Our daily <a href="http://www.sudocue.net/windoku.php">Windoku</a> puzzles, a.k.a. NRC Sudokus, are a real challenge, comparable to the Daily Nightmare.
Agree - this is the first time I've built a puzzle in reverse. Normally I have a core structure and work forward until its unique then add bits until it's solvable.
In this one I started with one of the 36 solutions added a set of zeros that were non-consecutive with the 1s (but I could not find one that was also NC with the 9s as well).
I then went round removing cell values, where the alternate possibilities would not work.
THEN I STOPPED - MUCH MORE CAN BE DONE (note a standard Sudoku in this format only needs 2 cell values to be human solvable)- I suggest you minimise it (please) as a challenge to me and hopefully Cathy W.
I've increased the difficulty on OV1 (to fit in with Ruud's view of his site) and out of cussedness will continue to try and make it harder.
Unfortunately, I believe, my original instincts were correct and this works best as a killer. In a killer you can make some positive "it must be" decisions whereas in vanilla it becomes just about elimination. There is some possibility with multiple LOLs - but we will see.
