ANSWERS: Sudokurostic 5

It's been nearly two weeks since "Sudokurostic 5" was posted on this blog, and sixteen people have solved it since then:

• Grant Fikes
• Cindy Heisler
• Marie desJardins
• Mike Armstrong
• Sam Levitin
• Pavel Curtis
• Mom
• Tamara Brenner
• Michael Lebowitz
• Wendy Walker
• Derek Allen
• Kevin Orfield
• Lynn Sweeney
• Steve Gunter
• Chris Kochmanski
• Josie Giles

Now head below the break for the answers!

PUZZLE #527: Sudokurostic 5

PUZZLE #527

SUDOKUROSTIC 5

This puzzle type was suggested by Patron Grant Fikes. Normally, you can suggest a puzzle type of your own choice over on my Patreon page, but both slots are still full, so you might have to resort to PayPal if you still want to make a request of your own.

Below is supposed to be a sudoku/wordoku puzzle, but unfortunately, the whole grid is completely blank. To fill it in, solve the clues so that the answers fill out the dashes (one letter per dash), then transfer each letter to the grid according to the coordinates below each dash, like an anacrostic puzzle. For example, if the coordinates were "e6", then its corresponding letter should go in the square in row "e" and column "6". Not all of the grid's squares will ultimately be filled in, so it's up to you to complete the rest of the wordoku puzzle, making sure that each row, column, and 3x3 box contains the same nine unique letters without any repeats.

Once the grid has been completely filled, look through it like a word search to find the FINAL ANSWER: a noun that's at least six letters long

• Arabian Nights character who said "Open Sesame!": 2 wds.

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   f5 h4 b3 c9 h7 f3 b6

• Bryant who narrated the Oscar-winning animated short Dear Basketball

   __ __ __ __

   e1 i1 d7 g5

• Controversial short video app that shares its name with a Kesha song

   __ __ __ __ __ __

   e3 c5 d4 a7 e7 a2

• Made-up names for criminals

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   e9 g3 a9 i3 b4 e6 d5

• "Taste the Rainbow" candy seen in the video game Darkened Skye

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   g1 f7 e4 i8 f6 c7 d3 h6

Once you think you know what the FINAL ANSWER is, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or even ask for a hint, though you'll be marked as having used one if you do so) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for links to two .PDF versions which you can print out!

ANSWERS: Sudokurostic 4

Roughly two weeks have gone by since "Sudokurostic 4" was posted on this blog, and quite a few people have solved it since then:

• Grant Fikes
• Cindy Heisler
• Pavel Curtis
• Kevin Orfield
• Mike Armstrong
• Tamara Brenner
• Michael Lebowitz
• Sam Levitin
• Steve Gunter
• Patrick Jordan
• Mom
• Josie Giles
• Wendy Walker
• Lynn Sweeney
• Tower
• Chris Kochmanski

Now head below the break for the answers and a solver's comment!

PUZZLE #481: Sudokurostic 4

PUZZLE #481

SUDOKUROSTIC 4

Below is supposed to be a sudoku/wordoku puzzle, but unfortunately, the whole grid is completely blank. To fill it in, solve the clues so that the answers fill out the dashes (one letter per dash), then transfer each letter to the grid according to the coordinates below each dash, like an anacrostic puzzle. For example, if the coordinates were "e6", then its corresponding letter should go in the square in row "e" and column "6". Not all of the grid's squares will ultimately be filled in, so it's up to you to complete the rest of the wordoku puzzle, making sure that each row, column, and 3x3 box contains the same nine unique letters without any repeats.

Once the grid has been completely filled, look through it like a word search to find the FINAL ANSWER: an adjective that's at least six letters long

• Collarbone

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   d3 f2 a8 b5 a1 h7 h3 f8

• Frida Kahlo, Paul Klee, and Jeff Koons, e.g.

