Thanks for the feature Simon! This is actually a remake of my first ever published sudoku. Thought I'd revisit it with a few new tricks I've picked up along the way, and some fog. :)
Having been around the channel for going on three years now, I tend to skip over the re-explanations of rules to save myself time. But I am a strong believer in the idea that every video should explain what's being done without assuming that the viewer has seen another video.
But EITHER WAY, thank you so much to Simon, Mark and the setters. I swear, this has become my main source of visual entertainment, and is far, far better for my brain than the TV I used to watch! I discovered this channel three years ago during lockdown and I've been basically addicted by day one. What a Community!!!!
Getting half way through the puzzle and getting stuck, then having to watch Simon miss things you thought were obvious only to make the simplest 9 has to go next to the 4 deduction on a German whisper that you missed is quite humbling 😂
Me: SIMON COME ON! THATS A 9! ITS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! Simon: (continues consecutively solving the 19 elaborate deductions I was NEVER gonna be able to solve)
@@nickroethel3326 I missed the 4-9 german whisper part TWICE. Once in the central box and again in the top left box. Both times cost me like 5+ minutes. A real fool me twice moment.
This was probably my favourite use of the Phistomefel ring and set theory in general I've seen yet. Initially when I read the rules I figured that the perimeter sum would be a disambiguator at the end, but it turns out that it was the break in. Wonderful.
Please be sure to explain the secret each time, as it reassures me that I'm one of the favored ones. But I think we can take a Phistomophel ring as given once in a while, especially if it's come up earlier in the week
Given its a reasonably complex explanation, I wonder if they wouldn't be better doing a video that explains the Phistomephel ring that they can link to when it comes up instead of needing to explain it every time.
@@LachlanCannon this is actually a great idea. i understand why they explain it, the first time i heard him explain it i was genuinely blown away. but now its becoming a bit redundant. Making a video specifically to explain phistomephel would be very beneficial to both new and old viewers.
One of the most amusing parts of this video was how long it took Simon to notice that "Phog," coupled with the fairly obvious pattern of un-covered digits, was a pointer to "PHistomefel." Even after he decided to use the ring, he didn't comment on the name of the puzzle for some minutes. Second most amusing part was watching the co-ordinated confetti cannons! Fog puzzles are great: let's have more!
Please link to the video in the description, even if it's just yesterday's video, so that we can easily go to the proof for the Phistomophel ring if we'd like to. Once this current video is no longer today's video, it becomes more and more difficult to find yesterday's video.
Phistomefel's ring always takes so long to explain, so I'm happy to skip over it BUT Make sure you link yesterday's video in a pinned comment or in the description, otherwise future viewers may have difficulty identifying which video you mean and that would be unfair on beginners.
@@MunichFreak That's probably an even better idea honestly, because then you can just link that playlist in the description preset and it'll be linked on all videos by default.
Seconding the request to link to the referenced video: it's fine if people are watching that day, or even a few days later, but for those who stumble across the video a month or a year later will have a hard time finding that video
The alternative is to bookmark a chapter end at the end of the explanation, as they did yesterday. This allows us to skip ahead if we don’t need the explanation. That would make a more pleasant experience for newcomers.
Simon at the number of people who had done the puzzle:s: "203 people in 3.4 days. That is a tribute to how loved these puzzles are, and to apiyo." Yes, it is... Me, after solving the puzzle: 3337 people after 3.9 days! THAT is a tribute to CTC and how many people solve the puzzles they promote.
If i recall you guys were making shorts for things like the phistomophel ring specifically for this reason. However, I think that because you explained it only yesterday it's fine. It's a lengthy proof. If it had been a few weeks, then yes. Explain it. I love that you guys do everything you can to make these puzzles accessible to new people. Even though I've heard these proofs a hundred times. I will never complain because the REASON is more important than my only personal preference. This channel is INCREDINLY welcoming, and wholesome, and inclusive, and friendly, and I am against ANYTHING that will change that. This specific case I think it's fine because it's so rare to do two rings in a row, and it's very easy to just go to yesterday's video and watch that proof.
When doing a ring puzzle like this I find it useful to remove matching digits' highlighting. For example at 41:00 you have a 3 and 89 in bottom right and a 3 and 89 on left side of ring, remove the blue and orange highlight from both. Likewise with the four 1s, the other 89 pair, and the other 3. Makes it very clear what still needs to be matched up
I really liked this puzzle and video. And Simon, when you are delighted by something, it is contagious. Thanks for being so enthusiastic! On the topic of explaining Phistomefel each time: in skimming through some of the comments below, I think that there is a mixed opinion about it. My own thought is that you should explain it every time, because you never know when someone new to variant sudoku might be watching this video and no other, and find it hard (thanks to TH-cam) to find "yesterday's puzzle". Using the chapter marking will help those who don't want to see it twice in one week simply skip over it. When I was new to this channel, one of the things that drew me in (which I am sure I was not even fully aware in those early days) was that you and Mark explained everything so fully. I could always understand why you were doing what you did. Even now, you explain things like "a nine can never go anywhere other than on the tip of a thermo because let's try putting it here in the middle ..." and people don't seem to mind that - but to someone new to thermo sudoku, that is revelatory. Therefore, I think that to keep with the culture of this channel of being a great place to be a newbie, the Phistomefel ring should be explained every time. Yes, it takes longer than explaining why a 5 can't go on a German whisper, but to a newcomer it is just as important. (And much harder to see without a proof.) Thanks for everything you and Mark have taught and demonstrated over and over so that even this old dog has learned quite a number of new tricks, and had a ball doing so!
I always enjoy the detailed explanations and considered it part of Simon's train of thought. That includes explaining why he uses small digits in fog, instead of just doing so. But he didn't mention Maverick (first time) today and I felt the ring explanation was also clarified enough, so apparently there's room for skipping sometimes. From a TH-cam algorithm perspective, I'm not sure if viewers jumping to a separate explanation video is beneficial compared to some skipping a few minutes of repeated content. Long videos that everyone watch is probably best. :-)
I finished in 56 minutes. I think this is the first time that I actually used Phistomefel's Ring to solve a puzzle. I usually see that the ring is possible, but I get around it through other methods, cause I don't quite understand SET Theory. Using the perimeter clues with Phistomefel's Ring was such a light bulb moment in my head. After putting in that first 1 in the ring was an amazing feeling. It was only surpassed moments later when I put two 3s in the corner simultaneously, getting two confettis at the same time. Fog of war puzzles are so cool. I really liked this one. Great Puzzle!
