrire, gur Xnxheb vf havdhryl fbyinoyr jvgubhg hfvat gurfr pyhrf. Nyfb vg gbbx bire 100 gevrf sbe gur Xnxheb gb svaq n inyvq Fhqbxh. Fvapr V qvqa'g jnag gb nal fcraq nalzber gvzr ybbxvat sbe n arj fbyhgvba, V jnf fghpx jvgu n ernyyl rnfl Fhqbxh. Ohg nf gur punyyratr jnf va svthevat bhg jung gur pyhrf jrer sbe, V jnfa'g gbb obgurerq.) $\endgroup$
    – Bennett Bernardoni
    Aug 19, 2018 at 14:00
  • $\begingroup$ Also see my edit in the question and try your hand at that problem if you get the chance. $\endgroup$
    – Bennett Bernardoni
    Aug 19, 2018 at 14:02
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    $\begingroup$ @BennettBernardoni Whoa, is it solvable that way? I didn't realize! I'm not very good at Kakuro, so this was hard enough for me as-is. Still, the puzzle was a lot of fun to solve. $\endgroup$
    – Deusovi ♦
    Aug 19, 2018 at 14:04

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