The Hardest Sudoku Of All

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** Today's Sudoku **
Let's start with an apology. As Simon says during the video, he is incredibly concerned about taking too much of people's time and recognises the ludicrous nature of the length of tonight's solve. He attempts a puzzle by Gliperal called Balanced Loop Sudoku. This is an astonishing construction and undoubtedly sits in the pantheon of puzzles that can be described as "One of the greatest ever". BUT it is NOT easy. It is definitely worth checking out the example on the Logic Masters Germany link below if you're in any doubt about the rules. Having done that, strap yourselves in because this one is brain-frying!! Play the puzzle at the link below:
app.crackingthecryptic.com/su...
Rules:
Normal sudoku rules apply. Draw a single closed loop that travels orthogonally through the centres of some cells. The loop does not use any cell more than once and must travel through each dot. The two loop segments extending from both sides of a dot must be balanced ie the sum of the digits up to and including the digit in the cell containing the first turn must be the same. ALL possible dots are given.
Example Puzzle:
logic-masters.de/Raetselporta...
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**************************************************************
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▶SOFTWARE◀
Play the puzzle in the video by clicking the link under the video (above). We are building a website which will allow you to enter your own sudoku puzzles into the software and this is coming soon!
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Melvyn Mainini

Опубликовано:

24 янв 2022

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Комментарии : 852

@Gliperal 2 года назад

Since you say self praise is no praise, allow me to do it for you: This was a fantastic solve! Of all the people I've watched attempting the puzzle, you've certainly picked up on the fundamental ideas the fastest. Even the people who testing this puzzle on the discord server took several days, and only one of them was able to solve it, even with hints. Not only that, but there are a few ways to bash through some of the sections of the puzzle, and your intuition for logical tricks lead you to almost exactly the path I was hoping solvers would find. I know long videos and difficult puzzles can be stressful, but I cannot express how elated I felt watching this solve. When I was first playing around with this ruleset, so many interesting tricks and ideas surfaced that I couldn't help but include them all. The parity logic on the left side of the puzzle. The 2 cells that are equal to 3 cells equal to 4 cells equal to 5/6 cells. Situationally including or excluding dots from the balance calculations (sometimes both at once). The logic with the central cell in a box having to extend 2 in at least one direction was really fun, because it mimics the nature of black dots in typical balance loop puzzles. It would have perhaps been more fun for solvers to have a set of this sort of balance loop puzzle: one easy one to get the fundamental ideas, and then some trickier puzzles each showcasing one of the techniques/ideas clearly telegraphed. If I were a better setter I probably would have done that, but ultimately I took a gamble. As a result, this puzzle (and therefore the techniques) almost fell into the depths of obscurity, which is why it fills me with such joy to see you not only succeed but hit upon exactly the tricks and ideas that I was hoping to display. I can only hope that other people get as much joy in seeing you find that sort of logic as I do. Also, don't think I didn't spot that the CTC logo in the thumbnail is balanced. Very cheeky Simon. :D

@pedrobluis 2 года назад

Amazing Simon taking down a marvelous beast from Gliperal.

@PreciousPatchesFarms 2 года назад

What a fantastic puzzle you set! Both of you, take a dozen bows. So great, and stressful, to watch!

@Anne_Mahoney 2 года назад

I haven't seen all of this one yet -- I had to get up quite early this morning. But it looks like a fabulous puzzle and I think a 2-hour video is a treat: looking forward to finishing it this evening. It's been delightful to see the lengths creeping up from 40 minutes, to 60, to 90, to more than 2 hours. They're epic (and we're moving from the Iliad towards the Mahābhārata). When do we get a glorious three-hour battle?

@davidrattner9 2 года назад

@ gliperal...just lost for words about how you decided to set this. As mentioned by others, you certainly deserve all the accolades for this. Simon, huge praise to you and just amazing how you are able to deduce all the logic and solve this. We all bow to you 2!!

@HP4L16 2 года назад

Thank you for the amazing puzzle, took me almost 10 hours to solve it with some breaks, and mostly solving it late at night didn't help either. But at least I solved it without any hints and it didn't take me days to solve it.

@Adrian_Grey 2 года назад

Simon: "here's a two hour video of some nerd solving sudoku" 40,000 other nerds: "where's the popcorn?"

@pandookrb Год назад

Another 200k so far 😭

@kimikanna_live Год назад

this is 300k now and i've watched it twice 🤣

@dokurars9825 4 месяца назад

400k nerds, our numbers are growing, as is the popcorn bill

@cassandramartin1571 4 месяца назад

Real Genius anyone? A great 80's flick that ends with a house literally filled with popcorn because nerds seek retribution! Lol All this talk of popcorn! 😂❤

@mirjanbouma 3 месяца назад

580K now! 😃

@SnowTheJamMan 2 года назад

When will Simon learn that these long videos are not only not boring, but extremely entertaining for the huuuge majority of us

@akhos9876 2 года назад

Yes! The more CtC i get to watch, the better!

@myrddin4242 2 года назад

Perhaps what he's not appreciating, with his 'nerd solving a puzzle' comment, is the market share of nerds-who-watch-youtube ;-)

@marcbennett9232 2 года назад

@@myrddin4242 exactly! it goes against you tube conventions, but the CtC audience is far from average.

