The Monster From The Jaws Of Hell

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
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    Today's puzzle.... what can we say about it... it could lay claim to being the best sudoku puzzle we've ever seen. And we've seen a LOT. It's also one of the most difficult. It's by TotallyNormalCat and it's called Crossroads. (The last few minutes of the video are not solving but something some of you requested yesterday!) You can play the puzzle at the link below:
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    Rules:
    Normal sudoku rules apply. Grey lines are palindromes and must read the same in both directions. Clues outside the grid give the sum of the digits along the indicated diagonal. Digits may repeat along such a diagonal (if allowed by other rules). No two cells in the same position relative to their box (eg r1c1 and r4c4) may contain the same digit.
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    / crackingthecryptic
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    ▶ABOUT US◀
    Hi! We're Simon Anthony and Mark Goodliffe, two of the UK's most enthusiastic puzzle solvers. We have both represented the UK at the World Sudoku Championships and the World Puzzle Championships.
    Thank you for watching!
    Simon and Mark

ความคิดเห็น • 451

  • @Pigeon0fDoom
    @Pigeon0fDoom 3 ปีที่แล้ว +359

    I was casting this on the TV, and my wife was reading. Or was supposed to be reading. We watched the break in and she said "this is not for mortals".
    Simon.. what are you?

    • @Sujisan4
      @Sujisan4 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      At this point, I'm starting to think he's not mortal

    • @capistro5
      @capistro5 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Or just a nice alien?

    • @Sujisan4
      @Sujisan4 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@capistro5 I'm thinking he's a god.

    • @Valentyn007
      @Valentyn007 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Simon is Artificial Intelligence trained in Google's dungeons :)

    • @stefanhermansen8975
      @stefanhermansen8975 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      There are theories of course, but so far nobody has been both clever enough to figure it out and stupid enough to not realize why that kind of information shouldn't be public knowledge.

  • @GeoffCanyon
    @GeoffCanyon 3 ปีที่แล้ว +404

    Proof Simon is the world’s greatest optimist: “Those of you who solved it, leave a comment below.”

    • @longwaytotipperary
      @longwaytotipperary 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      LOL!!!!!!

    • @steveamsp
      @steveamsp 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      At least there was no negative constraint on that...

    • @carasynthiadune9842
      @carasynthiadune9842 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Yeah the TH-cam algorithm rewards engagement so he really shot himself in the foot on that one...

    • @puppetsock
      @puppetsock 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      He *NEVER* uses pairs in a box. He gets 56 56 and it takes hime 10 minutes to remove the 6 from the 6789. Blargh! Tempted to click off.

    • @Moolers
      @Moolers ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Many of us do solve them, but we usually take twice as long as Simon.

  • @PixieCinnanom
    @PixieCinnanom 3 ปีที่แล้ว +277

    What I really like about the channel is ... for how impossible these puzzles seem, I think I can always follow the logic as it's being explained. Most of the time, I can't even come close to _finding_ the logic myself (certainly not on something like this), but you do such a good job explaining each step as you go along, that nothing ever seems out of the blue.

    • @Jabarri74
      @Jabarri74 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Even the logic lost me at about expanded mephisto cage when he started cancelling colours

    • @IanSlothieRolfe
      @IanSlothieRolfe 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Especially Simon, I find that Mark moves so quickly I can't always follow his logic, but he's still amazing to watch.

    • @StorymasterQ
      @StorymasterQ 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@Jabarri74 If you mean the Expanded Phistomephel's Ring, you could start by looking around the net (or somewhere in this channel) for the explanation of the original Phistomophel's Ring. Can't blame you for being lost, though. Set Theory is a branch of math I'm not comfortable with, myself.

  • @danielmeehan4213
    @danielmeehan4213 3 ปีที่แล้ว +101

    Once upon a video dreary
    Long I pondered weak and weary
    Over a hard sudoku that would not crack.
    A sudden gust blew open the shutters
    And in the window there then fluttered
    An ancient raven who perched upon a clothing rack.
    As I stared at this intruder
    I asked "Could this bird tutor
    Me to find a solution track?"
    Quoth the raven: "Quack!"
    But when I looked into it's eyes
    My mind seemed to be hypnotized
    And images unbidden came to me.
    Diamonds and rings of Phistomefel
    Formed before me - seemed to tell
    The way to add some digits to the grid.
    In a fever, for an hour
    Labored I with unknown power
    Until the puzzle was only half done.
    The I shouted "Demon bird!
    Tell me now another word
    That will let me complete this task!"
    Quoth the raven: "OK Alexa! Tell him how to finish it!"
    Quoth Alexa: "I thought you'd never ask!"
    (Sorry - Edgar Allen Poe I'm not!)

