Thanks so much for the feature, and for the nice comments about the newsletter. This is one that I was a little nervous about, since I knew there'd be some who didn't care for the trick at the end, but once I had the idea to use the title to refer to both the break-in and the number of cages, it was full speed ahead (also, shout out to Marty Sears, who used a similar trick in a puzzle I won't name so as not to spoil it). BTW, now that CtC's blown up my difficulty ratings, I feel like I should explain a little bit 😁. I try to keep the Artisanal Sudoku puzzles pretty approachable, so if I used LMD ratings they'd basically all be 1/5 or 2/5, with a handful at 3/5. So I came up with my own 1-10 scale based loosely on some of the computer-generated sudoku sites out there, but I've always been reluctant to give a puzzle 10/10 because that feels like I'm saying "this is as tough as a sudoku gets", which definitely isn't the case for even the toughest puzzles in the newsletter. But after several that I put at 9/10 just because I didn't want to go to 10, I figured it was time to pull the trigger. I suppose I can always go up to 11 if I need to.
@davidrattner9
22 күн бұрын
Just again absolutely phenomenal from you!! Constantly love your Artisenal sudoku! Occasionally will go back and watch your interview with Memeristor! Thank you so much again for what you bring to this community!
@longwaytotipperary
22 күн бұрын
@@davidrattner9 Agree!!!
@brianhgold
22 күн бұрын
As someone who does your puzzles, I appreciate the difficulty level because I am not smart enough for an LMD 3, 4, or 5-star puzzle
@James_Sinclair
22 күн бұрын
@@brianhgold I'm sure that's not true, but I get what you mean 😀
@squarewheels2491
22 күн бұрын
I'll admit to shouting out loud, 'Evil cage, Evil Evil Cage'. I don't hate it though. It was fun.
@frmjewduhh
22 күн бұрын
Absolute META puzzle. It starts by unwinding the 15-cages in the corner making you think that why it’s titled “15 cages”. Then late in the solve it grinds to a halt with the solver having nothing to do but look at the title again to remember the forgotten rule of “15 cages”. Then the last digit is placed because there can’t be any more 15-cages. 🤯🤯🤯
@Turalize12
21 күн бұрын
Oh, I didn’t even notice that very last layer of logic!
@Alex_Meadows
22 күн бұрын
I'm so pleased you decided to feature this one! I wholeheartedly recommend subscribing to James' newsletter, which manages the rare trick of helping me to enjoy Mondays. The first three puzzles each week are always free, and you can optionally subscribe to the paid version (for very little money) which gives you two additional puzzles and hints for all of them.
@isaacthek
22 күн бұрын
The epiphany that the last hidden cage had only one solution due to the size and sum exclusion was brilliant. Thoroughly enjoyable solve!
@pionosphere
22 күн бұрын
Yeah, I definitely miscounted 14 cages as 15.
@philipisbest
21 күн бұрын
@@pionosphere I did the exact same thing! felt like a real fool having to come to the video to figure out where i went wrong, thought i was missing some logic on the top left cage but just couldn't figure out what to do.
@TheArbieo
21 күн бұрын
As soon as I read that rule I was all like "I know how this puzzle will end". Amazed the setter could control that solve path so perfectly.
@jonh6585
21 күн бұрын
Yep I got the old "if stuck go back and re-read rules" stage and as soon as saw "there are EXACTLY 15 cages", penny dropped there was a little cage up there. Before that I had spent far too long trying to work out why the cage r1c3 must be limited.
@ahouyearno
14 күн бұрын
I knew that would happen the second I read that there are exactly 15 cages
@cstuder
22 күн бұрын
Oh my god, I did it in 27:14! I think this is the first time I've beaten Simons time, and significantly at that! Thank you Simon for teaching me so much logic...
@matthewphillips5911
21 күн бұрын
That was a fun solve. For a second, I was like... do I need to use uniqueness? Then I read the rules again and figured out the twist. Very good.
@jeroenrl1438
22 күн бұрын
I like the fact that the title tells us there are 15 cages, plus the fact that the last cage is NOT a 15 cage.
