Medium 6×6 cage-sum puzzle #18.

Puzzle signature

Medium profile: 13 cages · 9 distinct cage totals · target range 3–19 · 5 two-cell cages · logic score 118. Use this profile as a quick map of the board's strongest cage constraints before you replay the round.

Puzzle analysis

This PUZRU archive puzzle uses 13 connected sum cages across a 6×6 grid with 6 carried fixed values. Its cage profile contains 5 two-cell, 6 three-cell and 2 four-cell cages. Target sums range from 3 to 19, with an average cage target of 9.7.

The generator assigned a logic score of 118, which PUZRU classifies as Medium. The archived quality record verifies one exact solution and a logical solve path without random guessing.

What makes this round distinct

This board combines 9 distinct cage totals. It contains 3 low-target cages (5 or below) and 1 high-target cage (18 or above), creating a round-specific balance between constrained low combinations and high-digit pressure. Its 5 two-cell cages create especially short candidate lists that interact tightly with row and column exclusions.

Logical deduction trace

1. R1C4 starts fixed at 1 from the Chain carry.
2. R2C2 starts fixed at 2 from the Chain carry.
3. R3C5 starts fixed at 4 from the Chain carry.
4. R4C3 starts fixed at 1 from the Chain carry.
5. R5C1 starts fixed at 3 from the Chain carry.
6. R6C6 starts fixed at 3 from the Chain carry.
7. Cage R1C1, R1C2, R1C3 totals 15; this removes 2 from R1C1.
8. Cage R1C1, R1C2, R1C3 totals 15; this removes 3 from R1C2.
9. Cage R1C1, R1C2, R1C3 totals 15; this removes 2/3 from R1C3.
10. Cage R5C4, R5C5 totals 11; this removes 2/4 from R5C4.
11. Cage R5C4, R5C5 totals 11; this removes 1/2 from R5C5.
12. Cage R4C3, R5C3 totals 3; this removes 4/5/6 from R5C3.
13. Cage R5C1, R6C1, R6C2 totals 10; this removes 4/5 from R6C1.
14. Cage R5C1, R6C1, R6C2 totals 10; this removes 4 from R6C2.
15. Cage R2C3, R3C3, R3C4, R3C5 totals 19; this removes 3/5 from R2C3.
16. Cage R2C3, R3C3, R3C4, R3C5 totals 19; this removes 2 from R3C3.
17. Cage R2C3, R3C3, R3C4, R3C5 totals 19; this removes 2/3 from R3C4.
18. Cage R4C6, R5C6, R6C6 totals 10; this removes 4 from R4C6.
19. Cage R4C6, R5C6, R6C6 totals 10; this removes 4/6 from R5C6.
20. Cage R3C2, R4C1, R4C2, R5C2 totals 12; this removes 5/6 from R4C1.
21. Cage R2C1, R2C2, R3C1 totals 9; this removes 4 from R2C1.
22. Cage R2C1, R2C2, R3C1 totals 9; this removes 5 from R3C1.
23. Cage R1C5, R2C5 totals 4; this removes 2/5/6 from R1C5.
24. Cage R1C5, R2C5 totals 4; this removes 3/5/6 from R2C5.

How to approach this 6×6 puzzle

• Start with the two-cell cages: their shorter combination lists make them efficient places to eliminate candidates against row and column restrictions.
• Pay attention to the highest cage totals. In a 1–6 grid, large totals force several high digits and can quickly remove low candidates from those cells.
• Low-total cages are equally useful: only a small set of digit combinations can reach those sums without repeats elsewhere in the grid.

The live result

ARNATUILE became the Discoverer by submitting the first verified solution accepted by the global authority. After that moment, the shared 45-second contribution window remained open and the puzzle finished with 1 verified solver.

Six values continued into the Chain

The PUZRU world never resets to a completely unrelated board. Six solved positions from this puzzle were carried into the next puzzle as fixed values. For Puzzle #18, the carried values were 6 2 6 5 1 5.

This carry rule makes every puzzle both a standalone logic challenge and one link in an ongoing global sequence.

Chain proof

The public archive records the completed puzzle and its cryptographic Chain hash so later rounds can be linked back to the same history.

j0oYySD3_fXWK-5fMbQGlD0rUleffCNwggL9BsHxrxU

Archive replay is unranked: it never changes the live Chain or leaderboard.

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