Perhaps Maverick will produce a Sudoku hunt for Simon to solve where he has to arrange all of the grids in some special way that reveals his schedule for the coming week.
Rules: 08:01 Let's Get Cracking: 10:33 Simon's time: 36m51s Puzzle Solved: 47:24 What about this video's Top Tier Simarkisms?! The Secret: 6x (12:01, 12:04, 12:12, 12:26, 25:03, 25:04) Phistomefel: 4x (10:43, 10:59, 17:33, 17:37) Three In the Corner: 2x (27:41, 27:59) Maverick: 1x (00:19) And how about this video's Simarkisms?! Naughty: 13x (21:22, 21:24, 26:07, 27:20, 29:12, 33:01, 33:37, 33:39, 36:36, 37:34, 39:29, 42:43, 48:03) Brilliant: 8x (03:42, 03:42, 10:28, 22:57, 23:00, 23:03, 32:13, 47:21) Ah: 7x (16:21, 16:39, 16:39, 24:43, 27:00, 30:52, 32:08, 41:12) By Sudoku: 6x (31:59, 33:17, 35:58, 38:06, 45:00, 46:27) Sorry: 4x (00:15, 06:05, 06:31, 42:08) Hang On: 4x (11:34, 27:37, 27:43, 27:47) Obviously: 4x (15:57, 24:01, 25:25, 29:31) Goodness: 2x (34:11, 35:45) Clever: 2x (16:39, 38:20) Beautiful: 2x (31:31, 47:49) In Fact: 2x (17:59, 26:07) Apologies: 1x (00:23) Naked Single: 1x (45:19) The Answer is: 1x (27:24) In the Spotlight: 1x (28:02) I Have no Clue: 1x (15:31) Stuck: 1x (27:04) Lovely: 1x (47:50) Break the Puzzle: 1x (32:45) Incredible: 1x (01:27) Our old Friend Sudoku: 1x (43:02) Shouting: 1x (06:12) Think Harder: 1x (37:11) Proof: 1x (18:30) Intriguing: 1x (38:22) Plonk: 1x (41:29) What Does This Mean?: 1x (37:02) That's Huge: 1x (41:12) Nature: 1x (09:38) Pencil Mark/mark: 1x (44:25) Cake!: 1x (04:24) Most popular number(>9), digit and colour this video: Forty Five (8 mentions) One (110 mentions) Green (16 mentions) Antithesis Battles: Low (7) - High (5) Even (2) - Odd (0) Higher (6) - Lower (5) White (8) - Black (7) Column (14) - Row (6) FAQ: Q1: You missed something! A1: That could very well be the case! Human speech can be hard to understand for computers like me! Point out the ones that I missed and maybe I'll learn! Q2: Can you do this for another channel? A2: I've been thinking about that and wrote some code to make that possible. Let me know which channel you think would be a good fit!
I think my favorite part of this puzzle is that it is the same difficulty with no fog as with fog... But with fog it is more fun and keeps your focus making it possibly easier;
You definitively did a lot better than me (I kept forgetting about the naughty domino rule), but you did underutilize the ring. As soon as you concluded that you had 2 89 pairs in the corners, you can look at the ring and see that there is only 2 possible places for each 9 (at the end of the thermos), and since those are on white dots, the other thermo end has to be 8s, so the 89 pairs go in to the ring. Now you know that there can not be any more 8s or 9s on the ring due to the thermos (can't put another 8 on the other thermos due to sudoku), so the maximum value that can go into the corners is now 7. That means that the high digits on the box 3 and 7 whispers have to be a pair of 67 pairs. That drops the new max to 6 because 7s can only go on the ring in column 3 and 7, so can't have more than 2. Now you can place the 2s in box 3 and 7 in column 7 and 3 respectively as you did, but the same goes for the 3s - they have to exist in those columns, they can't go in box 4 or 6 due to thermos or box 1 and 9 due to 3s in the corners. That in turn makes r2c8 and r8c2 naked single 5s - can't be 1, 2, 7, 8 or 9 due to those digits being unable to go on the ring, and can't be 1, 2, 3, 6 or 7 because they're already placed or pencil marked into the boxes. 4 is excluded by the 4 in r2c2, so that just leaves 5. The only question that remains is if r8c8 is a 4 or a 6. Personally, I would very much prefer explanations for the basic things like the secret, whisper polarity and the ring to be left out and just put in a timestamped and linked video. Would avoid a lot of repetitions for those of us that have heard it a ton of times already, and it allows you to really think it trough and come up with the best explanation for them that you can and include that in the video, even if it takes a bit longer, so it might be better for newcomers too.
Thank you for the mention and kind words, it made my day. Plus it was my birthday the other day so an extra bonus gift for me. I know you are so often told how much joy you bring to people but, given my diagnosis, I make sure I spend as much time as possible doing things I enjoy and that, without fail, includes my regular doses of CTC. I especially love a fog of war puzzle too. Thank you so much. 🥰
Oh, what a beautiful, graceful puzzle. 41:59 for me, which I'm immensely proud of: I got very nearly stuck a handful of times, but always just managed to see my way through. Thanks for showcasing this one, I really enjoyed it.
Proud to finally have solved one of the puzzles (mostly) on my own! After Simon showed the break-in, I managed a time of 1 hour, 38 minutes, and 37 seconds, which was actually much faster than I expected to get.
Last night, after driving my family all day back from our holiday, I had a look at the puzzle, couldn't figure out a way back in, and thought it was too complicated for me and decided to watch the video without solving it first. Then I fell asleep. In my lunch break today I had another look at the puzzle and really glad I did because with my brain less tired I saw the first step of the breakthrough and had a lot of fun solving it. What a great puzzle! Now about to watch Simon solve it :)
At this point I've heard the Phistomofel theorem explained over 50 times so I'm happy to skip it, but I also remember the first time it was explained and it was indeed very useful. I think a perfect middle ground if you want to keep explaining it in every video following your policy of treating every video like it's someones first time watching is to include the timestamps for the explanation so it's easily skippable to people who have heard it a million times like it was in yesterday's video, the chapter system is really very useful for that.
