PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 3rd puzzle from guest contributor Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Draw a route that starts at the gray Start circle (S) and passes through adjacent cells without crossing itself or revisiting any cells. Some cells may not be part of the route. White circles with letters represent packages that are to be picked up and delivered to the black circles marked with the same letter. The carrier has a maximum capacity of packages that can be handled at once, shown below the grid. The carrier must pick up and deliver all packages on the route, returning to S with no packages in hand.

Also see this example:

Answer String: Enter the number of turns in each row, starting at the top and proceeding to the bottom. This example has the answer “224244”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:40, Master = 1:00, Expert = 2:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Loop/Path puzzles.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use the tab key to alternate between shading and number entry modes)

Theme: Rectangles

Author/Opus: This is the 2nd puzzle from guest contributor Ken Endo.

Rules: Variation of Nanro and Nanro Signpost puzzles.

Label some cells with numbers to form a single connected group of labeled cells; no 2×2 group of cells may be fully labeled. Each bold region must contain at least one labeled cell. The small clue numbers indicate how many cells in that region are used. When two numbers are orthogonally adjacent across a region boundary, the numbers must be different. Each bolded region must be visited twice (i.e., have exactly two distinct connected groups inside it).

Also see this example:

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the segments labeled with numbers from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 2:00, Expert = 4:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for Nanro puzzles on this website and this link for variations on Nanro puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Nanro Puzzles to get started on. More Nanro puzzles can be found in A Number o’ Nanro by Prasanna Seshadri.

Our master+ subscribers receive access to two bonus puzzles each week in addition to other rewards. We make these posts so those supporters have a space to comment on these puzzles, mark as FAVES, or log their solving. If you are interested in subscribing and seeing these bonus puzzles, click here for more info.

Theme: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 295th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Variation of Star Battle. Place a star in some cells so that there are two stars in each row and column. Stars cannot be placed in adjacent cells that share an edge or corner.

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a star appears. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:15, Master = 1:30, Expert = 3:00

Note: Follow this link for classic Star Battles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Star Battles to get started on. More Star Battle puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

Our most recent week of Kakuro puzzles is in this PDF.

For the second time, we are featuring a special variety mix week from several of the Japanese authors who make the Toketa book series (link to PDF from 2017’s Toketa week). We will have three different variations — primarily new puzzle styles from the most recent volume — with two puzzles each over the week. Toketa Volume 6 came out at the end of last year, and played its own special role in my winning the World Puzzle Championship (link to my long report).

Our supporters will also be receiving a bonus Battlestar by Grant Fikes and a Snake Pit by Serkan Yürekli who also contributes to Toketa, access to puzzle solutions, and a video walkthrough of the Friday and Saturday puzzles. Last weekend, our grandmaster supporters also received three large bonus puzzles: a Kakuro by Hatice Esra Aydemir, a Tapa LITS Distiller by Grant Fikes, and a Crisscross by Grant Fikes. If you want to become a subscriber and get access to bonus puzzles, solutions, e-books, and other rewards, check out this page.

Our master+ subscribers receive access to two bonus puzzles each week in addition to other rewards. We make these posts so those supporters have a space to comment on these puzzles, mark as FAVES, or log their solving. If you are interested in subscribing and seeing these bonus puzzles, click here for more info.

Theme: … and After

Author/Opus: This is the 294th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Kakuro Rules. Also, no two consecutive numbers (i.e., numbers that differ by 1) can be in cells that share an edge.

Answer String: Enter the values in each cell in the 2nd row from left to right and then in the 10th row from left to right, separating the two entries with a comma. Ignore black cells.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 15:00, Expert = 30:00

Note: Follow this link for other Kakuro puzzles. More Kakuro puzzles can be found in Kakuro and Variations by Serkan Yürekli and in The Art of Puzzles 2.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: Before …

Author/Opus: This is the 130th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Kakuro Rules.

Answer String: Enter the values in each cell in the 2nd column from top to bottom and then in the 10th column from top to bottom, separating the two entries with a comma. Ignore black cells.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 15:00, Master = 22:30, Expert = 45:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Kakuro puzzles. More Kakuro puzzles can be found in Kakuro and Variations by Serkan Yürekli and in The Art of Puzzles 2.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; note that the dotted circles are just for answer entry and are where the number should be placed in the 2×2 cell. An alternate option with centralized digit entry is here.)

Theme: Checker

Author/Opus: This is the 2nd puzzle from guest contributor Hatice Esra Aydemir.

Rules: Variation of Kakuro. The gray (2×2) cells are to be filled by a single digit which sits in multiple rows and columns. No digits can repeat within an entry, regardless of if it is in a small or large cell.

Answer String: Enter the values in each cell in the 1st row from left to right and then in the 5th column from top to bottom, separating the two entries with a comma. Ignore black cells.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:00, Master = 9:30, Expert = 19:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Kakuro puzzles. More Kakuro puzzles can be found in Kakuro and Variations by Serkan Yürekli and in The Art of Puzzles 2.