@jasonmetcalfe4695 2 года назад

I prefer watching Simon over Mark Video length these days is nothing it demonstrates the quality of the puzzle being solved

@Roescoe 2 года назад

@@jasonmetcalfe4695 That is likely because Simon explains more and Mark is very fast and sometimes skips over certain steps.

@bluji1250 2 года назад

Simon should just realize by now that no matter how long the video, we'll watch it. Lots of love to our brave sudoku warriors at CTC!

@davidfriese9703 2 года назад

The longer the better 👍

@curtiseichner1306 2 года назад

If it's a movie, then i know for a fact im going to learn something new!!

@raylawler13 2 года назад

Two of my favorite channels regularly have 4-5 hour videos. I'm not saying that CTC should do that, but I'm not not saying that either.

@brackencloud 2 года назад

Honestly, if Simon put out a 48 hour video, id still watch it.

@TheClawNinja 2 года назад

I honestly think the longer ones are the best, if it takes him that long to do it, it's fun for me to imagine how many weeks I'd suffer trying it :)

@pianosaresexxy 2 года назад

No apology is ever needed, you underestimate how many of us love the “movies” :D

@entenwood9024 2 года назад

I love when Simon said "sorry for waisting your time", like it isn't our decision to keep watching xD 1:56:50

@margaritashcheglova8670 Год назад

@@entenwood9024 I also love how he says, "nearly there" when 10 minutes into) Not to mention the usual "it's taken our team a month to solve it, feel free to try it out yourself by clicking the link"

@brianshilling 2 года назад

I mean this with absolute respect. Don't be a dingus. We love watching you spend two hours on a puzzle because it saves all of us 8 hours trying to do the same thing. Plus we all get the tiny bonus dopamine when we see the rare obvious thing before you do.

@CK28989 2 года назад

Agreed. Anyone who spends the majority of a 2 hour video being frustrated at the pace would surely either just do the puzzle without needing Simon to explain it, or should start their own channel. Haha.

@charlessaintpe8574 2 года назад

Also, is anyone watching this at 1× speed? I certainly am not.

@davidstorrs 2 года назад

This. This exactly. (Except it would be infinite hours in my case.)

@Varksterable 2 года назад

@@charlessaintpe8574 I watch at 1x speed. Why would I do anything else? My time is not any more important than the creators'. To assume otherwise is pure arrogance. If they put time into making a video, then I'll put time into watching it as they intended.

@charlessaintpe8574 2 года назад

@@Varksterable first, Simon and Mark make money from these videos, so while my time isn't more important than theirs, they get more than just the joy of solving a puzzle for the time they put in. Second, I see no reason to assume that these videos are "intended" to be watched in any particular way.

@inspiringsand123 2 года назад

Rules: 04:06 Let's Get Cracking: 09:01 Puzzle Solved: 2:15:55 Simon's time: 2h6m54s What about this video's Top Tier Simarkisms?! Bobbins: 3x (21:16, 58:02, 58:05) Phistomefel: 2x (00:48, 03:09) Scooby-Doo: 1x (38:14) And how about this video's Simarkisms?! Sorry: 23x (21:18, 27:16, 38:55, 47:20, 50:52, 50:55, 1:00:44, 1:04:11, 1:07:21, 1:07:21, 1:09:06, 1:09:06, 1:17:03, 1:17:53, 1:18:13, 1:19:06, 1:28:26, 1:50:46, 1:56:49, 1:56:53, 2:04:34, 2:05:41, 2:11:13) Hang On: 15x (04:57, 27:24, 34:07, 53:34, 53:34, 1:12:23, 1:12:23, 1:18:32, 1:21:56, 1:22:10, 1:26:40, 1:31:28, 1:46:27, 2:09:02, 2:14:47) Wow: 13x (07:35, 34:43, 34:43, 34:43, 56:58, 57:00, 1:23:22, 1:27:15, 1:44:26, 1:47:34, 1:59:39, 2:01:10, 2:04:50) Beautiful: 12x (29:42, 42:06, 42:07, 1:30:32, 1:31:22, 1:31:22, 1:34:04, 1:37:26, 1:43:45, 1:47:11, 2:00:59, 2:05:28) Good Grief: 11x (46:12, 1:06:04, 1:18:25, 1:31:00, 1:34:04, 1:40:54, 1:41:56, 1:59:39, 2:02:10, 2:05:28, 2:15:26) Nonsense: 10x (21:20, 33:37, 37:53, 50:18, 50:55, 54:53, 1:13:58, 1:14:04, 1:30:00, 1:33:53) In Fact: 9x (09:10, 26:18, 37:20, 39:39, 1:42:06, 1:42:50, 1:42:50, 1:47:09, 2:15:42) Obviously: 8x (00:34, 18:11, 28:31, 31:42, 56:07, 57:14, 1:14:34, 1:40:46) What on Earth: 6x (04:41, 38:02, 41:11, 1:17:12, 1:17:19, 1:27:27) Secret: 5x (22:54, 22:56, 1:05:47, 1:23:50, 1:34:56) Surely: 5x (24:15, 46:50, 47:56, 1:30:18, 2:15:14) I Have no Clue: 4x (52:09, 52:12, 52:31, 1:39:05) Whoopsie: 4x (14:50, 26:25, 32:01, 1:33:28) Progress: 4x (41:59, 1:24:31, 1:39:35, 1:50:55) Bother: 3x (50:52, 1:46:37, 2:09:07) By Sudoku: 3x (1:20:43, 1:42:16, 2:03:53) Clever: 2x (01:06, 10:58) Lovely: 2x (11:36, 16:43) Fascinating: 2x (01:40, 21:32) Ridiculous: 2x (07:39, 07:42) Going Mad: 2x (2:11:02, 2:11:13) Magnificent: 2x (2:17:55, 2:17:57) Useless: 1x (1:52:23) Goodness: 1x (10:56) Apologies: 1x (08:10) Out of Nowhere: 1x (1:44:16) Stuck: 1x (51:30) Horrible Feeling: 1x (2:16:30) Off to the Races: 1x (1:22:58) Brilliant: 1x (01:15) Break the Puzzle: 1x (1:13:29) Extraordinary: 1x (2:16:18) Elegant: 1x (2:16:40) Gorgeous: 1x (16:02) Approachable: 1x (03:16) Bizarre: 1x (2:04:58) Masterpiece: 1x (2:16:58) Flurry of Activity: 1x (52:18) Think Harder: 1x (2:05:31) I've Got It!: 1x (1:17:09) Snake: 1x (49:26) Most popular number(>9), digit and colour this video: Fifteen (24 mentions) One (177 mentions) Red (4 mentions) Antithesis Battles: Low (2) - High (1) Even (26) - Odd (5) 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!

