Cludoku

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Cludoku (also called Cluedoku) is essentially Sudoku employing letters instead of the traditional numbers 1-9 plus:

a) Clues, similar to those found in crosswords, and

b) Word Search – not only the traditional straight-line search but also Boggle-like zig-zag searching.

The basic idea is to

a) solve the letter-based Sudoku, so that all cells of the grid have letters in them

b) try to find solutions to given clues that are formed from the linked letters in the completed grid (linked either horizontally, vertically or diagonally). The same cell must not be used more than once for a given solution.

The clues always state whether the solution is to be found in a straight line (denoted by an 'I') or by zig-zagging (denoted by a 'Z'). If denoted as 'I' , the solver must find the solution in a straight line, even though a zig-zagging solution may also be possible. If denoted as a 'Z', then no straight-line solution is available.

Example Cludoku

Letters used: CEIMPRSTU

E		P	R	U	C			T
			T			U
				M	S
U			I				R
	I			E			T
	E				P			M
			U	P
		R			I
I			C	T	R	S		E

1 The person thought most likely to be the perpetrator(Z:5,7)

2 Ascend (I:4)

3 Punch delivered upwards with arm bent (Z:8)

4 Places (I:4)

5 Creature (Z:7)

6 Ready to eat (I:4)

7 Domestic cats (Z:7)

8 Long rods used for playing snooker or pool (I:4)

9 Repeated passage in music (Z:7)

10 Drinks in small amounts (I:4)

11 Portrait (Z:7)

12 Actors in show with no speech (Z:7)

13 Quell (Z:8)

14 Disease with swelling of parotid glands (Z:5)

15 Paper handkerchiefs (Z:7)

16 Unit of radioactivity (Z:5)

17 Band of colour different from background (I:6)

18 Warship (Z:7)

19 Frozen desserts (I:4)

20 One who tends to expect a bad outcome (Z:9)

Note: In many cases, a particular word in a Cludoku may be found by following several paths. However, classic Cludokus provide clues whose solutions have only unique paths (although a clue specified to have a straight-line solution (I) may also have zig-zagging solutions (Z), but these may be ignored).

A solution to the above Cludoku is given below. Note that the path for a solution to a clue can be easily specified, since each letter appears only once in each row; the path is therefore specified by stating the row on which each letter of the solution appears.

1	E	S	P	R	U	C	M	I	T
2	M	R	C	T	I	E	U	S	P
3	T	U	I	P	M	S	C	E	R
4	U	P	M	I	C	T	E	R	S
5	R	I	S	M	E	U	P	T	C
6	C	E	T	S	R	P	I	U	M
7	S	T	E	U	P	M	R	C	I
8	P	C	R	E	S	I	T	M	U
9	I	M	U	C	T	R	S	P	E

1:PRIME SUSPECT(112323222334) 2:RISE(1234) 3:UPPERCUT(56544565) 4:PUTS(6543) 5:CRITTER(6556778) 6:RIPE(7654) 7:PUSSIES(7765567) 8:CUES(1234) 9:REPRISE(6567888) 10:SIPS(9876) 11:PICTURE(3444565) 12:MUMMERS(2345566) 13:SUPPRESS(87766565) 14:MUMPS(23445) 15:TISSUES(6556788) 16:CURIE(11122) 17:STRIPE(987654) 18:CRUISER(2112344) 19:ICES(9876) 20:PESSIMIST(656543234)

Cludoku was developed by Topaccolades Limited and is a registered trade mark of that company.

Further examples can be found at [1]