    • @blabla-rg7ky
      @blabla-rg7ky 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      pfff, FINE! Have an upvote for the rhymes! Also, huh ?!?

    • @CastafioreOnYoutube
      @CastafioreOnYoutube 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      This is fantastic.

    • @Ursichan
      @Ursichan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I love this!!

    • @senseipo
      @senseipo 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Maverick instead of raven 😜

  • @jsadvent8240
    @jsadvent8240 3 ปีที่แล้ว +192

    Simon, I am in awe of your willingness to risk appearing a fool, yet persevering -- scanning, coloring, enduring mocking ducks, and resolving average little killer diagonals -- all the way to the solution. [Have you considered tackling world peace? ;-D]

    • @shawnward6607
      @shawnward6607 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Thank you Simon and Mark... for going through the weeds... so we learning solvers can watch excellent logic and solves and a few minor "Boobins"(Bobbins? EDIT yikes beansed that one up). I know it makes me happy seeing a monster solve all live at once.

    • @richardfarrer5616
      @richardfarrer5616 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I think he prefers to stick with things that might challenge him.

    • @BozoTheBear
      @BozoTheBear 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I often ask hypothetical "Have you considered..." questions of Simon! As a mathematician, I'd be quite happy if he got interested in some of the problems I'm trying to solve!

  • @TheokeS85
    @TheokeS85 3 ปีที่แล้ว +109

    7:07 “Everything here is average!” Not true! Your ability to solve these incredible puzzles and on top of that explain how you do it is certainly above average…

    • @etienneschramm83
      @etienneschramm83 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      And the talent required to compose such a thing is indeed very far from average.

  • @karissajohnson7961
    @karissajohnson7961 3 ปีที่แล้ว +135

    Quoth the Simon: this cell's a four

    • @Coyotek4
      @Coyotek4 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Because the Thermo, never more.

  • @richardfarrer5616
    @richardfarrer5616 3 ปีที่แล้ว +99

    I took one look at the length of the video - then I took another look to confirm it - and then I sat down and watched the solve because I knew I was going to get nowhere. I'm delighted that i could occasionally take some line Simon suggested and work it out while it was being explained, but that's my limit for this puzzle. Still, the puzzles, the solve, and some poetry combine to make this the best video I've seen it the two years I've been watching CtC.

    • @amoswittenbergsmusings
      @amoswittenbergsmusings 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Rest assured, the next _best CtC video so far_ will be coming soon. These setters and solvers are Totally Fearless Animals.

  • @MsMargottM
    @MsMargottM 3 ปีที่แล้ว +91

    Every time there's a puzzle by TotallyNormalCat on the channel, I feel like the rules should read "Totally normal sudoku rules apply."
    Anyway, great video as always!

    • @CrackingTheCryptic
      @CrackingTheCryptic  3 ปีที่แล้ว +49

      Next time I'm doing that :) :)

    • @Zardox2
      @Zardox2 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      🤣🤣🤣🐱👍

    • @mrmosaic7996
      @mrmosaic7996 ปีที่แล้ว

      It's too funny not to be a channel's meme.

  • @malvoliosf
    @malvoliosf 3 ปีที่แล้ว +143

    “This is a joke. This is not fair. Everything is average.”

    • @boman987
      @boman987 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Sounds like my life.

    • @paulmdt1
      @paulmdt1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      The wise person accepts that, on average, one's life can never be better than average.

    • @malvoliosf
      @malvoliosf 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@paulmdt1 “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
      ― George Bernard Shaw,

    • @StephanSpelde
      @StephanSpelde 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yeah, I'm gonna need this on some merch!!!

  • @billleiker5314
    @billleiker5314 3 ปีที่แล้ว +47

    "tell me what I could have done better?". As you tap dance down the road of life juggling phistomaphel rings and disjoint sets, I am reminded to try and chew my bubblegum as I walk, What you do in your head I fail to do with excel spreadsheets. Keep putting out the great content, including the culture in the intros and outros. Well done sir.

  • @srwapo
    @srwapo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +81

    "I want to do a sudoku today"
    The Monster From the Jaws of Hell
    "Well, maybe not"

    • @KyleBaran90
      @KyleBaran90 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      At least it's from the jaws of hell and not the bowels

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      To compensate, Mark posted a very approachable classic sudoku.

  • @RageDG391
    @RageDG391 3 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    Simon's ASMR poem reading in the outro deserves an exlusive playlist.

  • @ericwiddison7523
    @ericwiddison7523 3 ปีที่แล้ว +53

    Come for the Sudoku. Stay for the convoluted layers of set theory.