4:07 Simon (aka "Goose") I beseech you to ask Mark to slow down "Less haste, more speed!" I have a secret I only tell my closest friends - that secret is a bug screen is a sound investment especially in summer. Could I also seek an improvement from Sven-gali - in the form of a working pad that can superimpose over the rules as needs (may prove useful? I love your solves especially as they are always kind of awesome! Jim from Alice Springs Australia
Why was there a thermo in Box 6? By that point you can already place the 2, and thus the digit to its left obviously has to be higher since 1 is already restricted
All that was missing was the Phistomefel ring explanation, although it was a little oddly refreshing not hearing it, but I do want to hear it everytime. It's one of the things that make this channel great. My time was 01:17:05 The puzzle is now _over 9000_ solves in just over 7 days, that's so crazy
It's quintessentially Simon to do all sorts of clever deductions while studiously overlooking the 1 in box nine that was obviously resolved from the start. :) (Otoh it revealed some clues that I wasted a lot of time trying to make use of too early.)
I would strongly suggest that you make a compilation, a playlist for example, of videos where you rigorously prove things like the phistomefel ring, y wings, sword fishes, etc etc, and then refer to those videos with the little "i" cards that you can place in videos when you need to explain something. The explanations could probably just be cut out of previous videos, and reuploaded as short clips for this purpose.
This break-in stumped me, tinkered with eliminating digits from the thermos for about 45 minutes before giving up and watching. Not at all what I was expecting. @~@
The start of the break-in (the first digit) was easy (almost obvious), but then I somehow wrongly concluded where the next digits were, and was immediately proven wrong by not clearing any fog. I restarted, verified all my logic, and was stuck for a while. I then watched (without getting more info) until Simon said that the 2s in columns 3 and 7 were restricted - this then gave me the idea to check where the 1s in these columns could be, which actually gave the break-in. It still took a while until I solved everything, 103:03 in total (solve counter 1371).
29:34 2 8s and 2 9s in the Phistomefel sets is big, especially with the white dots where the four thermos meet at their high ends... ::Edit:: This may be the first time I've seen Simon solve by sudoku what he could have more quickly gotten through complicated set logic instead of vice versa XD
I was also quite surprised that he missed that! It took me 45 minutes to get the the point where I could resolve the corners, but that 8/9 logic took seconds for me.
Can any sudoku experts give a rough idea of how much easier this puzzle would be if you could see the entire grid from the outset? Compared with a lot of fog-of-wars, it didn't seem to reveal TOO much in additional clues as the solve progressed. (This isn't a criticism, I like that the grid looks so clean at the end and there aren't about 30 two-cell thermos etc in there.)
An outstanding puzzle and a brilliant break in. I thoroughly enjoyed solving that one. I thought that the 172 was going to come into play towards the end. Who knew?!
I don’t mind leaving all the familiar secrets and theorems unexplained, especially the longer ones like Mr. PH. I even think it could be nice to have you two make up a video that is all about explaining the different rules, theorems and secrets and whenever you are about to explain such in a solve video, just link to appropriate position on that explanation video! Or at least, please, provide the section markers as you did on yesterday’s puzzle.
Regarding the proof from another video: I've heard it so often, that I don't need it, but for those who do 'yesterdays puzzle' can be quite hard to find, when you get recommended this video in a month time for example. So if you want to do this, then please provide a direct link to the specific video too. Although that's probably more work than explaining it again and I personally can listen to your explanations hundreds of times and still enjoy them. 😊
Very happy that i solved this! I immediatly pencilMarked the thermo's on the ring, then noticed the no pair adding to 3 rule. Then i considered the perimeter 172 and hey presto i had my break in. Which i reached faster then Simon, but he did talk about rings and perimeters and secrets, so i am proud of finding it fast, but i won't get cocky over it. Loved it! Lot of wonderfull steps along the road. Once made a logic error and after a while got stuck and noticed fog not lifting. I then made sure to get correct logic rather then using my pencilmarks and filling the other digit in.
52:52 for me. I struggled a lot early on and needed the video's help initially understanding why the rule about the perimeter sum was relevant, but I was able to make my way through it at a fairly steady pace from there.
I personally watch 1 video from time to time, so even if you explained in previous video I might not seen it. BUT for me it's no problem to check other video especially if you link to that video and put stamp. I understand that explaining same thing over and over can be a little pain :D
loved the break-in, so clever and beautiful--thanks for a fantastic puzzle @apiyo. Simon, if I ever went to parties, I would definitely want to have a conversation with you--thanks for another wonderful video.
Interestingly, I didn't even consider that I cud use Phistomefel's Ring Property in the puzzle since i knew nothing about the 4 corner cells in the corner boxes. I went with the idea of where cud 1s n 2s go in column 3 & 7 & 8s n 9s in row 3 & 7 due to the thermos. Finding that r3c6 had to be 1(else perimeter sum wud not be accurate) n then how the puzzle unveils itself beautifully was so impressive. Thanks CTC for such a simple yet interesting design & solve!!
This fall will be 2 years since i started watching, I appreciated the explainers when I first started watching, and I'm sure new people certainly will. I've been waiting now that you time stamp and use shorts, for you to create a short explaining a rule, and then at that time in the video when you would normally explain something, you go point over to that short. But perhaps once a month you do a sort of introductory puzzle with lots of different rules you have to explain. Even the breakdown in these rules today have become a little unnecessary, I'm getting very use to variant Sudoku; but i know you have your preferences.
Finished in 68:38. That was the closest thing to magic that I've ever done. Truly, digits in the grid coming seemingly out of nowhere, thanks to Phistomofel.
11 minutes... That's how long it took Simon to realize that the 1 in R7C8 was resolved once he had a 1 in the corner. Never change, Simon... Never change.
28:09 I need people to look at this time stamp from when he found the 1 in R9C1 and soak in that it took 11 more minutes to get the aforementioned R7C8. ❤ Simon
Thank you, Simon (and apyio). That was an amazing puzzle. Strangely, I managed to work out the break in with Phistomefel, but the interaction with the 'naughty dominoes' escaped me. But watching your solve made up for my failure. Brilliant!
Fantastic puzzle! Thought I finished with a deadly pattern for a minute (only had 8s and 9s in rows 1,2,7 left) only for the 4 in r2c2 to resolve it using the green line
I solved it but am not happy with the logic I used at the end to get there. I assumed a pair couldn't be because of no black dot but I don't think that negative constraint really did apply. Very excited to see Simon show me what I was missing at the end. Edit: 29 minutes in and he showed me what I missed. Completely forgot the whisper.
