[Andromeda]

Well they made this puzzle into a board game, which my family owns. So I borrowed the rules from there. Except that they have a time limit of 30 seconds and points are awarded for every successful answer. How about this, I will solve this puzzle about halfway and show you the method of thought and reason. And then let you go from there.

Taking the last one post I will start from there.
-C 1 - C2 - C3 - C4 - C5 - C6 - C7 - C8 - C9
||=====================================||
|| 1 | 2 | 3 || 4 | 5 | 6 || * | * | * || R1
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | * || 8 | 3 | 9 || 6 | * | 1 || R2
||-------------------------------------||
|| 8 | 6 | * || * | * | * || * | 3 | * || R3
||=====================================||
|| * | * | * || * | * | 8 || * | 6 | * || R4
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | 5 || * | * | * || 1 | * | * || R5
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | 4 | * || 3 | * | * || * | * | * || R6
||=====================================||
|| * | 7 | * || * | * | 3 || * | 1 | 2 || R7
||-------------------------------------||
|| 3 | * | * || 2 | 7 | * || * | * | * || R8
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | * || 9 | 8 | 5 || 3 | 7 | 6 || R9
||=====================================||

Ok, Valentie place the 6, and she was correct. The 6 goes here because looking at the rows, which I shall number for you, for sake of ease. Look at C9 (Column 9) is has a 6 down in R9 (Row 9), this means there cannot be a 6 anywhere else in this colum or row. Look at C8, you will find another 6 at R4, thus no 6 can be in this column or row either. Well now seeing as there are two colums with 6s like this. Look at the 3x3 boxs now. The C7-C9 box at the bottom, this has a 6 as we said earlier, and the same box above has a 6. But the top box, it still needs a 6, well with two columns ruled out, this means only one column left in the top box can have a 6. The problem now is that all 3 cells in that column are empty. So do not know where it goes, yet. But look in R1 that is a 6 at C6, this means C7,R1 cannot hold a 6. Now look at R3, there is also a 6, at C2, so this means that C7,R3 cannot hold a 6 either. Well the only one left that can have a 6 is C7,R2.

Now follow this logic I will begin to solve more of the puzzle.

-C 1 - C2 - C3 - C4 - C5 - C6 - C7 - C8 - C9
||=====================================||
|| 1 | 2 | 3 || 4 | 5 | 6 || * | * | * || R1
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | * || 8 | 3 | 9 || 6 | * | 1 || R2
||-------------------------------------||
|| 8 | 6 | * || * | * | * || * | 3 | * || R3
||=====================================||
|| * | * | * || 5 | * | 8 || * | 6 | * || R4
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | 5 || * | * | * || 1 | * | * || R5
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | 4 | * || 3 | * | * || * | * | * || R6
||=====================================||
|| * | 7 | * || * | * | 3 || * | 1 | 2 || R7
||-------------------------------------||
|| 3 | * | * || 2 | 7 | 1 || * | * | * || R8
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | * || 9 | 8 | 5 || 3 | 7 | 6 || R9
||=====================================||

Now I placed the 5, C5 and C6 already have 5 in their colums, and C4 needs a 5, the only place it can go is in the center box, since the top and bottom boxes already have a 5. With a 3 in the C4,R6 cell, there are only two cells left. But R5 already has a 5, thus C4,R5 is out, leaving C4,R4 the only one left.

Next I placed the 1, which if you look at the R7 there is already and 1, so in the middle box on the bottom the top row of cells, C4,R7 C5,R7 and C6,R7 cannot have a 1, well looking at this box with all those closed out, it only leaves one box left, C6,R8, the 1 must go there, it cannot anywhere else. Continuing to work on this same box you see that now there are only two cells left. Well this box must by the rules have one number 1-9, count up the numbers already used, 1,2,3,5,7,8 and 9, well if they have been used this means only 4 and 6 are left. Well in C4,R1 there is a 4 already, and meaning C4,R7 cannot have a 4, leaving C5,R7 the only one left to hold a 4. And with only one cell remaining now, 6 must go in the last remaining box. See below.