  • @lexmakesstuff
    @lexmakesstuff 3 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    That cry of utter despair when Simon thought he had a deadly pattern at the end made me feel so bad for him. And then the delight of solving it after noticing the disjoint set, great end to a great puzzle.

  • @longwaytotipperary
    @longwaytotipperary 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    A puzzle made for Simon's genius + a poem made for Simon's voice! Double pleasure!

  • @loqueestamal3465
    @loqueestamal3465 3 ปีที่แล้ว +35

    "I want these squares to cease being purple but I also want to cease them from being blue."
    When logic.exe takes up all the RAM and grammar.exe starts glitching.

  • @aleksandartasevski1576
    @aleksandartasevski1576 3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    Solves one of the most difficult puzzles. A minute later, "tell me what could i've done better".😄 Can you do some more of Edgar? It was fantastic.

  • @noclearreaction
    @noclearreaction 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    1:00:48 I am amazed that just after Simon has spent what feels like 15 minutes doing amazing logic proving that the yellow squares cannot contain 3 sixes due to there being a six in the purple/red squares; fails to use that 6 to disambiguate the symmetry of the 5-6 pairs.

    • @Sarlat6
      @Sarlat6 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      He didn’t notice the 7 in box 9 fixing the 57 in box 3. I really think it’s the colours that mess up scanning. The 7 on the red/purple backing is hard to see.

    • @noclearreaction
      @noclearreaction 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@Sarlat6 I can understand that he misses the scanning, there are a lot of pencil marks going on at this point. But he literally spent 10 minutes speaking about how the six (that ended up in box 1) forced there to be no more than 2 sixes in the yellows. And then don't use it to disambiguate box 7.
      I am no good at this, so the only reason I knew was that he literally told me a few moments earlier :D

  • @emdes54
    @emdes54 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    "This is really horribly complicated" is the understatement of the year. I can barely follow his logic, but I do love to watch it.

  • @britlion
    @britlion 3 ปีที่แล้ว +35

    Cracking the cryptic merch bad idea: "I beat totallynormalcat's crossroads" t shirt
    You'll sell one. To Simon.

  • @briannelson605
    @briannelson605 3 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    CTC The movie part 4. Grab some popcorn 🍿

    • @jovaji72
      @jovaji72 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      🍿? Today deserves a whole 🍕

    • @JohnSmith-il3iv
      @JohnSmith-il3iv 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Woohoo. I can't wait to watch this

    • @derekfordyce9
      @derekfordyce9 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Aww yees

  • @idannen
    @idannen 3 ปีที่แล้ว +92

    It looks like Simon is drawing sigils in the grid to invoke a demon to let him into the puzzle at first.

    • @cliffthecrafter
      @cliffthecrafter 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      He's invoking Phistomefel

    • @danielepicone1480
      @danielepicone1480 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@cliffthecrafter This comment seriously made me chuckle!

  • @RaynmanPlays
    @RaynmanPlays 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    There were a few things I managed to catch before Simon, but I also wasn't draining every single brain cell for 45 minutes before they popped up. An absolute legend of a solver.

  • @billbliss7407
    @billbliss7407 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Every time Simon solves one of these puzzles considered impossible by mere mortals like myself, he proves he is more than the equal of those geniuses creating them.
    Simply amazing.

  • @Scanlaid
    @Scanlaid 3 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    Jokes aside, I would like tiny little Simon voiceovers to his favorite poems and such. Crypting the Cracktic second channel for out-there unrelated videos?

    • @amoswittenbergsmusings
      @amoswittenbergsmusings 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I second that. There is ample room for Life, the Universe and Everything as a spin-off.

    • @Anne_Mahoney
      @Anne_Mahoney 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Great idea -- I'd subscribe in a heartbeat.

  • @bertbergers9171
    @bertbergers9171 3 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    i actually started wondering if the poem would be there in the end, the way you talkes us through the intro. As i in the fact from seeing the video should know you solved it and thus the poem would be there.
    You are very good at telling stories!
    And solving unholy difficult puzzles!! Congrats Simon, great one!

  • @gd_5526
    @gd_5526 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    When you’re not solving amazing puzzles you should be an audiobook narrator 😀 what a beautiful expressive voice you have.

  • @Sam_on_YouTube
    @Sam_on_YouTube 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    At 56 minutes in, I was able to figure out a single thing you had not seen yet and cracked 3 more digits. I am proud of that small accomplishment.
    You got it 2 minutes later.

  • @mister-8658
    @mister-8658 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    1 hour 1 minute and 30 seconds "oh, oh, look! Sudoku is Finally helping me!"

  • @Sujisan4
    @Sujisan4 3 ปีที่แล้ว +58

    Ok, so TotallyNormalCat is on the level of Phistomefel, imo.