One solution for somewhat longer repeat explanations like the phisto ring or yin yang secrets could be to post a shorter video with a dedicated explanation and then in subsequent videos do a "click the card appearing now for a full proof"
"I don't think it involves Phistomefel..." famous last words. Using Phistomefel removes "2" from the corners forcing 13 pairs, which instantly prompts the solve. Completed in 20m59s.
@42:15 you can figure out where "5" goes in box 9, given that in box 8 on the thermometer the digit 5 MUST go in the top row in the second or third place. This places the digit 5 in the bottom left corner of box 9 by sudoku. Once that is figured out, it resolves most, if not all of, box 8 given that in row 9 you'd be left with the digits "6,7,8,9" and the way the white dots are placed in box 8 would tell you a whole lot of information.
I'm perfectly fine with Phistomefel not being proven every time. You should just upload a video on the Phistomefel Ring (and the various variants on it involving the center cell), and then link that each time it comes up (maybe just have it pop up in the i-card in the upper right at the time in the video you mention it)
Simon kills me sometimes. He filled in nearly all of Row 5 and the n he tries placing 569 and 567 nearby. But it is also lovely to see how differently people's minds work.
Y'all, seriously. If you don't want the explanation of the Phistomofel Ring, just skip ahead. New viewers may WANT the explanation, and not want to stop, click a link to another video, then come back to the puzzle. I find it odd that so many of you want to inconvenience others, just for your own convenience. I remember the first time the I saw the ring explained. It blew my mind! Let other, newer, viewers have that same experience. 😊😊
Hey! Thank you for the videos they're awesome, I don't usually comment but I was thinking maybe you could do a short video with the important theorems , this way you can just put the link in the description when needed
to discourage cheating with the fog of war mechanic, I think there should be a cool-down timer whenever you set a digit (not a note or a color) it would set a timer on that one digit so that it can't be changed for 5 seconds, furthermore there probably should be a penalty IF you change that same digit soon after the timer runs out than the next timer is slightly longer. This way you are encouraged to be really sure of the number you set, and it becomes more annoying to just brute force try
The very first Fog of War sudoku Simon solved on this channel was in the setter's own software and gave you three 'lives'. Each incorrect guess lost a life, and after three incorrect guesses it was game over. (If I'm remembering correctly...)
11:00 Something involves the P-ring right from the start. Unfortunately, I'm having a bit of trouble after placing the first two digits. We need four low numbers on the P-ring. 14:00 I progressed a little further. This puzzle is going to be a massive party for Simon. 40:50 By Sudoku and thermo, 89 in row 3 goes in block 3.
Im sure CTC made a short on the Phistomefel ring proof. Maybe the short be referenced as a way to see the proof (with an info card link to it that pops up in the top corner IF and WHEN its needed). People can then use that as a reference point if they so wish. Adding it as a pinned comment or in the description of the video could give away the fact that the Phisto ring is used in the puzzle as a means of solving.
22 mins. Simon must've been gas bagging, padding the video with scrabble props, Phistomefel, the worst kept secret, thwee's in corners, colouring the grid.
I seem to remember a short you did on Phistomophel's ring, maybe link that in the video when ever it comes up. afaik you can add a link hover thingy at a certain time stamp, so if people want to see the proof they can pause the video and view the proof video. I appreciated the fact the other video marked when the proof started and ended, as I could skip over it. But it might help you with engagement if you you had a link to a specific proof video. You could even do a few others you could link when needed.
I will never not listen to Simon explain the secret. Always happy to be one of his favourite people.
He is so good at explaining things. In another life he could be a teacher.
Same!!!😉
In your favorite song, you like the repetitive chorus the most
@@77kaczka77 👍🏻
It really makes me smile every time, and especially when i need it
That feeling you get when you crack the break-in and realise that there are going to be two 3's in two corners...
Thanks for the feature Simon! This is actually a remake of my first ever published sudoku. Thought I'd revisit it with a few new tricks I've picked up along the way, and some fog. :)
Kudos to you. It's beautiful!
Very nice logic there, well done!
A very nice puzzle that took me about 40 minutes.
Can you confirm that the name of the puzzle is a reference to Phistemophel, like Simon surmised? :)
@@kevinwilcox6943 yep that's right Kevin
Having been around the channel for going on three years now, I tend to skip over the re-explanations of rules to save myself time. But I am a strong believer in the idea that every video should explain what's being done without assuming that the viewer has seen another video.
But EITHER WAY, thank you so much to Simon, Mark and the setters. I swear, this has become my main source of visual entertainment, and is far, far better for my brain than the TV I used to watch! I discovered this channel three years ago during lockdown and I've been basically addicted by day one.
What a Community!!!!
Getting half way through the puzzle and getting stuck, then having to watch Simon miss things you thought were obvious only to make the simplest 9 has to go next to the 4 deduction on a German whisper that you missed is quite humbling 😂
Me: SIMON COME ON! THATS A 9! ITS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!
Simon: (continues consecutively solving the 19 elaborate deductions I was NEVER gonna be able to solve)
@@nickroethel3326 I missed the 4-9 german whisper part TWICE. Once in the central box and again in the top left box. Both times cost me like 5+ minutes. A real fool me twice moment.
This was probably my favourite use of the Phistomefel ring and set theory in general I've seen yet. Initially when I read the rules I figured that the perimeter sum would be a disambiguator at the end, but it turns out that it was the break in. Wonderful.
Please be sure to explain the secret each time, as it reassures me that I'm one of the favored ones. But I think we can take a Phistomophel ring as given once in a while, especially if it's come up earlier in the week
Given its a reasonably complex explanation, I wonder if they wouldn't be better doing a video that explains the Phistomephel ring that they can link to when it comes up instead of needing to explain it every time.
@@LachlanCannon this is actually a great idea. i understand why they explain it, the first time i heard him explain it i was genuinely blown away. but now its becoming a bit redundant. Making a video specifically to explain phistomephel would be very beneficial to both new and old viewers.
they treat every video as everyone’s first ever video so they’ll always explain it. the same way they explain renbans, german whispers, thermos, etc
@@LachlanCannon❤😊❤😊
@@fulltimeslackerii8229 I like it this way, you don't often understand something the first time it's explained. I've got no issues skipping past it.