-C 1 - C2 - C3 - C4 - C5 - C6 - C7 - C8 - C9
||=====================================||
|| 1 | 2 | 3 || 4 | 5 | 6 || * | * | * || R1
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | * || 8 | 3 | 9 || 6 | 2 | 1 || R2
||-------------------------------------||
|| 8 | 6 | 9 || * | * | * || * | 3 | * || R3
||=====================================||
|| * | * | * || 5 | * | 8 || * | 6 | * || R4
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | 5 || * | * | 4 || 1 | * | * || R5
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | 4 | * || 3 | * | * || * | * | * || R6
||=====================================||
|| * | 7 | * || 6 | 4 | 3 || * | 1 | 2 || R7
||-------------------------------------||
|| 3 | * | 6 || 2 | 7 | 1 || * | * | * || R8
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | * || 9 | 8 | 5 || 3 | 7 | 6 || R9
||=====================================||

Now I have placed the 4 at C6,R5. With having a 4 in C4,R1 and C5,R7, C6 needs 4 and top and bottom box already have one now. Leaving the center box needing a 4, and with an 8 in one cell, C6,R5 and C6, R6 are the only cells left. But R6 has a 4 already, closing out C6,R6 leaving only C6,R5.

Now I have placed the 6 at C3,R8. Looking you can seeing there is already a 6 in R7 and R9, leaving R8 the only one left. And with C1 already take, C2 and C3 remain, but C2 has a 6 already. Well that means only C3,R8 can have a 6 now.

This next one will wrap your mind a little probably. So follow my logic. I placed a 2 at C8,R2. This is how I figured it out, well there is a first a 2 in R1, meaning the far right box cannot have a 2 in the R1 cells. This leaves R2 and R3 cells. Well look over to the middle box, see something, it only have cells in the R3. And it has no 2 yet. This means no matter where it goes, it much go in R3, even though we do not know where right now, it cannot go anywhere else. This means that for the far right box it cannot have a 2 in the R3, leaving only R2. Well R2 has two cells taken already, leaving only one, C8,R2.

I now placed a 9 in C3,R3. Looking at the box you realize it requires 4 numbers now, those being 4,5,7 and 9. Well look at R2, there is already a 9 in that row. Well 9 cannot go in R2 in the left box can it now? With that, it leaves only one cell remaining C3,R3 forcing it to get there.

-C 1 - C2 - C3 - C4 - C5 - C6 - C7 - C8 - C9
||=====================================||
|| 1 | 2 | 3 || 4 | 5 | 6 || * | * | * || R1
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | * || 8 | 3 | 9 || 6 | 2 | 1 || R2
||-------------------------------------||
|| 8 | 6 | 9 || 1 | 2 | 7 || * | 3 | * || R3
||=====================================||
|| * | * | * || 5 | * | 8 || * | 6 | * || R4
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | * | 5 || 7 | * | 4 || 1 | * | * || R5
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | 4 | * || 3 | * | * || * | * | * || R6
||=====================================||
|| * | 7 | * || 6 | 4 | 3 || * | 1 | 2 || R7
||-------------------------------------||
|| 3 | * | 6 || 2 | 7 | 1 || * | * | * || R8
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | 1 | * || 9 | 8 | 5 || 3 | 7 | 6 || R9
||=====================================||

This next one also requires a little thinking, but look at the 1 I placed at C2,R9 This much go here. First look at the R9, it must follow the rule and have numbers 1-9. Well it has 3,5,6,7,8,9 leaving only 1,2,4 left to go in those remaining 3 cells. Well looking at where they cannot go, 2 and 4 are both in C2, meaning they cannot go in C2,R9, well with only one number left 1 much got there.

Now look at the 1 I placed at C4,R3, well C4 only needs 2 numbers to be complete 1 and 7. But at R5 there is already 1, meaning the only available cell is C4,R3 and with that one filled in 7 can only go in C4,R5. Following on from the 7, this means that C4 and C5 now both have 7, leaving C6 the only one needing one and thus C6,R3 must be 7 and with the last cell available it must be a 2 since that is the remaining number.