    • @flabort
      @flabort 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      To be fair, I don't think TNC would have been able to set this without the set theory rings that Phistomefel set in place, which Simon has proven time and again in these puzzles. But, that's true, both are geniuses of terrifying intellect.

    • @Sujisan4
      @Sujisan4 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@flabort You are probably correct.

    • @aidarosullivan5269
      @aidarosullivan5269 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      I think the difference is that Phistomefel mixes up old familiar logic in intricate, but very understandable way (after you get a hang on it). TNC, on the other hand, is aiming at pushing the boundaries of what human mind can solve without breaking, forcing the solver to think outside the box and create new neural pathways

    • @HaitiLeonidas
      @HaitiLeonidas 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      If TotallyNormalCat and Phistomefel ever collaborate, our galaxy will implode.

    • @Sujisan4
      @Sujisan4 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@HaitiLeonidas That puzzle would probably be the greatest sudoku to ever exist.

  • @lukesokhal883
    @lukesokhal883 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I'm lost for words.... how on earth do you possibly spot that logic????? Simon is a genius!

  • @KyleMc16
    @KyleMc16 3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    "I need more joy here"
    -Simon "Marie Kondo" Sudokuman

    • @arnoudh6203
      @arnoudh6203 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Simon Sudokuman😂

  • @theashen
    @theashen 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The fact that Simon will see the most absolutely horrifically hard thing, and then finds the hard way to do the simplest things too, gives me hope. Absolutely incredible solve.

  • @w0rmery867
    @w0rmery867 3 ปีที่แล้ว +43

    i'm halfway through the video and completely fascinated. brilliant job simon (and totallynormalcat)!

  • @mmrrxx2000
    @mmrrxx2000 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    We Totally need a Totally Normal Cat set video for this absolute monstruosity

  • @sanfransam8954
    @sanfransam8954 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I have been watching Simon solve these monstrously hard puzzles since about 250K subscribers and I have come to the conclusion that if he had gone into biochemistry he would have found a cure for cancer by now.

  • @jwolfe01234
    @jwolfe01234 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    I think every time Simon got stuck, he needed to find something with normal sudoku. I imagine how amazing it would be if Simon teamed up with someone expert at scanning and did a speed solve. People seeing a 20 minute video expecting an easy puzzle would be disappointed.

    • @evelieningels9408
      @evelieningels9408 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      That'd be awful, I always look for the 20 min vids to see which ones I might be able to solve in 2 hours

  • @JuanMataCFC
    @JuanMataCFC 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    i feel like Simon would make an excellent teacher. there is zero chance in hell i would've come up with any of the logic he used to solve this puzzle, but him talking thru it was more than enough to understand & follow his train of thought. that's one of the reasons i keep coming back to this channel everyday, to see a master at work not only solve a puzzle i probably never could, but also make me understand how he did so!

  • @prestoiidx
    @prestoiidx 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    This puzzle was insane but brilliant, some of the logic I wasn't able to follow, if there's ever a video that would warrant a commentary explaining the your logic throughout the video, it would be this one. I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say we'd love a video like that.

  • @jounik
    @jounik 3 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    That break-in was sublime.
    (It's a good thing the poem is about Lenore, not Alexa though.)

    • @magnuspahlsson3531
      @magnuspahlsson3531 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Someone will get Alexa as a new setting name!

    • @payprplayn
      @payprplayn 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      quoth alexa "I cannot connect to your wifi network"

  • @bobblebardsley
    @bobblebardsley 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This is one of the most beautiful puzzles I've seen on this channel, both in terms of the logic and the symmetry and simplicity of the starting grid.

  • @nozzle-yt
    @nozzle-yt 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I always find it fascinating how Simon fail to realise "simple" sudoku rules, once he start dwelling on his fast amount of puzzle knowledge to come up with extraordinary logic, leaving him to be completly focused, and unable to transition between clever solutions, and simple solutions. Kinda reminds me of a race of cleverness, and once the hard part is no longer required, he keeps seeking for the next "clever solution" though the simple onces have now presented them self.
    Can't imagine the years of puzzle solving experiences, to require all of this knowledge, and logic deduction. Really enjoyable, despite when my mortal logic catches on, just eagerly waiting for you to see it too :)
    For info, my logic caught on with the 6-7 presented, But it was a joy to witness

  • @emilywilliams3237
    @emilywilliams3237 ปีที่แล้ว

    Touring old videos, I came across this one. First, Totally Normal Cat is an amazing genius. Full stop. Second, You are an amazing genius, Simon. I love that you could entirely explain the set theory, could discover the multiple layers of disjoint sets (not only the ones mentioned in the rules themselves, but others deriving from them, and the tiny little palindromes), could explain everything so clearly, belied by your actual scanning prowess your disclaimer that you were not good at disjoint ... and solve this amazing puzzle. I was in the mood today to watch something miraculous, and here it is. Thank you. But wait, there's more - I think I have read The Raven myself several times, but never gotten out of it what I did in listening to you read it at the end of this video. That alone is worth the price of admission. Simon, take a bow. (I have no idea whether you are notified of comments on these older videos, but I place this here to register my admiration regardless of whether anyone ever sees it.)