@mewmewmew12
22 күн бұрын
Proud of myself for doing this puzzle on my own :D my sudoku skills have leveled up so much since i started watching cracking the cryptic
@terracottapie
21 күн бұрын
So nice how the 15 cages circled back to being relevant again at the end. Like a comedian closing a 40-minute set with a callback to a joke he made in the first two minutes.
@A_CC_K
22 күн бұрын
After a stressful meeting, this video is actually what I need. Love fog of war puzzles.
@TheClawNinja
22 күн бұрын
Yes, fog puzzles are so much fun
@gcmatthews1
21 күн бұрын
Loved this puzzle! The way I started thinking about box 9 was that given The Secret, either the 3 cages have to fill the box entirely, or at least 2 of the cages have to escape. Given those cages all extend into r8, the only way to escape box 9 is by a cage passing through r9 c7 and r9 c6, but any cage doing that blocks the only exit for the others. Therefore box 9 contains the 2-, 3- and 4-cell cages precisely, and the remaining 15 cage has to have 5 cells.
@brianarsuaga5008
21 күн бұрын
I really enjoyed this one. Fog puzzles often have a sort of sense of humor to them, the way they tease you through the steps. This is definitely one that was VERY tricky for me, but once again, having the fog restrict information makes them more accessible than if they'd been exposed from the beginning. Delightful.
@VonBlade
22 күн бұрын
Here's how gorgeous the rules and opening 'view' are in this puzzle. I beat Simon to the first digit break in. That's the first time ever. Let's be clear, I normally still haven't seen the first digit when Simon has uploaded the video to YT and gone off for his dinner. Sublime. (that's also the only three digits I got, but hey). 29:00 two of my worlds collide unexpectedly, and yet, if I'd have considered it thoroughly, perfectly expectable.
@chitraagarwal8259
21 күн бұрын
The ending to this puzzle with the last two cages was just too incredible! Surely one that is going down in the memorable puzzles list
@xerodeus2337
21 күн бұрын
WOW - what a stunnnnning puzzle! I've never had a puzzle put such a big smile on my face when I realized the jiggery pokery happening at the end! Beautiful!!!!
@bluerizlagirl
22 күн бұрын
That was absolutely gob-smacking! I managed it in 48:33. What a climb -- but what a view from the summit! I'm still tingling a little. The theme here was definitely "Well, if not that, then what?" And of course it all finished off was a deadly pattern that could only be resolved by reference to the extra rules ..... Thank you James for creating such a wonderful puzzle! (And it felt deliciously wicked watching Simon miss the things I did .....)
@hiichbinanna5794
22 күн бұрын
Oh hey I‘m early. Discoverd your Videos on saturday and am enjoying them. Greetings from germany
@David_K_Booth
22 күн бұрын
Welcome to the channel! There are literally hundreds of videos to watch, and two new ones appear every day.
@yvibrrr
22 күн бұрын
Welcome 😊
@henkslaaf3738
21 күн бұрын
I am very happy that I solved this 10/10 myself in just under an hour. Thanks James for another great puzzle. I had much more trouble with some of your other, lower rated puzzled. This is why I like fog of war sudokus. The fog itself tells you where to look next. It must be some of the clues you've uncovered. The final box was therefore a cool surprise, because it requires you to think outside of what you've uncovered. Cool.
@pastramionrye247
22 күн бұрын
I think this James Sinclair guy might just have a future in setting Sudoku. 😊 What an absolutely brilliant puzzle!
@Anne_Mahoney
19 күн бұрын
Yeah, he seems pretty smart 😸
@kenthorp4357
22 күн бұрын
Fog of war, packing boxes into a confined space and then pure logic flow - brilliant puzzle.
@markthompson2874
21 күн бұрын
I agree with the comment in the newsletter, nothing in it is impossible, but the puzzle just never wants to give up! Every time you think you've got it, you have something new you have to figure out.
@jurgenbaumann67
21 күн бұрын
I love fog-riddles. Because you know where you have to focus on to come into the riddle.
@KANPAI666OPPAI
22 күн бұрын
Got it in 35:09. Really clever set up and a satisfying use of logic in the solve!