-C 1 - C2 - C3 - C4 - C5 - C6 - C7 - C8 - C9
||=====================================||
|| 1 | 2 | 3 || 4 | 5 | 6 || * | * | * || R1
||-------------------------------------||
|| 7 | 5 | 4 || 8 | 3 | 9 || 6 | 2 | 1 || R2
||-------------------------------------||
|| 8 | 6 | 9 || 1 | 2 | 7 || * | 3 | * || R3
||=====================================||
|| * | * | * || 5 | * | 8 || 2 | 6 | * || R4
||-------------------------------------||
|| 2 | * | 5 || 7 | * | 4 || 1 | * | * || R5
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | 4 | * || 3 | * | 2 || * | * | * || R6
||=====================================||
|| * | 7 | * || 6 | 4 | 3 || * | 1 | 2 || R7
||-------------------------------------||
|| 3 | * | 6 || 2 | 7 | 1 || * | * | * || R8
||-------------------------------------||
|| 4 | 1 | 2 || 9 | 8 | 5 || 3 | 7 | 6 || R9
||=====================================||

Now look at the 2 I placed at C6,R6 well since I just placed a 2 at C5, this closes out the whole column in the center box, leaving only one cell available. And with that decided, C7 receives a 2 at C7,R4 because C8 and C9 both as 2s already and with C7,R5 filled and R6 with a 2, R4 is the only spot left.

Working with the 2s, I placed a 2 at C1,R5 because R4 and R6 has a 2 already and so does C2, closing out all but one cell, C1,R5, with that I then went to C3,R9 because with C1 and C2 having 2s now C3 needs one and R7 and R8 already have 2s. Leaving only one spot available for a 2. And with that left R9 needing only a 4 which goes in C1,R9.

Continuing, now that there is a 4 in C1 and C2, C3 requires a four in the top box meaning it must go there. Then with a 4 placed there at C3,R2, 7 must go in C1,R2 since C2 has a 7 and C3,R2 is taken now. And that leaves one cell left meaning 5 must go in C2,R2 simply because there is nowhere else in the box for it.

-C 1 - C2 - C3 - C4 - C5 - C6 - C7 - C8 - C9
||=====================================||
|| 1 | 2 | 3 || 4 | 5 | 6 || * | * | * || R1
||-------------------------------------||
|| 7 | 5 | 4 || 8 | 3 | 9 || 6 | 2 | 1 || R2
||-------------------------------------||
|| 8 | 6 | 9 || 1 | 2 | 7 || * | 3 | * || R3
||=====================================||
|| * | * | * || 5 | * | 8 || 2 | 6 | * || R4
||-------------------------------------||
|| 2 | * | 5 || 7 | * | 4 || 1 | * | * || R5
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | 4 | * || 3 | * | 2 || * | * | * || R6
||=====================================||
|| 5 | 7 | 8 || 6 | 4 | 3 || 9 | 1 | 2 || R7
||-------------------------------------||
|| 3 | 9 | 6 || 2 | 7 | 1 || * | * | * || R8
||-------------------------------------||
|| 4 | 1 | 2 || 9 | 8 | 5 || 3 | 7 | 6 || R9
||=====================================||

Following from the 5, I placed a 5 at C1,R7 because C2 and C3 had a 5 already leaving C1,R7 the only cell remaining. Then with a 9 in C3 and C1,R7 closed, 9 could only go in C2,R8. And with the box only having one cell left 8 being the remaining number must go at C3,R7. And then R7 is left with only one number need 9, it must go at C7,R7.

-C 1 - C2 - C3 - C4 - C5 - C6 - C7 - C8 - C9
||=====================================||
|| 1 | 2 | 3 || 4 | 5 | 6 || * | * | * || R1
||-------------------------------------||
|| 7 | 5 | 4 || 8 | 3 | 9 || 6 | 2 | 1 || R2
||-------------------------------------||
|| 8 | 6 | 9 || 1 | 2 | 7 || * | 3 | * || R3
||=====================================||
|| * | * | * || 5 | * | 8 || 2 | 6 | * || R4
||-------------------------------------||
|| 2 | * | 5 || 7 | * | 4 || 1 | * | * || R5
||-------------------------------------||
|| * | 4 | * || 3 | * | 2 || * | * | * || R6
||=====================================||
|| 5 | 7 | 8 || 6 | 4 | 3 || 9 | 1 | 2 || R7
||-------------------------------------||
|| 3 | 9 | 6 || 2 | 7 | 1 || * | * | * || R8
||-------------------------------------||
|| 4 | 1 | 2 || 9 | 8 | 5 || 3 | 7 | 6 || R9
||=====================================||

So there you go, it is near complete, all it will take is time now. I hope my explanation helps you to understand how the puzzle is worked. It is all downhill now.