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   f7 h1 a6 i9 a3 i4 d8

• Opening for a game of volleyball

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   g1 c9 g8 c2 f3 a5 h5

• Superlative adjective for the Burj Khalifa skyscraper

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   b3 g9 d7 b9 e1 i5 d5

• Surname of a Clue suspect in a red dress

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   b7 i2 d2 f5 c1 i7 e9

Once you think you know what the FINAL ANSWER is, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or even ask for a hint, though you'll be marked as having used one if you do so) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a link to a .PDF version which you can print out!

ANSWERS: Sudokurostic 3

It's been close to two weeks since "Sudokurostic 3" was posted on this blog, and an impressive sixteen people have solved it since then:

• Grant Fikes
• Cindy Heisler
• Chris Kochmanski
• Kevin Orfield
• Michael Lebowitz
• Mike Armstrong
• Al Sisti
• Sam Levitin
• Ray Youstra
• Wendy Walker
• Tamara Brenner
• Patrick Jordan
• Mom
• Lynn Sweeney
• Tyler Hinman
• Steve Gunter

Now head below the break for the answers and a solver's comment!

PUZZLE #424: Sudokurostic 3

PUZZLE #424

SUDOKUROSTIC 3

Below is supposed to be a sudoku/wordoku puzzle, but unfortunately, the whole grid is completely blank. To fill it in, solve the clues so that the answers fill out the dashes (one letter per dash), then transfer each letter to the grid according to the coordinates below each dash, like an anacrostic puzzle. For example, if the coordinates were "d5", then its corresponding letter should go in the square in row "d" and column "5". Not all of the grid's squares will ultimately be filled in, so it's up to you to complete the rest of the wordoku puzzle, making sure that each row, column, and 3x3 box contains the same nine unique letters without any repeats.

Once the grid has been completely filled, look through it like a word search to find the FINAL ANSWER: a common noun that's at least six letters long

• "Break My Soul" singer

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   g2 d4 g8 f1 a1 f6 e2

• Crime such as offering a politician money under the table

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   i6 g4 e8 b3 c6 a8 f7

• Kermit the Frog's nephew (or a red-breasted songbird)

   __ __ __ __ __

   i9 h7 a4 c2 e9

• Scottish actor Sean who voiced Draco in Dragonheart

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   i5 d9 c4 d3 b1 h1 e5

• The smallest 10-digit number

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   e1 h9 b9 g6 a5 c8 i2

Once you believe you've figured out the FINAL ANSWER, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or even ask for a hint, though you'll be marked as having used one if you do so) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a link to a .PDF version which you can print out!

ANSWERS: Sudokurostic 2

Almost two weeks have gone by since my second "Sudokurossword" puzzle was posted on this blog. Since then, an impressive nineteen people have successfully solved it, and they're all listed below:

• Grant Fikes
• Cindy Heisler
• M. Sean Molley
• Giovanni Pagano
• Kevin Orfield
• Meg Duvall
• Tyler Hinman
• Tommy Weigle
• Sam Levitin
• Wendy Walker
• Mom
• Tamara Brenner
• Lynn Sweeney
• Karen Spencer
• Stephen Potter
• Alex Sisti
• Peter Abide
• Michael Lebowitz
• Mindy Moore

Now head below the break for the answers!

PUZZLE #356: Sudokurostic 2

PUZZLE #356

SUDOKUROSTIC 2

Below is supposed to be a sudoku/wordoku puzzle, but unfortunately, the whole grid is completely blank. To fill it in, solve the clues so that the answers fill out the dashes (one letter per dash), then transfer each letter to the grid according to the coordinates below each dash, like an anacrostic puzzle. For example, if the coordinates were "e5", then its corresponding letter should go in the square in row "e" and column "5". Not all of the grid's squares will ultimately be filled in, so it's up to you to complete the rest of the wordoku puzzle, making sure that each row, column, and 3x3 box contains the same nine unique letters without any repeats.