One of the most amusing parts of this video was how long it took Simon to notice that "Phog," coupled with the fairly obvious pattern of un-covered digits, was a pointer to "PHistomefel." Even after he decided to use the ring, he didn't comment on the name of the puzzle for some minutes.
Second most amusing part was watching the co-ordinated confetti cannons!
Fog puzzles are great: let's have more!
Please link to the video in the description, even if it's just yesterday's video, so that we can easily go to the proof for the Phistomophel ring if we'd like to. Once this current video is no longer today's video, it becomes more and more difficult to find yesterday's video.
Phistomefel's ring always takes so long to explain, so I'm happy to skip over it
BUT
Make sure you link yesterday's video in a pinned comment or in the description, otherwise future viewers may have difficulty identifying which video you mean and that would be unfair on beginners.
Didn't Simon do a YT short video of phistomofel?
Or maybe create a playlist of specific sudoku logics. I think those would be really appreciated
@@MunichFreak That's probably an even better idea honestly, because then you can just link that playlist in the description preset and it'll be linked on all videos by default.
Seconding the request to link to the referenced video: it's fine if people are watching that day, or even a few days later, but for those who stumble across the video a month or a year later will have a hard time finding that video
The alternative is to bookmark a chapter end at the end of the explanation, as they did yesterday. This allows us to skip ahead if we don’t need the explanation. That would make a more pleasant experience for newcomers.
Simon at the number of people who had done the puzzle:s: "203 people in 3.4 days. That is a tribute to how loved these puzzles are, and to apiyo." Yes, it is...
Me, after solving the puzzle: 3337 people after 3.9 days! THAT is a tribute to CTC and how many people solve the puzzles they promote.
If i recall you guys were making shorts for things like the phistomophel ring specifically for this reason. However, I think that because you explained it only yesterday it's fine. It's a lengthy proof. If it had been a few weeks, then yes. Explain it. I love that you guys do everything you can to make these puzzles accessible to new people. Even though I've heard these proofs a hundred times. I will never complain because the REASON is more important than my only personal preference. This channel is INCREDINLY welcoming, and wholesome, and inclusive, and friendly, and I am against ANYTHING that will change that. This specific case I think it's fine because it's so rare to do two rings in a row, and it's very easy to just go to yesterday's video and watch that proof.
When doing a ring puzzle like this I find it useful to remove matching digits' highlighting. For example at 41:00 you have a 3 and 89 in bottom right and a 3 and 89 on left side of ring, remove the blue and orange highlight from both. Likewise with the four 1s, the other 89 pair, and the other 3. Makes it very clear what still needs to be matched up
this idea is very clever and i like it
I was going to say the same thing, but since you already did I’ll just add to yours. I think it would have sped things up a little in this puzzle.
Extending the logic, would it make sense to do this in all Sudokus? Given this trick is not unique to this puzzle.
@@listeyyes but it is not very helpful on all sudokus.
@@listey also useful on irregular sudoku when dealing with "law of leftovers" type situations
I would think a video playlist with the proofs for the theorems you use would be a good thing. Then just link them when you use them.
proofs are best left as an exercise for the reader
- not a Klingon proverb
I really liked this puzzle and video. And Simon, when you are delighted by something, it is contagious. Thanks for being so enthusiastic! On the topic of explaining Phistomefel each time: in skimming through some of the comments below, I think that there is a mixed opinion about it. My own thought is that you should explain it every time, because you never know when someone new to variant sudoku might be watching this video and no other, and find it hard (thanks to TH-cam) to find "yesterday's puzzle". Using the chapter marking will help those who don't want to see it twice in one week simply skip over it. When I was new to this channel, one of the things that drew me in (which I am sure I was not even fully aware in those early days) was that you and Mark explained everything so fully. I could always understand why you were doing what you did. Even now, you explain things like "a nine can never go anywhere other than on the tip of a thermo because let's try putting it here in the middle ..." and people don't seem to mind that - but to someone new to thermo sudoku, that is revelatory. Therefore, I think that to keep with the culture of this channel of being a great place to be a newbie, the Phistomefel ring should be explained every time. Yes, it takes longer than explaining why a 5 can't go on a German whisper, but to a newcomer it is just as important. (And much harder to see without a proof.) Thanks for everything you and Mark have taught and demonstrated over and over so that even this old dog has learned quite a number of new tricks, and had a ball doing so!
This is phenomenal written from you!!
@@davidrattner9 David, you are very encouraging!
Simon, you reading out birthday and best wishes is pure joy, it warms my heart.
Ditto!!
When the sudoku grid looks like my view out of the window, we are in for a treat.
A possible suggestion: Make a video proving Phistomefel's theorem, and reference it rather than proving it each time.
This is the way.
I can get behind this, but the secret has to be explained every time without question lol
@@bellairenative19 Absolutely!
He did make one a while back - no idea why he doesn't just reference it each time.
I always enjoy the detailed explanations and considered it part of Simon's train of thought. That includes explaining why he uses small digits in fog, instead of just doing so. But he didn't mention Maverick (first time) today and I felt the ring explanation was also clarified enough, so apparently there's room for skipping sometimes.
From a TH-cam algorithm perspective, I'm not sure if viewers jumping to a separate explanation video is beneficial compared to some skipping a few minutes of repeated content. Long videos that everyone watch is probably best. :-)
I finished in 56 minutes. I think this is the first time that I actually used Phistomefel's Ring to solve a puzzle. I usually see that the ring is possible, but I get around it through other methods, cause I don't quite understand SET Theory. Using the perimeter clues with Phistomefel's Ring was such a light bulb moment in my head. After putting in that first 1 in the ring was an amazing feeling. It was only surpassed moments later when I put two 3s in the corner simultaneously, getting two confettis at the same time. Fog of war puzzles are so cool. I really liked this one. Great Puzzle!
At this point you should simply challenge Maverick to a sudoku contest. If you win, he needs to tell you his flight times in advance.
Perhaps Maverick will produce a Sudoku hunt for Simon to solve where he has to arrange all of the grids in some special way that reveals his schedule for the coming week.
Rules: 08:01
Let's Get Cracking: 10:33
Simon's time: 36m51s
Puzzle Solved: 47:24
What about this video's Top Tier Simarkisms?!
The Secret: 6x (12:01, 12:04, 12:12, 12:26, 25:03, 25:04)
Phistomefel: 4x (10:43, 10:59, 17:33, 17:37)
Three In the Corner: 2x (27:41, 27:59)
Maverick: 1x (00:19)
And how about this video's Simarkisms?!