@longwaytotipperary
22 күн бұрын
So sorry for your travel problems, but hope the holidays were still restorative and fun! Glad to have you back!
@davidrattner9
22 күн бұрын
Great to have him back " live" with us and that you have been well my friend. 💜🩵
@longwaytotipperary
22 күн бұрын
@@davidrattner9 😊💙🧡💜
@dollarsing
21 күн бұрын
Wonderful puzzle with gorgeous ending! Thank you.
@chipsounder4633
22 күн бұрын
Excellent again and again 🎉 The break in was epic, the solve path was cheeky and fresh and the last deduction put tears in my eyes. Loved it. 11/10.
@felix_irgendwas
22 күн бұрын
Wow, this puzzle was really enjoyable. Nice opening logic and then it just flew beautifully while making sure all of the given rules were used a fair amount. Solved in 11:22, liked it very much.
@Afterthoughtbtw
22 күн бұрын
I've not been able to find the time to do sudokus for the last few weeks, but this was an absolutely delicious one to come back to. An absolute joy from start to finish. I could see the end coming from the moment I read the rules, and yet it still tickled me when I got there.
@MikeMcNamara
21 күн бұрын
What a delight! One of those fog-of-war puzzles where I'm not sure I didn't accidentally solve something right somewhere in the middle so it feels like cheating, but I know my beginning was accurate (and felt brilliant figuring out), so I'm going to take the whole thing for the win.
@andyparkerson
22 күн бұрын
Very good puzzle today. I love the ones where I have to go back and read the directions, because I know there is one more hint waiting there for me.
@chocolateboy300
19 күн бұрын
I finished in 38:14 minutes. This puzzle flowed so well for me. Of course, that's no surprise since it is a puzzle by the great James Sinclair. That might have to be one of my favorite endings to a puzzle I have ever done. The Eureka moment was astounding. I think my second favorite part was seeing the direction that the five-celled 17 cage had to go. This has to be one of my favorites. As always, it feels good to beat Simon's time. Great Puzzle!
@JZuCuadra
22 күн бұрын
I really loved the end for this one, the little way to break the parity was genius, I had to re-read the instructions at the end for the little hint, beautiful! (edit for time 54:42)
@saedhmidat4764
22 күн бұрын
After a little over two and half years of following this channel ( not in a daily basis) I finally managed to get the first digit before Simon, which is based on some thoughts I logiced along with Simon’s. 🎉 As simple as it is, this gave me so much joy😂😂 Also I declare that “Logiced” is a word 😅
@RecreationallyCynical
22 күн бұрын
Solved it in 28:44. Love me some fog of war sudoku, especially when I can "snipe" a digit out of the fog. Such a great puzzle
@davidrattner9
22 күн бұрын
James sets with such beauty and elegance. His Artisenal sudoku are works of treasure! Another great feature for the channel. Loved the last cage in b3 and everything about this!!
@hexagonal6000
22 күн бұрын
This was a fantastic puzzle. I completed the whole puzzle without errors, until I realised that i hadn't correctly proven the logic at the beginning. Then your video comes out and reveals the parts i had missed.
@TheUnkleJ
21 күн бұрын
I love, love, love, that at 39:30 Simon says "This might do Sudoku", then proceeds to miss the 2 in box 5. Also, this puzzle was brilliant. I loved the end of it. (Don't wanna say why just so I don't give anything away)
@jeltzz
21 күн бұрын
Love that last hidden cage. beautiful resolution.
@Deemo2289
22 күн бұрын
Normally I wouldn't post my time, but I somehow managed a 15:31 after finding the break-in in seconds. Awesome puzzle! 😄
@warren_r
22 күн бұрын
My solve time was 41 minutes. Add me to the list of people who got momentarily tripped up by the "15 cages" clue, but that's purely on me for not paying full attention to every word of the rules. Great puzzle.
@markthompson2874
21 күн бұрын
Surprisingly that was the only one that didn't trip me up. I think because it stood out being in the title and emphasized as exactly fifteen cages that do not overlap and each occupy two or more cells. The one that got me for the longest was the realization that the 17 in R4C3 couldn't go up.