@AexisRai 2 года назад

Have you considered that "one" (and for similar reasons, some other low digits) might be overcounted by this bot, on the basis of instances of "one" being said that aren't references to digits but instead just parts of speech? e.g. "only one thing it could be". On the other hand, it might be that those cases are actually far outweighed by the volume of actual digits uttered. I assume you (bot dev, wherever you are) have it produce some internal reports about the numbers of instances of each tracked word, you could show yourself the frequency count distributions of the digits and see if they're uniform.

@sybrendijkstra1662 2 года назад

You should add "what does this mean?"

@chameleon_yura 2 года назад

Am I going crazy or has someone really written a script that parses CTC videos and gathers this data?

@DekarNL 2 года назад

This is crazy! @CTC needs to pin this on every video :D

@inspiringsand123 2 года назад

@@AexisRai Thanks for your comment! I'm aware of the limitations of counting digits. I actually correct for this by ommiting certain occurences, but I'll never get it exactly right, nor do I aspire to; it's just a fun statistic. I made some improvements so 'one' wouldn't always be the top count and on many videos it is not. By the way, we never expect a uniform distribution, considering for example arrow sudoku, where the possible digits on an arrow will be discussed at length, heavily skewing the results to the lower end of the single digits. Anyway, I always appreciate it when people suggest ways I can appreciate my bot, so thanks again!

@korosei 2 года назад

On the mistake at 47:18, where he forgot to disconnect R7C1 from R6C1. Here's a one solution: If R6C1 does not connect to R7C1, it is important to note that the line extending upwards from the bottom left most dot will only be 2 cells long and cannot sum to 9 in two cells because it see 1, 7 , 3 and 4, and cannot sum to be 15 or more because they see 7 and 9. Now consider the line extending to the right, it has the options of joining to the 3 in R8C2, joining to the 6 in R8C5, and extending further. All of these options fail. Extending further means it'll be at least length 5 (min sum 15) but the upwards path sees 7 and 9, and thus cannot be only two cell long. Joining to the 6 forces the dot in R8C2 to be in a corner and must turn up. But R7C1 doesn't join R6C1, so it must run right, forcing a closed loop. Joining to the 3 forces a 9 into R9C2, see pencil markers. However, the two cell path cannot sum to 9 as they see it see 1, 7 , 3 and 4 in the column. Thus, R7C1 must join to R6C1, QED.

@TheLifeLaVita 2 года назад

nice demonstration by absurdity. - points because you said QED instead of CVD

@iancastro2414 2 года назад

Thank you, it helped a lot. Obs, it took me a while to understand that the problem with not adding more than 15 is that at the bottom the line has at least 5 cells, it will be easier to understand if you make it clearer. Edit: It's written, I haven't seen it.

@TheLifeLaVita 2 года назад

@@iancastro2414 he did say it though "at least length 5 (min sum 15)"

@CK28989 2 года назад

Very lucky that this mistake lined up with the puzzle logic!

@pelahnar4 2 года назад

Thank you. I lived in anxiety that that connection would end up being wrong for like 15 minutes while he relied heavily on it and finally forced myself to believe that something probably would've broken by now if it wasn't right

@douglasdunkle1592 2 года назад

The software should allow a second color for the lines. That way you can distinguish between actual lines and hypothetical ones.

@antono.8896 2 года назад

thought exactly the same, either a second color or something like dotted lines would be really valuable. Same thing for the x‘s or in general, a second style for all the kinds of annotations provided by the pen tool

@ToxNano 2 года назад

How do you even draw the lines? I've tried all combinations of shift alt and ctrl and I can't seem to get it. Edit: Found out by watching some more of the video. He explains it at 8:11

@shamstam 2 года назад

seconded!