Naughty: 13x (21:22, 21:24, 26:07, 27:20, 29:12, 33:01, 33:37, 33:39, 36:36, 37:34, 39:29, 42:43, 48:03)
Brilliant: 8x (03:42, 03:42, 10:28, 22:57, 23:00, 23:03, 32:13, 47:21)
Ah: 7x (16:21, 16:39, 16:39, 24:43, 27:00, 30:52, 32:08, 41:12)
By Sudoku: 6x (31:59, 33:17, 35:58, 38:06, 45:00, 46:27)
Sorry: 4x (00:15, 06:05, 06:31, 42:08)
Hang On: 4x (11:34, 27:37, 27:43, 27:47)
Obviously: 4x (15:57, 24:01, 25:25, 29:31)
Goodness: 2x (34:11, 35:45)
Clever: 2x (16:39, 38:20)
Beautiful: 2x (31:31, 47:49)
In Fact: 2x (17:59, 26:07)
Apologies: 1x (00:23)
Naked Single: 1x (45:19)
The Answer is: 1x (27:24)
In the Spotlight: 1x (28:02)
I Have no Clue: 1x (15:31)
Stuck: 1x (27:04)
Lovely: 1x (47:50)
Break the Puzzle: 1x (32:45)
Incredible: 1x (01:27)
Our old Friend Sudoku: 1x (43:02)
Shouting: 1x (06:12)
Think Harder: 1x (37:11)
Proof: 1x (18:30)
Intriguing: 1x (38:22)
Plonk: 1x (41:29)
What Does This Mean?: 1x (37:02)
That's Huge: 1x (41:12)
Nature: 1x (09:38)
Pencil Mark/mark: 1x (44:25)
Cake!: 1x (04:24)
Most popular number(>9), digit and colour this video:
Forty Five (8 mentions)
One (110 mentions)
Green (16 mentions)
Antithesis Battles:
Low (7) - High (5)
Even (2) - Odd (0)
Higher (6) - Lower (5)
White (8) - Black (7)
Column (14) - Row (6)
FAQ:
Q1: You missed something!
A1: That could very well be the case! Human speech can be hard to understand for computers like me! Point out the ones that I missed and maybe I'll learn!
Q2: Can you do this for another channel?
A2: I've been thinking about that and wrote some code to make that possible. Let me know which channel you think would be a good fit!
You should create a library of short videos with these kind of proofs, then link to then on screen during the video.
I actually love this dude so much. Just gives of good vibes
Whenever you explain something I already know I just put you on 2x until you're done so honestly even doing it every puzzle isn't that big a deal
I think my favorite part of this puzzle is that it is the same difficulty with no fog as with fog... But with fog it is more fun and keeps your focus making it possibly easier;
Woot! I beat Simon without help again! Another celebratory day. I'm not yet at the point where that is a routine. I like using Simon as a benchmark =)
You definitively did a lot better than me (I kept forgetting about the naughty domino rule), but you did underutilize the ring. As soon as you concluded that you had 2 89 pairs in the corners, you can look at the ring and see that there is only 2 possible places for each 9 (at the end of the thermos), and since those are on white dots, the other thermo end has to be 8s, so the 89 pairs go in to the ring. Now you know that there can not be any more 8s or 9s on the ring due to the thermos (can't put another 8 on the other thermos due to sudoku), so the maximum value that can go into the corners is now 7. That means that the high digits on the box 3 and 7 whispers have to be a pair of 67 pairs. That drops the new max to 6 because 7s can only go on the ring in column 3 and 7, so can't have more than 2.
Now you can place the 2s in box 3 and 7 in column 7 and 3 respectively as you did, but the same goes for the 3s - they have to exist in those columns, they can't go in box 4 or 6 due to thermos or box 1 and 9 due to 3s in the corners. That in turn makes r2c8 and r8c2 naked single 5s - can't be 1, 2, 7, 8 or 9 due to those digits being unable to go on the ring, and can't be 1, 2, 3, 6 or 7 because they're already placed or pencil marked into the boxes. 4 is excluded by the 4 in r2c2, so that just leaves 5. The only question that remains is if r8c8 is a 4 or a 6.
Personally, I would very much prefer explanations for the basic things like the secret, whisper polarity and the ring to be left out and just put in a timestamped and linked video. Would avoid a lot of repetitions for those of us that have heard it a ton of times already, and it allows you to really think it trough and come up with the best explanation for them that you can and include that in the video, even if it takes a bit longer, so it might be better for newcomers too.
Thank you for the mention and kind words, it made my day. Plus it was my birthday the other day so an extra bonus gift for me. I know you are so often told how much joy you bring to people but, given my diagnosis, I make sure I spend as much time as possible doing things I enjoy and that, without fail, includes my regular doses of CTC. I especially love a fog of war puzzle too. Thank you so much. 🥰
Oh, what a beautiful, graceful puzzle. 41:59 for me, which I'm immensely proud of: I got very nearly stuck a handful of times, but always just managed to see my way through. Thanks for showcasing this one, I really enjoyed it.
Proud to finally have solved one of the puzzles (mostly) on my own! After Simon showed the break-in, I managed a time of 1 hour, 38 minutes, and 37 seconds, which was actually much faster than I expected to get.
Apiyo your puzzle gave me so much joy in solving. Thank you. Thankfully it was approachable given the couple of years of watching the channel.
Last night, after driving my family all day back from our holiday, I had a look at the puzzle, couldn't figure out a way back in, and thought it was too complicated for me and decided to watch the video without solving it first. Then I fell asleep. In my lunch break today I had another look at the puzzle and really glad I did because with my brain less tired I saw the first step of the breakthrough and had a lot of fun solving it. What a great puzzle! Now about to watch Simon solve it :)
Back to back amazing puzzles from Simon, this one much easier than yesterday’s but still so much fun and again wonderful use of phistomephel ring
At this point I've heard the Phistomofel theorem explained over 50 times so I'm happy to skip it, but I also remember the first time it was explained and it was indeed very useful. I think a perfect middle ground if you want to keep explaining it in every video following your policy of treating every video like it's someones first time watching is to include the timestamps for the explanation so it's easily skippable to people who have heard it a million times like it was in yesterday's video, the chapter system is really very useful for that.