Once the grid has been completely filled, look through it like a word search to find the FINAL ANSWER: a proper noun that's at least six letters long

• Is more-or-less obligated to

   __ __ __ __

   a9 c4 e1 d8

• Phoebe and Her Unicorn and Hi and Lois, for two

   __ __ __ __ __ __

   i6 h7 f4 d2 h1 a4

• Setting for Judge Mathis

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   a8 g6 d6 f2 h4 c7 i2 e9 b3

• The _____ of Happyness (2006 Will Smith film)

   __ __ __ __ __ __ __

   d3 a2 i8 f7 i1 e4 b9

• What a screenwriter writes

   __ __ __ __ __ __

   g3 g9 b6 f8 c1 e6

Once you believe you've figured out the FINAL ANSWER, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or even ask for a hint, though you'll be marked as having used one if you do so) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a link to a .PDF version which you can print out!

ANSWERS: Sudokurostic

It's been thirteen days since my final puzzle for Ja-New-Ary, "Sudokurostic", was posted on this blog, and nine people since then have successfully solved it, as you can see in the list below:

• Grant Fikes ****
• Kevin Orfield ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Stephen Potter ****
• Mom ***
• Patrick Jordan ****
• Debbie Benford ****
• Lynn Sweeney ****
• Eric Maddy ****

Now head below the break for the answers as well as a solver's comment!

JA-NEW-ARY! PUZZLE #267: Sudokurostic

JA-NEW-ARY!

PUZZLE #267

SUDOKUROSTIC

It's the final puzzle for this theme month, and this one was based off of an idea that one of my solvers provided! Longtime solvers may recall that Lynn Sweeney, one of my regular solvers and someone who I often see in person, originally provided the idea that became "Sudokurossword". This new idea that she came up with a while ago is similar, but it involved transferring letters into a sudoku grid rather than numbers. Inspiration was quick to strike me once she told me about her idea, and this new hybrid of a sudoku and an anacrostic puzzle was what I ultimately came up with! I hope you'll enjoy it!

Below is supposed to be a sudoku/wordoku puzzle, but unfortunately, the whole grid is completely blank. To fill it in, solve the clues so that the answers fill out the dashes (one letter per dash), then transfer each letter to the grid according to the coordinates below each dash, like an anacrostic puzzle. For example, if the coordinates were "e5", then its corresponding letter should go in the square in row "e" and column "5". Not all of the grid's squares will ultimately be filled in, so it's up to you to complete the rest of the wordoku puzzle, making sure that each row, column, and 3x3 box contains the same nine unique letters without any repeats.

Once the grid has been completely filled, look through it like a word search to find the FINAL ANSWER: an adjective that's at least six letters long

• 2000s TV drama about the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815
   __ __ __ __
   d4 i7 b5 h5
• Deuce Bigalow: Male _____ (Rob Schneider film)
   __ __ __ __ __ __
   d3 g6 c2 b1 e7 a5
• Female sheep from U.S. Acres (HINT: she's named after a wax secreted from sheep, which might explain why she's constantly grumpy.....)
   __ __ __ __ __ __ __
   i3 a6 c4 h4 g8 f9 e3
• Like clocks that aren't analog
   __ __ __ __ __ __ __
   g5 a2 b6 i8 d9 h2 c5
• They're streamed by Spotify
   __ __ __ __ __
   f1 c9 f6 i4 a7
• Using one of the five senses that's located in one's mouth
   __ __ __ __ __ __ __
   b8 f7 h9 a3 d1 i5 g1

Once you think you know what the FINAL ANSWER is, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or get a hint from me in exchange for a "hint star", more details for that are on the sidebar to the right) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for two versions you can print out: a .PNG and a link to a .PDF!