@gmail-rr2284 2 года назад

Good suggestions. Also I'm way to late for Simon to ever see these tips, but two things. 1.) Use the UNDO function to back track after proving / disproving hypothetical work instead of erasing the way you do and then there will never be remnants left over. 2.) Before I do hypothetical work, I color the cell(s) where I start the theory work. Then I know exactly how far back to UNDO. And if I get too far into biforcation territory, I also UNDO since that doesn't seem like the right path / logic to use.

@ibegyounottoask9131 Год назад

Dotted lines would be good because they’re not “full” making it obvious that they’re not necessarily there

@nairit4600 2 года назад

me, after solving this in 10 hours : I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF

@riggmeister 2 года назад

Still extremely impressive 👏

@chessburns 2 года назад

Take a bow my friend! I could try to solve it from here to Kingdom come n never solve it!😂 Congrats on a magnificent solve!!!

@Wecoc1 2 года назад

We're starting to get into 'The Lord of the Rings movie length' territory (and I'm okay with it)

@bearcubdaycare 2 года назад

The six hour trilogy solving a puzzle... Fellowship of the break-in, the Two Phistomefel rings, the Return of kings move

@sarahclark9256 2 года назад

Looking forward to the Secret of Uruk-Hai

@jasonmetcalfe4695 2 года назад

The lord of the rings is less interesting

@johannapy 2 года назад

These long videos are amazing to help with falling asleep. Honestly, I love watching CTC videos during daytime but it's also now part of my nighttime routine when my insomnia makes me suffer. Simons voice helps me feel comfortable and I get distracted from the internal dialog anxiety is having in my head by trying to follow the logic. Plus I get so happy when I can find any deduction by myself no matter how small. I'm just so grateful for the content...

@mmolina2121 2 года назад

1:07:46 You’re not just ‘some nerd’ making 2 hour videos solving sudoku puzzles…you’re the king of nerds! Our king. All hail Simon, long live the king!

@peterhoare5503 2 года назад

as my daughter put it apologising for the length of these videos is like putting on a star wars marathon at the cinema and then apologising for how long it is. i watch these videos because not only do you mange to solve them but you manage to explain the logic on the way making it feel like i can understand something when I wouldn't have a clue where to start

@deathsleet8873 2 года назад

I love how at 2:02:25 he comments that a negative constraint could have resolved the 58 pair in box 7 and that is exactly the case…the top one had to be 8 since 9+5=14 and 8+6=14. So, the same spot he noted didn’t have a dot to eliminate the 2 also resolves the order of remaining digits

@jarrjan3177 2 года назад

And this would have fixed the 8 in the bottom right corner instead of simon "guessing" it and running with it.

@tzeneth 2 года назад

And I was just commenting that. :P

@NFSHeld 2 года назад

It's funny how he says "this is probably the way to solve it but I can't see how to do it" and usually he's right, but this time it would've been so easy. He was probably too worried about "wasting" so much time that he didn't dare to take some time to look at the digits. 😂

@user-rq7jr4jf3b 2 года назад

Yeap, I've seen this one too. Can't blame Simon for not seeing it after 2 hours marathon though. He's a great puzzle solver!

@axolotlking1072 2 года назад

I don’t blame him for not seeing it, but that was absolutely killing me until he reverse-engineered the digits

@AnnaVahtera 2 года назад

Simon, about the video lenghts: First, you're not making generic RU-vid content here, let's be frank. You can't compare two hours of logic puzzles to two hours of a guy driving coconuts up his nose. Second, YOU would watch "a nerd solving sudokus for two hours." We're puzzle lovers here too, we're not that different. If you make content that you'd watch, it's safe to say most of us would watch it too. Third, at this point, we're watching YOU, not so much the the sudokus. Well, of course we're watching sudokus, but the point is that YOU are solving them. We would watch you solve pencil puzzles for two hours (*cough*Phistomefel*cough*), we would watch you talk about random crap for two hours.

@ETools. 2 года назад

i agree with what you said, but idd also like to thank you for that mental image of the coconut. I'm never going to be able to get rid of that. XD

@concofps 2 года назад

2:05:00 - To be able to construct a puzzle where two options such as this are still available THAT far into a solve in absolutely incredible Also, I do wish ppl would read the comments existing before posting something which has already been said. Simon doesn't need 100 ppl telling him he forgot to delete one line in a 2 hours long puzzle.

@curtiseichner1306 2 года назад

You should definitely do an escape room in real life at some point! Another recommendation is "Understand". It's a puzzle game where you must intentionally pass or fail a series of puzzles in order to understand the untold rules of each puzzle. Sometimes you must go back to prior puzzles to hone your understanding. It's a fantastic game.

@andrewgrant6516 2 года назад

Just lock Mark in a cupboard and film it.

@Varksterable 2 года назад

Understand is at the same time clever and baffling to me. A very underrated game. But for a colab stream, I'd love to see something totally mainstream. Not even puzzle based. Imagine Simon and Mark playing lvl 1 gnomes in WoW. Heck; I'd watch that for hours.