4:07 Simon (aka "Goose") I beseech you to ask Mark to slow down "Less haste, more speed!" I have a secret I only tell my closest friends - that secret is a bug screen is a sound investment especially in summer. Could I also seek an improvement from Sven-gali - in the form of a working pad that can superimpose over the rules as needs (may prove useful? I love your solves especially as they are always kind of awesome! Jim from Alice Springs Australia
I think you should do all the longer demonstrations as standalone videos, and put the appropriate link in the description when needed.
Why was there a thermo in Box 6? By that point you can already place the 2, and thus the digit to its left obviously has to be higher since 1 is already restricted
All that was missing was the Phistomefel ring explanation, although it was a little oddly refreshing not hearing it, but I do want to hear it everytime. It's one of the things that make this channel great. My time was 01:17:05
The puzzle is now _over 9000_ solves in just over 7 days, that's so crazy
It's quintessentially Simon to do all sorts of clever deductions while studiously overlooking the 1 in box nine that was obviously resolved from the start. :)
(Otoh it revealed some clues that I wasted a lot of time trying to make use of too early.)
Great video Simon! You get a certified Pass today on proving Phistemophel!
I would strongly suggest that you make a compilation, a playlist for example, of videos where you rigorously prove things like the phistomefel ring, y wings, sword fishes, etc etc, and then refer to those videos with the little "i" cards that you can place in videos when you need to explain something.
The explanations could probably just be cut out of previous videos, and reuploaded as short clips for this purpose.
This break-in stumped me, tinkered with eliminating digits from the thermos for about 45 minutes before giving up and watching. Not at all what I was expecting. @~@
I really loved this puzzle with its great ideas and that double 3's in the corner moment was amazing 🥳! My solve time was 00:10:08
Wow!
Come on..now you are just showing off 😉
Was a lovely puzzle indeed! Should have known you would plow thru this!
The start of the break-in (the first digit) was easy (almost obvious), but then I somehow wrongly concluded where the next digits were, and was immediately proven wrong by not clearing any fog. I restarted, verified all my logic, and was stuck for a while. I then watched (without getting more info) until Simon said that the 2s in columns 3 and 7 were restricted - this then gave me the idea to check where the 1s in these columns could be, which actually gave the break-in. It still took a while until I solved everything, 103:03 in total (solve counter 1371).
29:34 2 8s and 2 9s in the Phistomefel sets is big, especially with the white dots where the four thermos meet at their high ends...
::Edit:: This may be the first time I've seen Simon solve by sudoku what he could have more quickly gotten through complicated set logic instead of vice versa XD
I was also quite surprised that he missed that! It took me 45 minutes to get the the point where I could resolve the corners, but that 8/9 logic took seconds for me.
Phistomefel works both in the micro and the macro regimes
Can any sudoku experts give a rough idea of how much easier this puzzle would be if you could see the entire grid from the outset? Compared with a lot of fog-of-wars, it didn't seem to reveal TOO much in additional clues as the solve progressed. (This isn't a criticism, I like that the grid looks so clean at the end and there aren't about 30 two-cell thermos etc in there.)
An outstanding puzzle and a brilliant break in. I thoroughly enjoyed solving that one. I thought that the 172 was going to come into play towards the end. Who knew?!
30:07 for me. I got sacred at the very end, and then remembered the rules. Fun puzzle.
I love that you added chapters to the videos. Is there any chance that you could add the link to LMD if it's available ? Thanks !
The 1 at 38:50 was literally available since you put in the first digit at 23:25, given the X-wing in the corners 😅
I don’t mind leaving all the familiar secrets and theorems unexplained, especially the longer ones like Mr. PH. I even think it could be nice to have you two make up a video that is all about explaining the different rules, theorems and secrets and whenever you are about to explain such in a solve video, just link to appropriate position on that explanation video!
Or at least, please, provide the section markers as you did on yesterday’s puzzle.
Regarding the proof from another video:
I've heard it so often, that I don't need it, but for those who do 'yesterdays puzzle' can be quite hard to find, when you get recommended this video in a month time for example.
So if you want to do this, then please provide a direct link to the specific video too.
Although that's probably more work than explaining it again and I personally can listen to your explanations hundreds of times and still enjoy them. 😊
Very happy that i solved this! I immediatly pencilMarked the thermo's on the ring, then noticed the no pair adding to 3 rule.
Then i considered the perimeter 172 and hey presto i had my break in. Which i reached faster then Simon, but he did talk about rings and perimeters and secrets, so i am proud of finding it fast, but i won't get cocky over it.
Loved it!
Lot of wonderfull steps along the road. Once made a logic error and after a while got stuck and noticed fog not lifting. I then made sure to get correct logic rather then using my pencilmarks and filling the other digit in.
52:52 for me. I struggled a lot early on and needed the video's help initially understanding why the rule about the perimeter sum was relevant, but I was able to make my way through it at a fairly steady pace from there.
That was a fantastic break-in, I'm in awe. One of the coolest ways I've seen so far to employ the phistomefel ring.
I personally watch 1 video from time to time, so even if you explained in previous video I might not seen it. BUT for me it's no problem to check other video especially if you link to that video and put stamp. I understand that explaining same thing over and over can be a little pain :D
A CTC video by Simon isn't a classic without maverick passing by
loved the break-in, so clever and beautiful--thanks for a fantastic puzzle @apiyo. Simon, if I ever went to parties, I would definitely want to have a conversation with you--thanks for another wonderful video.
Little does he know but Maverick is the official 3rd host of CTC.
Interestingly, I didn't even consider that I cud use Phistomefel's Ring Property in the puzzle since i knew nothing about the 4 corner cells in the corner boxes. I went with the idea of where cud 1s n 2s go in column 3 & 7 & 8s n 9s in row 3 & 7 due to the thermos. Finding that r3c6 had to be 1(else perimeter sum wud not be accurate) n then how the puzzle unveils itself beautifully was so impressive.
Thanks CTC for such a simple yet interesting design & solve!!
This fall will be 2 years since i started watching, I appreciated the explainers when I first started watching, and I'm sure new people certainly will. I've been waiting now that you time stamp and use shorts, for you to create a short explaining a rule, and then at that time in the video when you would normally explain something, you go point over to that short. But perhaps once a month you do a sort of introductory puzzle with lots of different rules you have to explain. Even the breakdown in these rules today have become a little unnecessary, I'm getting very use to variant Sudoku; but i know you have your preferences.
