PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the composite Yajilin mode where left click marks cells, right click marks dots in cells or X’s on edges, left click+drag draws lines.)

Theme: Single Four

Author/Opus: This is the 322nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Tapa rules.

Difficulty: 1.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:40, Master = 1:15, Expert = 2:30

Solution: PDF

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

Here are our best Number Placement puzzles of 2019, selected from the 35 web posts in this category based on your FAVE votes:

We had a “pair” of Kakuro puzzles that were both on the higher end of the list for 2019 (admittedly the “pair” was more of an editorial connection given similar grid shapes but different solving paths; both were great puzzles and posted on back-to-back days). The second of the pair was this Nonconsecutive Kakuro from Grant Fikes that was a Sunday bonus for our subscribers. (Note: we are beginning to organize all of our web bonus puzzles into a new book so that those who missed these puzzles from 2014-2019 can see what they missed.)

In terms of variety Number Placement styles, this Smashed Sums by Michael Tang with a Binary theme got top marks. It is a great example of our “Grandmaster Puzzles” style: a compelling visual theme that also leads to a satisfying logical solve.

We really enjoy TomTom puzzles and two TomToms from our contributing puzzlemasters stood out this year. Both highlighted reusing a small number of clue values to create an interesting solving path. Ashish Kumar brought us this “Three Thirty” TomTom where if you can solve the puzzle that fast you’d be breaking our grandmaster time.

Murat Can Tonta brought us this “Jackpot” TomTom with all sevens to sort out, and a lot of top votes to make it our second favorite in this category.

Overall, our best Number Placement puzzle of 2019 was this Kakuro also from Murat Can Tonta, with a similar pattern to the first puzzle on this list and a challenging but fun solving path.

All of these best Number Placement puzzles are collected in this PDF file.

Our most recent week of TomTom puzzles can be found in this PDF and the solutions are all grouped in this PDF and have also been linked to the individual posts. We also have two solution videos for this week for the Thursday and Saturday TomTom puzzles.

Later today we’ll also be sharing our Best of 2019 Number Placement puzzles.

Next week will feature one of our favorite shading genres, Tapa, as well as some variations. And alongside that week of puzzles we wanted to put the spotlight on a book we (silently) released a couple months ago while updating our e-store. Tapa and Variations 2 is the second Tapa book (and sixth overall book) in the Classic Puzzles and Variations series by Serkan Yürekli. It contains a total of 61 puzzles, 21 classic Tapa including one giant, and 40 variations split across 9 different genres.

Below is a sample Tapa from the book with a hidden logical theme, and we hope you check out the full collection.

PDF

Solution

PDF

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

Theme: Mirror Image

Author/Opus: This is the 7th puzzle from our guest contributor Freddie Hand.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-6.

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:30, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Follow this link for classic Tapa and this link for Tapa variations.

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

PDF

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

Theme: Nuns See Sense!

Author/Opus: This is the 68th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-6. Also, the letters E, N, S, U represent different digits from 0-9. Identify which letters stand for which digits and then solve the TomTom. Multi-digit clues cannot start with a 0.

Difficulty: 3 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 5:45, Expert = 11:30

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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

Theme: Mostly Perfect

Author/Opus: This is the 168th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-7.

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 4:30, Expert = 9:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

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

PDF

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

Theme: Mostly Symmetrical Clues

Author/Opus: This is the 1st puzzle from guest contributor Eric Fox.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-6.

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 3:00, Expert = 6:00

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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

Theme: Timekeeping

Author/Opus: This is the 167th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-6.

Difficulty: 2 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:15, Master = 2:15, Expert = 4:30

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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

Theme: 20-20 Vision

Author/Opus: This is the 360th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-5.

Difficulty: 1.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:50, Master = 1:15, Expert = 2:30

Solution: PDF

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

Our most recent variety mix week can be found in this PDF and the solutions are all grouped in this PDF and have also been linked to the individual posts.

Next week will feature TomTom puzzles, and for one of our solving videos this Sunday we have Murat Can Tonta, constructor of the Saturday puzzle, talking through the solution path to his hard 24’s puzzle. (Link here: warning, thumbnail shows part of solution).

We also are releasing a classic Youtube video on some Star Battle puzzles, including the solution path to our July 4th puzzle from six years ago and a bonus puzzle which you can play online here (July 4, bonus).

Our Best of 2019 series will pick up again next week after all the TomTom puzzles with our best Number Placement puzzles.