@pikapuffin368 2 года назад

@@Varksterable Two puzzlers must solve the greatest puzzle of all: how to enjoy an MMO when only two of you are playing together :D

@Varksterable 2 года назад

@@pikapuffin368 Two is enough. I played WoW with 1 to 80 people. Two was usually the most fun. Oh, happy times. 😍

@Varksterable 2 года назад

@@jpryan90 Good point. There is a stream of him playing it; definitely entertaining.

@dyawr 2 года назад

9:50 _"Ah, we're positively _*_rocking_*_ along. We're nearly finished!"_ 😂😂 pretty much..

@denis0dns 2 года назад

Phistomefel vs Gliperal would be an epic battle

@livedandletdie 2 года назад

I see, Simon did a logical leap in this puzzle, not as great a logical leap though as to think the viewers doesn't enjoy hours upon hours of mind numbing sudoku solving, the longer the videos the better. Because we find not only the solving interesting, but having some sound in the background, is comforting, and in these trying times, hearing a familiar voice for so long is pretty comfortable. Let alone entertaining with all of your simarkisms as the community has called it. People on RU-vid have always enjoyed the longer format videos, I used to watch 6-7 hour videos on here when I was unemployed, even if I missed 5-6 minutes of the videos it didn't matter, and if you thought sudoku is nerdy, then you don't understand how watching grand strategy games being played for a minimum of 6 hours per video is the nerdiest thing I've done in life, watching someone play Warhammer 40K with several players and unlimited army sizes, or watching someone in a video game do extreme challenges that require more patience than sifting for uranium atoms in seawater. 2 Hours is child's play Simon, it's 2 hours of enjoyable child's play. Not to say we don't love the usual 30 minute videos, but it's still lovely when we get the Sudoku movies, because it really shows off how passionate you and Mark are about Sudoku and similar puzzles.

@w0rmblood323 2 года назад

Please don't stop the ludicrously long videos, I think I speak for everyone when I say we (Mark too, probably) love watching you suffer! In all honesty though, the super long videos are a pleasure to watch.

@G.Aaron.Fisher 2 года назад

47:00 You accidentally pencil mark r6c1-r7c1 during a hypothetical, but never erase it. It happens to be correct, but you accidentally shortcut the puzzle.

@jonasf94114 2 года назад

I was exactly blocked here and yelled because I hoped for Simon to help me unblock this part 😭

@TheLifeLaVita 2 года назад

it could be deductes anyways at that point, so it's not that big of a deal. See korosei's comment for explanation

@theatog 2 года назад

@@TheLifeLaVita It could be but it wasn't done hence it's a short cut... It's not a "big or small deal". It's just a short cut literally and that's what Aaron exactly said. Not sure why this comment.

@TheLifeLaVita 2 года назад

@@theatog yea if you don't understand maybe you shouldn't have commented

@theatog 2 года назад

@@TheLifeLaVita Gotta love the double down culture. Wish you the best in life.

@abcde_5949 2 года назад

46:55 I think Simon forgot to remove the line from r6c1 to r7c1 and didn't take into account possibility that line turns up from r6c1 while the other end goes r6c3.

@tomaszmarcol4175 2 года назад

I've managed to see the same actually, and I was looking for confirmation in comments, which didn't disappoint as usual ;p

@karlmortenlunna2417 2 года назад

If the loop doesn't go from r7c1 to r6c1, then it goes from r7c1 to r7c2 so the dot in r9c1 is summing r8c1+r7c1 and they can't sum to 9 (7,1,3,4 are used in c1). So the 9-sum for the r8c2-dot has to go into r7c2. And the bottom left part of the loop will now break: r8c1+r7c1 is max 14, but the loop going into r9 from r9c1 has to be at least 5 cells (otherwise it will connect and make a small loop). Maybe it is an easier way to see it, I don't know!

@weissesauge 2 года назад

@@karlmortenlunna2417 Well explained. Thank you.

@goldenknight578 2 года назад

@@karlmortenlunna2417 TBH, I've found that Simon seems to be lucky more than skilled more often than I'd like.

@CrackingTheCryptic 2 года назад

Yes I revisited this point in light of the comments. I've not got anything better than this as a way of clearing up why the loop must travel from r7c1 to r6c1. Apologies for not spotting that I'd used this loop segment to explain something else.

@elainedenning 2 года назад

Simon, nobody is strapping us to our chairs and forcing us to watch... we watch because we absolutely love these movies! For the few who don't, there are 13 more videos put up every single week!

@linachristiansen3349 2 года назад

The best thing with these long videos is knowing that Simon will get through this, even when he’s stuck or hasn’t got a Scooby Doo. 🥰 I see it, so you solved it.

@waficlabban8658 2 года назад

I'm playing all the GAS puzzles and beating each in under an hour and feel happy. Now i see an empty grid and a 2 hour video. Time to learn from the master and watch what I'm sure will be a brilliant one.

@chavdarchetvurti1130 2 года назад

took the testers a month ?!?!?! props to them for not giving up :D

@dzaijn 2 года назад

Unbelievable. I've been soaking in everything I can from this channel and my brain feels healthy for the first time in at least 3 years. You are amazing, Mark is amazing, everyone surrounding you are amazing and I love every minute of every video (the longer the better) you most graciously share with us. Thank you Simon.