@jaspersneyers4559
22 күн бұрын
Aaawh i already did this one Because i follow James on Substack so i guess i am just gonna watch this one in peace
@hella_gela
22 күн бұрын
this is my favorite puzzle in at least a couple months 🙌
@artyheartylife8588
22 күн бұрын
Got stuck at the end! Guessed there was a cage in the corner, but didn't think to COUNT the flippin' things! Great puzzle!
@purplycake515
22 күн бұрын
I loved this puzzle!!! So excited to see you do it :D
@piarittersporn
21 күн бұрын
Wonderful and very approachable foggy.
@markp7262
21 күн бұрын
18:59 finish. Such a fun puzzle, though I forgot about the fifteen cages for a minute. Fortunately it didn't take long before I realized that I was stuck and re-read the rules. Awesome!
@andrewgrant6516
22 күн бұрын
That was bloody brilliant!
@longwaytotipperary
22 күн бұрын
Simon, I can say without exception when you have a horrible feeling “we” are getting something before you it is NEVER me!! 🤪
@praematura
21 күн бұрын
I loved this puzzle, did it in Artisanal Sudoku and didn't use any of the hints! I was a bit slow in places, in particular the 17 cage in the center took me too long to determine, as I'd forgotten about the cage total being in the top left cell (but did find a way to determine things without that), but did finish in 41:20 (conflict checker off). Many thanks to James for a brilliant puzzle!
@Anne_Mahoney
19 күн бұрын
Wow, you finished that in *that* time *without* the hints? I bow in awe.
@socalzaps2848
22 күн бұрын
Q: What on earth do you do now? A (After 5 minutes of trying to split the atom instead of just doing Sudoku): Sudoku
@MattYDdraig
22 күн бұрын
35:41 Fantastic puzzle and great use of the variable cage sizes.
@kerogandhe3846
20 күн бұрын
ty for sharing those puzzles Simon, I can't stress enough how much self-confidence it gives me when I succeed !
@coqui9879
22 күн бұрын
Solved this in 40:47. My first time solving a puzzle quicker than you! I’m very pleased 😄
@craigfjay
22 күн бұрын
5:22 there’s another AI food related fail that this reminded me of. The search prompt was “food names end with um” The answer: “here are some fruit names that end with um- Applum, Bananum, Strawberrum, Tomatum, and Coconut”.
@jonnybee8829
22 күн бұрын
That was a brilliant puzzle! So clever. 👏
@stellatedhexahedron6985
22 күн бұрын
this might be the first puzzle i've done properly faster than simon--not just faster because he's spent an extra 10 minutes explaining his thoughts out loud to the camera! it didn't really feel like a 10/10 puzzle to me. the trick is clever, but it didn't take me too long to figure out, and while there were a few rather difficult steps after it they didn't give me too much trouble. i must have i simply ascended to a higher plane of sudoku in my sleep last night or something :P
@hzl1776
21 күн бұрын
Finished in 47:00!! What a magnificent puzzle!!!!!
@emilycurtis766
20 күн бұрын
I really enjoy Fog of War puzzles because it focuses my attention at the start to where I need to be. I always find the start to be the hardest. This was a fun puzzle.
@harfangdesneiges
22 күн бұрын
that was an amazing grid! so much fun to do! I'm slow, but it was fun! definetely gonna subscribe to the newsletter
@alekbjoyce
18 күн бұрын
Bonkers. So fun, it felt like a real punchline as the final parts came together. Loved it.
@Sujisan4
22 күн бұрын
What a clever little puzzle.
@user-gj5uc4yx3i
20 күн бұрын
I have been following the channel for about a year now and considering James' difficulty rating I am rather surprised at how easy I found this puzzle. While I was stuck twice (watched some of Simon's break-in but paused before he started with the 5 cell 15 cage / I also forgot that the 5 cell 17 cage could not grow upward) I basically completed the puzzle on my own. I do feel that I earned at least 80 out of 81 digits anyway. Wonderful puzzle for the level I am at. Wonderful video for every level!