  • @ChrisConnett
    @ChrisConnett 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Puzzle's feasibility unseeming, Simon solves with clever theming, yet alas it was the reading that left my jaw upon the floor.

  • @andrewgrant6516
    @andrewgrant6516 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting that a unique solve with these rules could be found at all.

  • @HunterJE
    @HunterJE 3 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    I love thinking about the aesthetic choices setters make on how to indicate things that could be indicated in multiple different ways, "does this look better with two-cell palindromes or one-cell arrows or what?"

    • @thoughtbyte
      @thoughtbyte 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I was just faced with this choice recently, even spent some time comparing the different arrows and lines in different software.

    • @reddragon3132
      @reddragon3132 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I personally would've made one of the two cell palindromes 3 cells (adding a middle digit does nothing) just to annoy the people that would care about the symmetry and aesthetics

  • @glum_hippo
    @glum_hippo 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    re-watching after nearly 30 months. What a great puzzle. TotallyNormalCat, you are greatly missed and I hope you're still thinking about setting puzzles again in future.

  • @HunterJE
    @HunterJE 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Re: the "deadly pattern" at the end: One interesting side effect of the box-positions disjoint sets rule is if the pairs of cells in a simple "aligned-pairs" deadly pattern do not occupy the exact same pairs of positions in their respective boxes, the pattern is not deadly and will be resolved by the disjoint sets.

  • @JohnSmith-vz2cp
    @JohnSmith-vz2cp 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I want a T-shirt with a picture of Simon jumping across a canyon filled with crocodiles using sudoku boards as stepping stones.

  • @idannen
    @idannen 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

    Oh my god the thumbnail. Suddenly there came a tapping, tapping on the devil's door. Quoth the Simon: nevermore?

    • @pandaspangel
      @pandaspangel 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Omg you’re right- the thumbnail is incredible

    • @KevFrost
      @KevFrost 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Ah distinctly I remember, twas in the middle of June
      When the intro turned to a bright piano tune

  • @margaretsinclair6697
    @margaretsinclair6697 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    The subset of what Simon knows and all the clever stuff out there is fairly large.
    On the other end of the scale is me thinking, ‘That’s a pretty snowflake!’

  • @pandaspangel
    @pandaspangel 3 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    By the title alone I am excited to see this solve!
    Edit: Well, already Simon is saying it’s impossible, so I’m even more excited to see him solve it now!

    • @pandaspangel
      @pandaspangel 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      (Also who disliked the video already? How rude! >:( )

  • @MarushiaDark316
    @MarushiaDark316 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    The only thing better than seeing Simon solve this puzzle is listening to his recitation of "The Raven."

  • @JaharNarishma
    @JaharNarishma 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I did not expect that ending. It is fitting given Simon's aptitude for spontaneous poetry recital when stumped.

  • @4thright
    @4thright 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Never been so panicked by a video length as today, when around 1:10:00 it was (apparently) clear that it was about to solve and there was still more than 10 minutes left in the video. I got so worried for Simon that something unseen had gone horribly wrong and would have to get ripped apart. But no, it is just several relaxing minutes of The Raven to calm me back down after a satisfactory conclusion.

  • @ZachPeacock
    @ZachPeacock 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This one was so fun to watch and try to solve along with Simon. I am truly in awe with how many variations of set theory these outstanding setters use. Kudos on both the setting and solve!

  • @ClemensKatzer
    @ClemensKatzer 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Only five have solved it, mostly all of them known to be master solvers, and they state, "perhaps the most difficult sudoku I've ever done" ... so, Simon, you can't say you haven't been warned! It's amazing that you manage to do this on a live solve.
    What probably many of us would want to know: how many puzzles did you try and didn't manage to solve, so no video came out of it. One for every 10 videos, one for every 50, ... ?

  • @jfirth816
    @jfirth816 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    New channel motto maybe?
    "Come for the Sudoku, stay for the ASMR 19th century American poetry."

  • @xaviarthunders4894
    @xaviarthunders4894 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Only 20 minutes in and I'm seeing a million quadruples. Highs and lows. Simon hasn't seen it so I am 100% positive I am on a wrong path here.