ANSWERS: Wordoku

No DeviantArt pic this week, so instead, here's a seal going BONK! (the word SEAL can be found in the Wordoku grid, but it's not part of the FINAL ANSWER)

Thirteen days have passed since my first Wordoku puzzle was posted on this blog, and despite it apparently being harder than my previous sudoku puzzles, nine people still managed to solve it, as you can see in the list below:

• Grant Fikes ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Mom *
• Debbie Benford **
• Patrick Jordan ****
• Lynn Sweeney ***
• Stephen Staver ****
• Martin Ward ****

Now click on "Read more" below for the answers and some solver comments!

PUZZLE #219: Wordoku

PUZZLE #219

WORDOKU

It's a sudoku puzzle, but with letters instead of numbers! Despite this change, standard sudoku rules still apply: each row, column, and 3x3 box must contain nine unique letters without any repeats, all of which are located below the grid and rearranged into a short phrase.

Once the grid has been completely filled, look through it like a word search to find two words (both at least five letters long) that combine to create the FINAL ANSWER: the name of a Sega Genesis game.

Once you think you know what the FINAL ANSWER is, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or get a hint from me in exchange for a "hint star", more details for that are on the sidebar to the right) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a version you can print out!

ANSWERS: Sudokurossword 3

It's been thirteen days since I've posted "Sudokurossword 3", and six of you since then have successfully solved it, as you can see in the list below:

• Grant Fikes ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Mom ****
• Debbie Benford ****
• Lynn Sweeney ****

Now head below the break for the answers!

PUZZLE #169: Sudokurossword 3

PUZZLE #169

SUDOKUROSSWORD 3

This puzzle comes in two parts. The first part is a sudoku, which you solve normally (the numbers 1-9 appear once in each row, column, and 3x3 box). Each row has a crossword clue next to it; the shaded cell corresponds to the crossword entry in which that answer belongs. (For example, a 5 means that the answer to that clue belongs in 5-Down in the crossword grid.) If you want to really challenge yourself, you can skip the sudoku entirely and try to fit in the crossword answers without knowing where they're supposed to go, but I wouldn't recommend that.

Once you're done, unscramble the shaded squares in the crossword to form the FINAL ANSWER: A nine-letter word

Once you think you know what the FINAL ANSWER is, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or get a hint from me in exchange for a "hint star", more details for that are on the sidebar to the right) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a version you can print out!

ANSWERS: The Sudoku Code

Before I reveal the answers to "The Sudoku Code", I've got some big news! A while ago, I told you that my second set of "Squeezed in the Middle" "Word Sandwiches" puzzles are set to be published in the February 2017 issue of GAMES Magazine. Well, last Tuesday, that issue came in the mail! It's not on newsstands yet (it'll come out this Wednesday, most likely), so the inevitable contest with that issue as a prize won't be posted until next week. In the meantime, here are the people who have successfully solved "The Sudoku Code":

• Lynn Sweeney ***
• Grant Fikes ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• Debbie Benford ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• YYW ****
• Chris Hendricks ****

Now just head below the break for the answers, as well as some solver comments!

PUZZLE #108: The Sudoku Code

PUZZLE #108

THE SUDOKU CODE

This next puzzle is inspired by an anime! I've been watching various anime for quite a while now (see the answer to "Moving Staircases 2" as proof of that), but I've just started watching it on a more regular basis since only last year when the Winter 2016 season began. One anime that premiered earlier this decade and which I just started watching not too long ago is called Phi Brain. If you want a synopsis, it's a lot like Yu-Gi-Oh, but with puzzles instead of a children's card game. If you're still curious, you can watch all three seasons of the show here at Crunchyroll. Anyways, I'm only a few episodes in at the moment, but I've already been inspired by a puzzle in one of the episodes (episode 3, to be exact) to create a new puzzle for this blog! Let's dig in, shall we?

Fill in the sudoku below using normal rules (the numbers 1-9 appear once in each row, column, and 3x3 box). Once everything has been filled in, use the shaded squares to figure out this week's FINAL ANSWER: A nine-letter word

Once you believe you've figured out the FINAL ANSWER, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or get a hint from me in exchange for a "hint star", more details for that are on the sidebar to the right) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a version you can print out!