@esmith22015 2 года назад

You don't have to apologize for longer videos - people love them!

@gregs2284 2 года назад

1:09:20 "Is it the negative constraint?" 1:09:38 (points right at cell the negative constraint decides) "YES!" "No, I guess not" sigh

@RichSmith77 2 года назад

And similarly at 2:02:22 : "There's probably some negative constant resolving this 5-8 pair, but I cannot see what it is" 😂

@iamjeramy Год назад

"So, is that affecting this at all? ... No" Perfectly wrong, LOL. He did notice 9 minutes later, so no big deal. Very entertaining though

@dylanlenn7836 2 года назад

this is one of those puzzles where I think I've understood the rules and then wondered what the heck was going on multiple times

@benshapiro8506 2 года назад

what u might not realize, Simon, is that u just spent 2hr 15min in a Sudoku escape room and u escaped, bravo.

@BozoTheBear 2 года назад

A two-hour video of "some nerd" solving sudoku is the EXACT DEFINITION of good television!

@bobinvegas 2 года назад

Are these 2 guys the most logical humans on the planet? It’s unreal how smart they are.

@Varksterable 2 года назад

Ikr? But I think there are a lot of people like this. I've even met a lot of them. But they are mostly 'nerdy' and don't seek attention. The clever, silent people. They are out there. They are running all sorts of things you never even notice. Smart and silent. That Mark and Simon ventured onto RU-vid is great. But many clever, logical people never will. So respect to them, also.

@whitetiger1518 2 года назад

Weather rotten, back aching. 2 hour plus of ignoring the weather and me getting so involved in the solve that I don't need painkillers... I'm in. 😁. I like all the lengths of videos, but save the long ones for when I need a cheer up. Keep them coming. Superb setting, solving and channel. Popcorn required is a happy thought. 👍

@prototypesoup1685 2 года назад

(commenting before I watch). Seeing the video length, I am IMMEDEIATELY washed-over with happiness. I tend to watch CTC at 2x speed, anyway, and the length of video makes me feel like, "My god, this is going to be amazing!"

@richalsop 2 года назад

My toxic trait: spotting a single piece of logic that Simon misses and thinking I could solve the whole puzzle 😆

@imistborn 2 года назад

My wife and I found your channel not long ago, and we LOVE to watch your longer videos. Our nightly routine has become climbing in bed and watching one of the longer Sudoku videos, to which we typically fall asleep. We both highly enjoy the logic process Simon goes through, but it's absolutely true to say your videos have a very relaxing and cathartic effect. We sincerely appreciate you guys running this channel!

@Tynach 2 года назад

I found myself getting sleepy roughly halfway through, so I paused it, took a nap, and after waking up and doing other things I watched the rest. It's fascinating to watch him go through the logic process, and I hope to pick up on some of the simpler tricks he uses that I otherwise wouldn't think of.

@isabelamacedobellsita8394 2 года назад

Me before the video: I hope it's an 1 hour long video. Me seeing the lenght of the video: 2 HOURS! YEEEEEES

@msclrhd 2 года назад

Buckle in for the extended edition of Cracking the Cryptic: The Movie.

@leojs5673 2 года назад

My snacks are ready!

@frankwales 2 года назад

As long as it comes with the Constructor's commentary track

@ossirioth 2 года назад

This would then suggest the sequels CtC II: The Confusion of Simon and then CtC III: The Search for a Pencil?

@LazerWulf 2 года назад

@@ossirioth CtC III: The Search for Pencil Mark

@LiamPennington 2 года назад

"The Cryptic: The Musical" is the ultimate end point.

@f.b.jeffers0n 2 года назад

I love these longer videos. It's peaceful to watch great minds at work...

@ryanriddell8376 2 года назад

Simon: do have a go at it Me: *double checks video length* Me: yeah, I’ll just watch this one

@ThecrystalwizardCoUk 2 года назад

Please keep making the longer videos! I'm sure Simon could do them quicker if he wasn't explaining everything to us, but *that is what we watch for!*

@wariolandgoldpiramid 2 года назад

This might be the best movie ever released by CTC :D Absolutly amazing puzzle. The way it all worked from just the dots, the way they forced the direction of the loop, and the sums, and all these "invisible arrows", it's just stunning logic. Well done, Gliperal, for the amazing setting; and well done, Simon, for the super fun solve. Don't feel bad about taking so much time, I love being able to just immerse myself into such fascinating logics for a few hours.

@Tepalus 2 года назад

Ah! The legendary extended cut! Finally!

@ronjohnson6916 2 года назад

No fast forward and reached the end. I think this is exactly the type of video a large chunk of your audience is here for. That mix of (temporary) despair, triumph, the inevitable hard won, does nothing. And everything in between. The combination of cleverness and enjoying yourself while suffering makes for great entertainment.

@RichSmith77 2 года назад

What an incredible puzzle. And solve! I have no idea how someone can set a puzzle like this. Amazing. I did manage to reach the solution, but only over two days, around 9 hours. And I missed a number of the more elegant steps that Simon found, resorting to bifurcation to make progress now and again. One thing I did spot that Simon missed was that the 9(58)6 line in column 1 could have been disambiguated by the negative constraint towards the end, since 9+5 would be balanced by 8+6. Still, so much that Simon found that I missed though.