  • @macmccolgan5952
    @macmccolgan5952 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    You know, it's not just the fact that Simon solves these monstrously difficult puzzles, it's that he does it as a live solve, whilst remaining entertaining. I'm lost for words.

  • @MrSoccerboy5411
    @MrSoccerboy5411 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Can we all agree that we need more EAP readings by Simon!

  • @HaitiLeonidas
    @HaitiLeonidas 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I want a petition to change the name TotallyNormalCat into BastetCatGoddess. Only Gods and Immortals can build the sudoku equivalent of the mathematical formula of the kaleidoscope. The Monster From the Jaws of Hell, indeed!

  • @alienrenders
    @alienrenders 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Tried it for a couple hours yesterday. Couldn't get the second digit in. Figured out a lot, but couldn't get any further. Today, I took another stab at it and finished it in 85:24. Getting that second digit is brutal. Heck, getting the first digit is quite insane. The disjoint set eliminating the 12's from the palindromes is what I simply couldn't see yesterday. Today, it was like the seas parted and the way forward just opened up before me. It was such an epiphany. Gotta watch the video now. I really have to see how Simon did this one.
    edit: I'm watching at @49:00 and Simon is just floundering around. You got past the point where I got stuck. The break-in is determining that 1234 cannot go onto the palindromes. You've reached that point. The puzzle is solvable now. You know each pair of palindromes in each box has at least 56 on it. What does that add up to? 11. But only one small little killer is 15. That's the only one that allows a 4. That's the second digit that I was so happy to get that I mentioned above in my original comment. Weird that Simon got the 1234 removal from the palindromes fairly easy. That's where I got stuck. But the easy stuff, he loses sight of. This is not a criticism. Just an observation. I think Simon just got blindsided by too much math. Now, let's see how much longer it takes him to see it :) Really enjoying this video BTW. After struggling with it for so long, it's somewhat nice to see I wasn't alone in struggling with it. (edit2: YAY! He got it at @51:42, but Simon's scanning is completely shot. 20 minutes to use the 6 and 7. That's very unusual for Simon I have to say.)
    Interestingly, I got the 1234's in row 5 and column 5 FIRST. You can do some fancy colouring and math to get there. Simon's way was much more elegant. You do need the expanded phisto ring later though.

  • @Pigeon0fDoom
    @Pigeon0fDoom 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    @31:00 we talked about this Simon. Be nice for yourself.

  • @Sam_on_YouTube
    @Sam_on_YouTube 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    I spent about 10 minutes stairing at this trying to find the beginning of a way to explore how to approach a break-in. Nope. Turned on the video.

  • @hydra147147
    @hydra147147 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I think the way to go after 40:00 is to realise (as Simon did) that 1, 2, 3, 4 cannot go in the palindromes and then ask where 4 can go in the blue-green squares. The one with the 4 can yield a killer sum of minimum 4+5+6=15 and there is exactly one diagonal with the sum at least 15.

  • @Jukka70
    @Jukka70 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I felt so bad for you Simon, but I have to admit, when you said, "and if you were to add on to the Venn Diagram, things known by Simon", I was dying of laughter. Honestly Simon, you need to give yourself more credit then you do. The fact that you are able to see all of these intricate designs is phenomenal.

  • @Raven-Creations
    @Raven-Creations 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Classic Simon. After a great break in, he's floundering around trying to find some disjoint set rule to resolve the symmetry. Had he looked up when he placed the 7 in box 9, he'd have resolved it for free. With disjoint sets, it's even more important than usual to check after every placement, because spotting conflicts later on is just a fool's errand.
    Great puzzle, I thought I'd already done this when it came out, but apparently not.

  • @mpo87-h1c
    @mpo87-h1c 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Simon does incredible logic deductions, but then it's somewhat funny to see him miss the simple sudoku :)
    this video was incredible to watch, I've been binge watching the videos on the channel. Please keep going!

  • @mitnehmerrippe
    @mitnehmerrippe 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Petition: Let Simon become an audiobook narrator!

  • @chessburns
    @chessburns 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is my 1st comment ever on this channel. I absolutely can not do these puzzles. But boy oh boy, do i adore these long videos. The puzzle that rekindled my love for Sudoku was the 1 by Mitchell Lee The miracle Sudoku with the 1 and 2 as the given digits. I had never tried any variant until i saw how Simon solved it. So i got the App for chess sudoku. I am loving the puzzles #8, #16, 19, #20 were pretty tough with the logic. But tried them a 2nd later on and was able to solve them fairly easily. My proudest solve has been #31 that was brutal. But i summoned my inner Simon and put myself in his shoes. How would he solve it? And it was like he was guiding me to the finish line. I felt so proud to finish the puzzle ik how he feels with solving the hardest of the hardest solves. Simon my friend. Thank you for taking us on a memorable ride on each of your videos. The agony of squeezing every ounce of logic in the puzzles is what makes you great. But the thrill you must feel when you solve them is amazing. You make me cry happy tears when you solve these puzzles. Theres times you make me cry from laughing.
    My favorite line is when Simon says Bobbins!!