ANSWERS: Sudokurossword 2

It's been two weeks since I posted a guest puzzle from Grant Fikes, and as you can see below, there's been a pretty big dip in solvers, at least compared to my usual average number of solvers. Maybe it's because of the holidays and people are too busy to take time off to solve puzzles on this site, maybe this particular puzzle proved too hard for most people, or maybe they just forgot. Whatever the reason, I'd like to remind people that if they so wish, I can send them a weekly email reminder telling them when my latest puzzle has been posted, so email me if you want to take part of this offer. Anyways, here's all four people that have solved this puzzle:

• Sam Levitin ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• YYW ****
• Giovanni Pagano ***

Now head below the break for the answers and some solver comments!

PUZZLE #102: Sudokurossword 2 (Guest Puzzle by Grant Fikes!)

PUZZLE #102

SUDOKUROSSWORD 2

Guest Puzzle by Grant Fikes

You may recall a couple weeks ago that because of depression surrounding this recent election season, I didn't have a puzzle that week. Two of my regular solvers, Grant Fikes and Chris Hendricks, both suggested that I post a Guest Puzzle in case I have another week with no puzzle scheduled. Grant even sent me a Sudokurossword for me to use! I had already made a "4X Game" puzzle when he originally sent me this (and I also have a different one for next week as well), but I didn't want his effort to go to waste, so I accepted his offering, and now I'm posting it here for you guys to solve (though I ultimately changed three of his clues beforehand. I hope he doesn't mind)!

This puzzle comes in two parts. The first part is a sudoku, which you solve normally (the numbers 1-9 appear once in each row, column, and 3x3 box). Each row has a crossword clue next to it; the shaded cell corresponds to the crossword entry in which that answer belongs. (For example, a 5 means that the answer to that clue belongs in 5-Down in the crossword grid.) If you want to really challenge yourself, you can skip the sudoku entirely and try to fit in the crossword answers without knowing where they're supposed to go, but I wouldn't recommend that.

Once you're done, unscramble the shaded squares in the crossword to form the FINAL ANSWER: A nine-letter word

Once you believe you've figured out the FINAL ANSWER, send it to either redhead64@chartermi.net or itsredhead64@gmail.com (though I'm more likely to check the second one) and I'll put your name on a solvers list once I post the answers in about two weeks. You can also use those email addresses to give me some comments and feedback (or get a hint from me in exchange for a "hint star", more details for that are on the sidebar to the right) or send me the answer to last week's puzzle, if you haven't already figured it out. If you have a printer and want to solve this puzzle on paper, just head below the break for a version you can print out!

ANSWERS: Sudokurossword

It's been roughly two weeks since I've posted my sudoku-crossword hybrid, so now it's time for me to reveal the answers! Keep in mind that I originally posted this puzzle before I changed the usage of stars, so until next week's answers are posted, it's still two stars for solving it in the first week, and one star for solving it in the second week. Now with that out of the way, here are the people who have solved this puzzle:

• Adam Weaver **
• Eric Maddy **
• Sam Levitin **
• Grant Fikes **
• Lynn Sweeney **
• Tyler Hinman **
• Christian H. P. **
• Debbie Underwood **
• Paolo Pasco **

Now head below the break for the answers! You'll also see some solver comments and captioned pictures as well!

UPDATE: Sudokurossword (and the End of Easy Versions)

It's been about a week since I posted my sudoku-crossword hybrid, and so far, an impressive 9 people have solved it. Usually, this is where I put an easier version of the puzzle... but starting today, there will be no more easy versions! I came to that decision after asking my solvers whether or not I should continue with them considering that no one has used them in quite a while. Their responses are below the break, in case you're curious as to how they answered; you might get a hint or two as to what I'm replacing the easy versions with. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that I've already adopted a new system to replace the easier versions starting with tomorrow's puzzle, where it'll be explained in more detail. Hope to see you then!