@aem472 2 года назад

I usually don't watch the videos unless I get stuck or if I think I struck upon an unintended solution. The exception is the very long solves. I love watching these incredibly hard ones. No need to apologize, these are my favorite. Keep it up!

@GoldenredDragon 2 года назад

Very impressive how constantly intense it was! Many claps for both solver and setter!

@ShotgunFiend 2 года назад

Simon, you're longest videos are actually my favorites! Really, I love putting you on a second monitor while I do other tasks, listening to you solve these puzzles is very relaxing for me. The longer the video the better, I say.

@WhammeWhamme 2 года назад

I think nerds have a higher tolerance for long, detailed videos on subjects we're interested in. I regularly watch long videos on other channels too.

@davidnahm717 2 года назад

I love the long videos and the complex puzzles. The longer the better! They are entertaining and interesting and they make my day.

@autumnoleary584 2 года назад

Watching this solve is amazing, it takes so many multistep logical processes to shake a solve out of it and to see you do it in one sitting in two hours is remarkable. I worked on my own puzzles while you worked on yours and it made the time go by shockingly fast. At about an hour I thought "this is a full length movie and still, I'm here for it". You're good company Simon and your solves teach me a lot, so thanks.

@mukaiba1 2 года назад

This was a most enjoyable watch! This is my first time commenting, even though I have watched dozens of you and Mark's videos and I must say - the longer the better! I'm sure that the community at large enjoys the logic and the feeling of elation when a new realization comes about. More like this, please! 😄

@emo6577 2 года назад

I love longer videos! Gives me more time to wrap my head around and appreciate the setting of the puzzles. Much love to the setters and solvers of the CTC community for entertaining me for oh so long ❤️

@cdub42 2 года назад

We love the long puzzles!! This is wonderful content, and your base appreciates it. On a side note, I would love to see you guys continue with Baba Is You!! Not sure if you keep track of requests like this, but I know there was a good amount more of that game than we got to see, and I loved seeing you guys work on the puzzles. Thanks for all the great content :)

@lorensolberg9750 4 месяца назад

2 years later and you still have new viewers getting to the end. A fascinating string of logic.

@ellaenchanted2399 2 года назад

Had to wait til my half day at work to watch this but boy oh boy did it not disappoint! I loved this and have to admit it always makes me chuckle how much confidence Simon has in us thinking we (or me since I don't wanna speak for the uppercrust of Sudoku fans who no doubt watch the channel) are just screaming at the screen during such a complex piece as this!

@davidmiller9485 2 года назад

I love these long videos. Please don't give up on the format. It's really fascinating being able to watch your leaps of logic as you dance your way to the end regardless of how long it takes you. Great video as always.

@pah23 2 года назад

I definitely love longer videos like this, please do more long videos! They are such a joy and wonder to behold the marvels of your mind Simon! Just fantastic, thank you for all you do sir!!

@jbruuuu 2 года назад

I found your channel merely a few months ago and I'm absolutely hooked watching you attempt and explain your way through these fantastic puzzles. The sight of a 2 hour video shocked and excited me, as surely there would be a plethora of "aha" moments. Can't wait to watch the attempt!

@glum_hippo 2 года назад

Yes, it was a hard puzzle, but the logic was all so perfectly digestible. I don't know where "digestible" is between "approachable" and "horrifying", but it should be on the canonical scale of CtC difficulty. Congrats on this masterpiece, Gliperal!

@richardkinsey7062 Год назад

Goodness, I'm so happy I found your channel. This 2 hour solve was very fun to watch. What a marvelous puzzle. Cheers to you getting the solve, Simon! Even if 9 months late to watching, you deserve all the praise for this one, truly.

@patrickdematosribeiro1845 2 года назад

You are never wasting anyones time Simon. You don't force us to watch. Everyone is free to stop. That so many of us don't tells you how elegant the solves are even if occassionally it would be possible to do one step slightly faster or more elegantly.

@arfielding4495 2 года назад

Relatively new to the channel, but I wanted to assure you I actually SEEK OUT the longer videos. The harder it is, the more enjoyable it is to watch. More long videos please! :)

@SharkyOverlord 10 месяцев назад

An absolutely beautiful solve!!! I love these longer videos because I know I'm always in for a big treat

@st.armanini9521 2 года назад

2h18m? Totally normal!

@marcodebruin5370 2 года назад

Definitely watched the whole 2+ hours. And with pleasure - I was only barely keeping up, sometimes focussing on a different area of the grid than you and able to make a deduction by myself, but mostly just able to keep up with your reasoning and agreeing. Still feel this has made me a smidgen more intelligent than I was before watching :)

@eltonwaite1361 2 года назад

I really enjoy watching these long and complicated sudokus, so keep them coming please.

@aruthlessrhino 2 года назад

Had to come back for a second session as I watch these at night while lying in bed, but I made it through! Love your videos and love seeing your passion for puzzles so obviously present while solving them. Keep up the great work!

@Elodia7772 2 года назад

I've learned so much just listening to you discuss how to solve these incredibly complex problems. The process and logic you follow is what I'm interested in, regardless of how long it takes.