@jinbe892
22 күн бұрын
ooo i solved this yesterday and i was so proud of myself for figuring it out, but the solve path was super fun!
@emilywilliams3237
21 күн бұрын
I was very pleased to see this one featured, because I was quite intimidated when I saw that James Sinclair had put a 10/10 difficulty puzzle in one of his weekly Artisanal Sudoku collections. But I sat down on Monday and did some thinking about how to get the fog to lift down in the southeast corner and came to the same conclusions that you did, Simon. But I did not carry on because I have had a busy week and could not devote as much time as it would have taken me to solve it. (Think your solve time x at least 4, I imagine.) Thanks for this video, though, as perhaps I will give this puzzle a try some day when there is less going on for me.
@eddieharwood7788
21 күн бұрын
Whaneeding a bit of a look at Simon's or Mark'st a superb puzzle. I love Foggy puzzles. To me it just seemed to work itself out - it didn't seem that hard even though I stared at the puzzle for long periods. For a change I remembered all the rules. I have never before managed a puzzle rated 10 for difficulty without using Simon's or Mark's solve for a bit to see what to do next. And at 78 minutes I am amazed.
@WalshamUK
22 күн бұрын
Fog of War today. Excellent!
@callumvlex7059
22 күн бұрын
The skill required to set something like this with that 15 punchline in the last 4 squares is baffling to me. Simply wow.
@Gary21H
22 күн бұрын
Beautiful!
@danielcummins5092
21 күн бұрын
I loved this one!! I actually finished it on my own but I forgot to time it. I'm sure Simon was way faster than me. But I really enjoyed the logic. I love cages and fog, so it was a perfect combo.
@nirmalasokan1687
22 күн бұрын
Beautiful puzzle. I really enjoyed this one
@ronjohnson6916
22 күн бұрын
Love the little sting in the tail. Not hard but very clever.
@chrisadam5090
19 күн бұрын
What a beautiful composition! Proud to have solved it in less than 2 hours...
@scoutman195
21 күн бұрын
holy moly I actually solved this one. I usually try and get stuck and just defer to your solve but I actually solved this one. yippee
@rowan1230
18 күн бұрын
Just over 2 hours for me - absolutely lovely puzzle!
@TheClawNinja
22 күн бұрын
I admit, that last little hurdle got me, needed Simon's help on that part, or maybe I should have just re-read the rules lol. Great puzzle!!!
@ericpraline1302
21 күн бұрын
Good one, thanks, and fairly gentle I thought despite the melodramatic rating!
@grahamania
22 күн бұрын
01:06:42 for me. The final cage was truly 'lovely' as Simon said! Kind comment.
@franzelmagetower
22 күн бұрын
What an awesome puzzle. The final deduction threw me for about four minutes until I re-read the instructions (FOR THE FIFTEENTH TIME). 20:54 here
@Yttria
22 күн бұрын
Fantastic puzzle. The end got me for a bit in a couple ways but still finished in 29:11 while being distracted by lunch.😋
@virtuous-sloth
22 күн бұрын
Break in with 15 cages, get stuck not remembering the 15 cages count, discover the 15th cage, resolve the final deadly pattern with an impossibility of being a 15 cage. Fifteen cages indeed!
@Hakucho64
21 күн бұрын
Managed to solve the 10/10 version (there's other versions with more clues) without any help, that's definitely the highest difficulty puzzle of James' about which I can say that.
@mujtaba21
22 күн бұрын
I spent ten minutes trying to figure out a way to make the 15 cage in box 8 work, yet I finished in 40:04 Faster than Simon! 🎉 Fog of war and killer cages are my favorite
@gavinneedham2013
22 күн бұрын
I loved doing this puzzle. The only thing I couldn’t get when I did it was realising the 2-fell cage in box 9 couldn’t be 7/8. Just under 25 minutes.
@sushirunner
21 күн бұрын
27:00 "What do we do now?" .... Sudoku, Simon. It's *always* Sudoku. ... Never change. 😀
@Kinada
21 күн бұрын
Fun puzzle. Thumbnail should have been 15/15 since it has 15 cages, starts with 15 cages and has all of the possible 15 cages.
