The Killer in the Mirror

When I was young, I was afraid of dimly lit mirrors because I would always see faces in them. It turns out I'm not alone and there's science behind that. You can read about it here.

This puzzle is inspired by that phenomenon.

-Ordinary sudoku rules apply.

-Killer Sudoku Rules apply. Digits cannot repeat in cages and must sum to the number in the top left (if given).

-Looking glass rules (new!) apply. Each digit (1-9) has a "buddy" that appears in all of the cells where the row and column indices are swapped. For example, if 1's are buddies with 4's and there is a 1 in r5c2, then there must be a 4 in r2c5. Ones being buddies with fours implies that fours are buddies with ones. It's possible for a number to be it's own buddy. This rule applies to ALL cells. Figuring out the buddies is part of the puzzle.

This is really a very simple rule, but if you are confused by my explanation or have clarifying questions, please let me know.

Here is the puzzle. Enjoy! :) try it here

Watch a solve from Mark Goodliffe here

R. Cameron Dennis, Ph.D.
R. Cameron Dennis, Ph.D.
Physicist | Quantitative Researcher | Data Scientist

Physicist specializing in quantitative modeling, machine learning, and complex systems. Passionate about bridging research with real-world applications.