@venomthegirl2006 2 года назад

legitimately, i love the long videos, they make amazing things to watch or even just listen to. this puzzle was beautiful, and so was the solve. the long videos are the best, but also its fair to not want to do a monster of a puzzle like this one every day (monster in a good way hehe) ps. I feel like Simon needs a hug after this one 🤗

@SzanyiAtti 2 года назад

I actually prefer the longer videos, so no need to apologize

@tyfunk8614 2 года назад

I was just about to recommend Escape Sim! I have been quite addicted to it now haha. In the Steam workshop, there are some very cool Sudoku maps I would love to see you do!! The Sudoku Dungeon map was the hardest for me

@lillithfaery4940 2 года назад

Sorta new viewer here and I just wanted to say that I got all excited when I saw a "2h long video of some nerd solving sudoku on RU-vid"! xD You cracked me up when you said that! Keep cracking!

@gamergirl4u 2 года назад

I love the super long puzzles! I don't really notice how long I've been watching because my brain has been totally sucked into the puzzle and I'm sure you know the feeling. This was truly a marvelous puzzle!

@PreciousPatchesFarms 2 года назад

I don't know Simon. I think we all love these 2 hour solves!

@scottnak 2 года назад

Solid video. Congrats on making it to the end. The journey is always fun to follow. Never apologize for a long one :D

@tomaswinnerholt4731 2 года назад

Wow, just wow! What a puzzle and what an incredible solve! Hats of to both Gliperal and Simon for that!

@415Sterling 2 года назад

Regarding the length: This was an amazing solve, fantastically done. I don't mind at all how long the solves are, I find I just learn more and more based on your attempted solutions even if they don't immediately yield results. For streams: I know this is a strange request but I would love to see you try out the Myst(realMyst: Masterpiece Edition). It's a puzzle adventure game I think you would enjoy and I know would enjoy you working on it.

@RollcageTV 2 года назад

Ok, here's my obligatory comment that I did indeed get to the end without fast forwarding. In fact, I rewound many, many times to be sure I was following the logic. Total watch time was easily over three hours, and well worth it! 👍

@MioMyDog 2 года назад

Watched it all to the end at normal speed purely for the fact that I could never come up with the brilliant logic necessary to solve this and it was a pure joy to watch someone who can!

@widgetb 2 года назад

This 2+ hour video couldn't have been better timed. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect gift after a long day. Edit: 100% watched the whole thing to the end without skipping anything. Simon, that was incredible. To be able to figure that out in just over two hours without a break! That was astounding. I understand why you feel you're taking our time, but I never feel you're intentionally being slow, and if we didn't want to watch, we wouldn't. But we most certainly do. Following you solve these expertly constructed puzzles is like a great heist movie or murder mystery. You start off not knowing, but you know, by the end, you'll see how all the pieces came together and you'll be astounded and gratified by it!

@maavinkayi 2 года назад

I spent 220 minutes on this puzzle until I finished it. Crazy. I blame the day I came across this channel about a year ago. Amazing how much sudoku has evolved. Brilliant videos, thanks!

@jonhansen9622 8 месяцев назад

What an amazing puzzle! This was a fun puzzle to watch, and it occurs to me what a patient and level headed guy you are to sit and work through all these

@martinbull-gundersen8878 2 года назад

I'm sure I'm not the only one who got to the end with no fast forwarding, Simon! What a puzzle :-)

@maverickstclare3756 2 года назад

I watched it on 1.5x, in two sittings !

@jasonmetcalfe4695 2 года назад

I made it in one sitting, entertaining to the last second

@MariaVlasiou 2 года назад

Sacrilegious! But my slow speed for Simon is 1.25, my normal 1.5, and more if I am ready with the puzzle and want to see if I missed a thought.

@Slimdante 2 года назад

i love the longer episodes because it guarantees a more complex and interesting puzzle that is probably out of my league and i can learn tips and tricks while watching. Also, i can pause the video and come back later to finish it if im falling asleep or going to work! :)

@bjorn9875 2 года назад

I prefer the long videos! As they show puzzles that I would never see otherwise, as well as the insane logic needed to solve them! Please make more of these!

@williamchristy9463 Год назад

I've only recently discovered this channel-- but I found this video thoroughly entertaining

@longwaytotipperary 2 года назад

This could not come at a better time!!! Bring on the movie length video - I've got plenty of popcorn!! 🍿😊 Looking forward to live stream - yay!! ☺

@offtheball87 2 года назад

CTC uploading a 2hr long video: I do hope you're all okay with these longer videos. Me: weekend plans sorted

@mylomilk4635 2 года назад

I don't think there is any other youtube channel where I would see a 2 hour+ video and be absolutely thrilled.

@edvardpiano 2 года назад

Well done! Watched it all the way through. I think the reason these videos are so interesting is the pure logic being so satisfying to watch

@ildar.ishalin.chelovek Год назад

I've watched the whole thing without fast-forwarding. You are a genius! Although I had my certified "scream at Simon" moment when you missed the negative constraint in the bottom of column 1 (9+5=6+8 which forces 5 and 8), but as always you've managed to loop around from the other side. Hats off to you, my greatest respect and keep it up!