  • @andrewnelson2525
    @andrewnelson2525 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I couldn't get the break-in, but after watching the proof of the greater Phistomefel ring I was able to work through the rest. Not seeing the break-in myself depressed me, but seeing the difficulty the rest gave Simon, which I did manage to solve, cheered me up quite a bit.

  • @mahmoudabdelghany7112
    @mahmoudabdelghany7112 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Can't ask for more. Genius puzzle, genius solve from the great Simon, and the poem at the end. This channel has added real joy to my everyday

  • @seachicky913
    @seachicky913 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Such a beautiful puzzle and solve AND then topped off with that tiny Simon softly reading The Raven! Astounding. Please continue reading us poems.

  • @MrKyltpzyxm
    @MrKyltpzyxm 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I've heard that an average person can hold about 7 different things in active memory. I can only assume that Simon, and the creators of all of these insane puzzles have an array of additional brains hidden away somewhere.
    I get the same feeling when watching chess masters describe a set of branching choices of moves ten steps out. It just doesn't seem possible to think that far and wide without dropping anything. I can barely remember a phone number in the time it takes to find a pencil, let alone an interlocking set of half a dozen distinct, logically consistent, potential trains of thought that each contain multiple branches and stops of their own.
    I am in awe.

  • @britlion
    @britlion 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is the lockpicking sudoku presenter and here we are going to try to crack this master sudoku open.
    Got a click out of five in the middle there. 1234 is in a false set. 6789 is binding. Got a little rotation (symmetry) now.....

  • @drewhickcox4611
    @drewhickcox4611 3 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    Simon keeps calling it "the original red set" when the squares are currently all purple...

    • @d4r4butler74
      @d4r4butler74 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      It was the Original Purple Set all along.

    • @SpencerTwiddy
      @SpencerTwiddy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@d4r4butler74 always has been

  • @ellaenchanted2399
    @ellaenchanted2399 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    33 minutes in and in awe of Simon for having so many pencil marks in this puzzle.

    • @ellaenchanted2399
      @ellaenchanted2399 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      across a canyon filled with crocodiles...I can safely say that Simon continually feeds the idiom farm...

  • @rolfremie9634
    @rolfremie9634 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Word of the day! Largesse, meaning generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others.
    "presumably public money is not dispensed with such largesse to anyone else"
    What a solve Simon. Amazing.

    • @SpencerTwiddy
      @SpencerTwiddy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      But you on the other hand must be brimming with largesse to bestow this little vocab tidbit to the CtC audience today! Thank you

  • @theobviouskraken3404
    @theobviouskraken3404 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Simon: "This [x] sees this through the disjoint"
    Me, much like how Shaggy Rogers says "Ah, words" in Scooby Doo 2: "Ah, numbers..."

  • @joestacey6185
    @joestacey6185 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I would love to see a reaction video from the constructor to one of these CtC solves. I imagine it would be fun watching someone go through your puzzle.

  • @GregCunneen
    @GregCunneen 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Came to this puzzle late in the piece. The solution path I used was much the same. I saw early on that 3 & 4 could not go on the palindromes and then I got stuck. An embarrassingly long gap ensued before I realised that 1 & 2 also could not go on the palindromes. From that point, progress was straightforward. Loved that puzzle.

  • @matthew456turner128
    @matthew456turner128 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Now its time for Simon to tackle that 2 hour beast from Gliperal that he's been holding onto for awhile!!! I would love to see that!!!

  • @ivoluijendijk5529
    @ivoluijendijk5529 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    WHy doesn't this video have a million views??? This was amazing... thank you Simon! And thank you TotallyNormalCat!

  • @KillerMZE
    @KillerMZE 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    This video is the length of a feature film, and has the same emotional rollercoaster as one

  • @violetasuklevska9074
    @violetasuklevska9074 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    After throwing the towel I decided to watch the solve and the moment Simon uttered the name "Phistomefel" I went back in and did it! It took me two hours, but I did it! Thank you Simon for the assist, I enjoyed the solve greatly.
    TotallyNormalCat 👏 👏 👏

  • @SonicGamesPlayer
    @SonicGamesPlayer 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I usually watch CTC videos before going to sleep. It's just such a wonderful way to end my day - lying in bed and watching these videos. And I love when they are that long - feels like a detective movie :)

  • @MarkBennet10001
    @MarkBennet10001 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I've been solving the difficult puzzles I've not yet tackled from Book 2, and this is the one that held me up longest. I found a "light" version of the break-in that gave me some of what I needed including some low digits and R5C5 and it was clear that I needed some of the other things to be disjoint sets. That took me a while to figure. Then I watched the video - I'd seen it first time round and completely forgotten it. Just astonishing how Simon sees some of those things so quickly. Amazing puzzle (truly one of the best) and amazing solve too.

