TL;DR – We’re leaving Patreon, but will set up subscription options soon on the site for those who still want to get all of our content, including bonus puzzles and e-books.

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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: 2×2 Squares (for Chris Green)

Author/Opus: This is the 292nd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Tapa rules. Also, each dashed region must have a different combination of shaded and unshaded cells. See also this example (from Chris Green).

See also this example:

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments 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 = 10:00, Master = 17:00, Expert = 34:00

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

Note: Follow this link for other Tapa variations and this link for classic Tapa. 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 and in Tapa and Variations, both by Serkan Yürekli.

PDF

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

Theme: X’s and O’s (for Jamie Hargrove)

Author/Opus: This is the 291st puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Shade some cells black so that all unshaded number and arrow clues indicate the exact count of shaded cells in the given direction. Shaded cells cannot share an edge, and all white cells must remain connected as part of a single contiguous group. It is allowed to shade over some of the numbered cells; a shaded over clue may or may not be true.

Also, see this example:

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of shaded cells as a single string. For the example, the answer is “20212”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:30, Expert = 9:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other less common Shading puzzles.

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 (for TheSubro)

Author/Opus: This is the 290th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Connect each pair of identical numbers with a path passing through edge-adjacent cells. No cell may be used on more than one path.

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

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:00, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

Solution: PDF

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

Our last week of bonus sudoku and puzzle hunt puzzles can be found here.

This next week will feature patron-requested puzzles across several different genres.

Our supporters will also be receiving a bonus Statue Park by Murat Can Tonta, access to puzzle solutions, and a video walkthrough of the Saturday puzzle. If you’d like to receive some of these special rewards, please click here for more info.

This is a puzzle-hunt style puzzle, prepared for an evening event at the World Puzzle Championship. There are no instructions; finding out what to do is part of the puzzle. Some UK cultural knowledge may be required.

NL Y CN N CT PDF

Author/Opus: This is the 289th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Answer String: Enter the final answer of the puzzle in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.

Solution: PDF

This is a puzzle-hunt style puzzle, prepared for an evening event at the World Puzzle Championship. There are no instructions; finding out what to do is part of the puzzle. Some US cultural knowledge may be required.

Border Patrol PDF

Author/Opus: This is the 288th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Answer String: Enter the final answer of the puzzle, a single word, in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: Diagonals (Playoff puzzle for the 2017 Arlington Puzzle Festival)

Author/Opus: This is the 287th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

No answer string (just click “solve”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:00, Master = 5:45, Expert = 11:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Sudoku to get started on. More classic Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 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: Big X (Originally for the 2017 Arlington Puzzle Festival)

Author/Opus: This is the 286th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

No answer string (just click “solve”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Sudoku to get started on. More classic Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 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: VA is for Sudoku Lovers (Originally for the 2017 Arlington Puzzle Festival)

Author/Opus: This is the 285th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

No answer string (just click “solve”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Sudoku to get started on. More classic Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.