One of the best and most playful uses of the Phistomofel ring I have seen... great stuff
You need to do a sudoku with maverick we need to meet him and his plane.
45:15 Classic Simon saying five repeatedly, with the cursor on a trivial naked single 5... 😂
Never expected it to be the penultimate digit to be filled in 🤣
Finished in 68:38. That was the closest thing to magic that I've ever done. Truly, digits in the grid coming seemingly out of nowhere, thanks to Phistomofel.
First thought looking at the rules - can't have 1s on dots of any color given the "no 3-sum dominos" rule
11 minutes... That's how long it took Simon to realize that the 1 in R7C8 was resolved once he had a 1 in the corner. Never change, Simon... Never change.
28:09
I need people to look at this time stamp from when he found the 1 in R9C1 and soak in that it took 11 more minutes to get the aforementioned R7C8. ❤ Simon
@@codragdusAre you both referring to r8c7, or am I going mad?
Thank you, Simon (and apyio). That was an amazing puzzle. Strangely, I managed to work out the break in with Phistomefel, but the interaction with the 'naughty dominoes' escaped me. But watching your solve made up for my failure. Brilliant!
Favourite deduction: the 4 in box 1. Beautiful.
What a brilliant puzzle. I love the fogs.
What a fantastic puzzle. The break in was so enjoyable to figure out but it did take me a while to see it 😊
I got this one solved in 47:58. I love a fog puzzle
Really enjoyed the break-in on this one! Very fun solve!
Very cool looking puzzle! Hello Maverick!
I'm late as usual but I got this one and I was thrilled. Thrilled!
Fantastic puzzle! Thought I finished with a deadly pattern for a minute (only had 8s and 9s in rows 1,2,7 left) only for the 4 in r2c2 to resolve it using the green line
I solved it but am not happy with the logic I used at the end to get there. I assumed a pair couldn't be because of no black dot but I don't think that negative constraint really did apply. Very excited to see Simon show me what I was missing at the end.
Edit: 29 minutes in and he showed me what I missed. Completely forgot the whisper.
I think you should make a YT short explaining the Phistomefel Ring and just link it in the description of every puzzle that uses it
30:51 for me. Really enjoyable. Thanks for the puzzle!
One solution for somewhat longer repeat explanations like the phisto ring or yin yang secrets could be to post a shorter video with a dedicated explanation and then in subsequent videos do a "click the card appearing now for a full proof"
"I don't think it involves Phistomefel..." famous last words. Using Phistomefel removes "2" from the corners forcing 13 pairs, which instantly prompts the solve. Completed in 20m59s.
@42:15 you can figure out where "5" goes in box 9, given that in box 8 on the thermometer the digit 5 MUST go in the top row in the second or third place. This places the digit 5 in the bottom left corner of box 9 by sudoku. Once that is figured out, it resolves most, if not all of, box 8 given that in row 9 you'd be left with the digits "6,7,8,9" and the way the white dots are placed in box 8 would tell you a whole lot of information.
@crackingthecryptic
I agree with many comments saying to create small videos of specific logic and reference them occasionally.
I'm perfectly fine with Phistomefel not being proven every time. You should just upload a video on the Phistomefel Ring (and the various variants on it involving the center cell), and then link that each time it comes up (maybe just have it pop up in the i-card in the upper right at the time in the video you mention it)
The 3s in corners discovery was my favourite part of the video. Made Simon just light up 😄
What a setting! Marvelous!
Simon kills me sometimes. He filled in nearly all of Row 5 and the n he tries placing 569 and 567 nearby.
But it is also lovely to see how differently people's minds work.
Y'all, seriously. If you don't want the explanation of the Phistomofel Ring, just skip ahead.
New viewers may WANT the explanation, and not want to stop, click a link to another video, then come back to the puzzle.
I find it odd that so many of you want to inconvenience others, just for your own convenience.
I remember the first time the I saw the ring explained. It blew my mind!
Let other, newer, viewers have that same experience. 😊😊
❤
This was such a fun solve. Great puzzle.
Hey! Thank you for the videos they're awesome, I don't usually comment but I was thinking maybe you could do a short video with the important theorems , this way you can just put the link in the description when needed
to discourage cheating with the fog of war mechanic, I think there should be a cool-down timer whenever you set a digit (not a note or a color) it would set a timer on that one digit so that it can't be changed for 5 seconds, furthermore there probably should be a penalty IF you change that same digit soon after the timer runs out than the next timer is slightly longer.
This way you are encouraged to be really sure of the number you set, and it becomes more annoying to just brute force try
The very first Fog of War sudoku Simon solved on this channel was in the setter's own software and gave you three 'lives'. Each incorrect guess lost a life, and after three incorrect guesses it was game over. (If I'm remembering correctly...)
We're all solving the puzzles for our own enjoyment. If someone cheats they are only ruining things for themselves.
I'm so proud of my 68:57 time! This was a very entertaining one. Now on to watch Simon solve it himself 😊
11:00 Something involves the P-ring right from the start. Unfortunately, I'm having a bit of trouble after placing the first two digits. We need four low numbers on the P-ring.
14:00 I progressed a little further. This puzzle is going to be a massive party for Simon.
40:50 By Sudoku and thermo, 89 in row 3 goes in block 3.
Im sure CTC made a short on the Phistomefel ring proof. Maybe the short be referenced as a way to see the proof (with an info card link to it that pops up in the top corner IF and WHEN its needed). People can then use that as a reference point if they so wish. Adding it as a pinned comment or in the description of the video could give away the fact that the Phisto ring is used in the puzzle as a means of solving.
22 mins. Simon must've been gas bagging, padding the video with scrabble props, Phistomefel, the worst kept secret, thwee's in corners, colouring the grid.
Finished in 66:26, even after figuring out the first digit, there were quite a few tricky points in this puzzle.
That was a VERY fun puzzle. I think that is the first one where fog and Phistomefel are combined.
I seem to remember a short you did on Phistomophel's ring, maybe link that in the video when ever it comes up. afaik you can add a link hover thingy at a certain time stamp, so if people want to see the proof they can pause the video and view the proof video. I appreciated the fact the other video marked when the proof started and ended, as I could skip over it. But it might help you with engagement if you you had a link to a specific proof video. You could even do a few others you could link when needed.
Happy phoggy + double 3party day!!! 🎉🎉🎉😁