    • @MarkBennet10001
      @MarkBennet10001 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      For "light" break in try positions 13579 in each box (5 sets by disjoint). Transpose digits to boxes 2468 by palindrome. Make boxes 2468 a second colour (four sets). Delete common digits. Delete diagonals - and the whole of the original colour is gone - and do arithmetic on the cells that are left (including the central cell). But that is well short of what the puzzle needs. I got the 34 pairs at the ends of column 5 and row 5 before I worked out how to prove certain sets of cells had to contain distinct digits (it was at least clear that this was likely the way to go).

  • @ChrisPlaysGamesCPG
    @ChrisPlaysGamesCPG 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Me at 1:01:00: Do some sudoku, Simon!
    Simon at 1:01:35: Sudoku is helping me at last!

  • @ConsorcioToxico
    @ConsorcioToxico 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The raven? OMG. Thanks for that gift

  • @bristolrovers27
    @bristolrovers27 3 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    Well it's an hour plus and Simon has just delivered the worst explanation of the rules possible 🙂
    Looks like we're in for a good one here !
    30 minutes in and Simon is doing great and in his element
    50 minutes and Simon gets a second digit after some incredible logic
    By the hour mark it's falling nicely and we are waiting for Simon to check the relevant columns to finish off.
    Outstanding puzzle, great tough solve well deserving of a cup of tea and a pat on the back
    Great poem

    • @micadragonheart6222
      @micadragonheart6222 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      By the looks of it it’s little killer, disjoint subsets, and palindromes, but it is definitely just me watching so many of these that makes me understand that easily, as in what it means

  • @Kirk_N
    @Kirk_N 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I'm not sure I could put "impossibly difficult" and "fair" in the same sentence.

  • @BeachHutStuff
    @BeachHutStuff 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow what a puzzle! As you read the poem and I sat in the garden a Raven sat on the roof looking suitably sullen.

  • @amoswittenbergsmusings
    @amoswittenbergsmusings 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    34:26 I feel that Simon's foundness of colouring is working against him at this point. I would remove the colouring which has done its superb job. Then I could notice the difference between the diagonals that run in the same direction and share cells due to the palindrome lines. That will give useful inequalities, e.g., the 14 and 24 little killers differ by 10 which need to come from one cell on the 14 diagonal and three cells on the 24 diagonal. That rules out the 9 on the 24: 9+3+3=15 is too high.
    At least, that would be my instinct. To actually pull this off is beyond my puny intellect.
    Go, Simon, go!

    • @amoswittenbergsmusings
      @amoswittenbergsmusings 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      1:00:01 ... and it appears my instinct stinks. Simon never ever needed that micro deduction I suggested.

  • @susanne5803
    @susanne5803 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    28:38 There's a quadruple of 6/7/8/9s in c5 and r5 and a 5 in the center, so the double cells at the ends of c5 and r5 have to be 1/2/3/4s.
    I'll be happily repeating this puzzle until I can see those structures for myself!
    Thank you very much, Simon and TotallyNormalCat!

  • @Stuartdouglas19
    @Stuartdouglas19 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    quoth the raven : "eat my shorts"

    • @KinkyTurtle
      @KinkyTurtle 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      WHY YOU LITTLE--

  • @joshuagreenberg1301
    @joshuagreenberg1301 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I solved it! And then watched the video after. I think Simon is correct that at most points there were only a few things that could possibly have worked. In the beginning it had to be digit sets. But you don't need to use the exact sets Simon used; I used the 5 sets of 1-9 consisting of the corners and centers of each box, which, together with the palindrome lines, and then subtracting boxes 2, 4, 6, and 8, gives a similar break-in as Simon got.
    When it came to determining the digits that go on the palindromes to make 46, I immediately spotted they couldn't be 3s or 4s, but it took me forever to see that they couldn't be 1s or 2s. I think that was the hardest step for me. But after that it was fairly straightforward.

  • @wade_23
    @wade_23 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Have a go at the puzzle the link is under the video.
    .... yyeeeeahhh I’m gonna sit this one out

  • @timothybexon6171
    @timothybexon6171 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Your voice is perfect for reciting poems and reading. I hope you make a channel of you just reading poems. That would be so peaceful and relaxing.
    I am only joking about making another channel, but I would 100% watch if you did do something like that.