@whelmking6497
22 күн бұрын
Totally brilliant and super fun. 50:16.
@Salman-os7pr
22 күн бұрын
40:23 First time that I beat Simon! This was an incredible puzzle!
@romainpinguet7569
22 күн бұрын
Aaargh I forgot the last cell !! Had to watch the end of the vid to be illuminated ! Very nice puzzle, I love fog of wars sudoku :)
@jalsing
15 күн бұрын
I really enjoy James' "puzzleletters" and usually his 9/10 and even some 8/10 can take me several hours over the course of the week to complete. I must say I'm quite proud of my 68 minutes on this one, though it's not impressive as a time once the break in occurred to me (as a shower thought no less right after I put the puzzle down to jump in the shower) the rest flowed fairly smoothly to me as I kept reminding myself of the cage rules..
@ethanl9845
21 күн бұрын
42:27, satisfying solve. Love fog of wars
@charlier.k4934
8 күн бұрын
48:59 is where i got stuck for over an HOUR! Because i knew that the 2 cells in the very top right couldnt add up to 10 as a cage with that total was already used, but i didnt THINK to also look at the cages id filled in that had no total given. That 3&8 in the 2nd column tells us that a toal of 11 has also already been used, and i just didnt realise or think about it! I ended up going trial and error to the finish line but that didnt help either because when filling out the puzzle, either option gave me a solution that worked! I thought the top right pair could be either 3&6 or 4&7. It seemed to work with whichever combo I tested. So i was well and truly stumped. I never did see that 3&8 in the 2nd column in the end, i managed to find a different and more complicated way to narrow it down instead 😅 So you thrashed my finished time by hours, great job!
@JamesStocks
22 күн бұрын
Lovely end to the puzzle
@giladooshlon
22 күн бұрын
Did this one earlier today. 18 minutes of fun!
@bees2304
20 күн бұрын
Really enjoyed this puzzle thank you Simon
@majorkid31415
22 күн бұрын
Amazing puzzle !
@johncox7169
22 күн бұрын
Really enjoyed this one. Took me 55:38. Really liked finding the 9 cage in box 3.
@Laezar1
21 күн бұрын
Fog of war are always so enjoyable because they help limit the number of available options for things to look at so even when the solution is difficult it's easy to feel the flow of the puzzle and what to consider. But this puzzle in particular utilizes the fog of war brilliantly, not just constraining what to look at but making you look at the fog itself as a clue, that last cage I found very quickly because it felt like a chekov's gun situation where the rules telling me there were 15 cages meant that I should keep that number in mind for later because it was going to be important for the solve, so seeing this last bit of fog it was obvious there was a cage there, didn't even need to count the cages to figure it out (well I did just to be sure =p) My favorite puzzles are those that unfold like a narrative and that are constructed in a way to help you solve them.
@Laezar1
21 күн бұрын
I also enjoy the immediate feedback fog of war gives, regular puzzles often have me worried I've made a mistake and if I have it can take ages to unravel where the problem was often making me give up. If I make a mistake in a fog of war sudoku I immediately know and can try and figure out where the problem is. As someone with ADHD it's a lot less stressful to know a minor inattention mistake won't cause me to lose half an hour of my time.
@NaHBrO733
21 күн бұрын
26:03 for me, I completely forgot about the 15 cage rule. I got stuck knowing the rest in impossible, then read the rules again. Then I saw it lol. Amazing puzzle
@Michaelzehr
21 күн бұрын
Took me a while (63), but I didn't make any math/pencil errors. I did make a vision error, not spotting the grey circle though, because I had also colored it before revealing it, so I have at least one demerit for that. But I'm otherwise happy that I made good progress on a difficult rated puzzle. I am also getting better at rereading the rules, in this case remembering to use "exactly 15 cages" for the final part of the solve. This was really beautifully crafted.
@Coyotek4
22 күн бұрын
18:18 ... if only I could've been a bit faster, a time of 15:15 would have been so fitting. (One other note: the final disambiguation using that the one final cage could NOT be a 15-cage.) Nice puzzle!
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