PDF

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

Theme: Threes Frame; an extra large Cross the Streams puzzle by its inventor, Grant Fikes, marking his 50th post here.

Rules: Standard Cross the Streams rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments from top to bottom for the marked columns, going in order from A to B to C to D and separating each entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 8:00, Master = 14:00, Expert = 28:00

Solution: PDF

(View image directly for larger form.)

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: No border clues

Rules: Standard Tapa rules.

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 = 3:00, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF

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: Clue symmetry and logic

Rules: Standard Tapa rules.

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 = 2:15, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use Tab to alternate between letter entry and shading)

Theme: Hidden words (each row of letters forms an English word like SERF.)

Rules: Put each number (given as a word) into the grid, one letter per cell, as a snakelike strip which does not touch or cross itself. Some letters of the words are given. The remaining cells should be painted black to form a continuous wall as in a Nurikabe puzzle with no 2×2 shaded regions. Or see here.

Answer String: Enter the contents of each marked column from top to bottom, using X (capital letter) for each blackened square and capital letters for each island cell, and separating the columns with a comma.

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

Solution: PDF

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.)

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Region shapes

Rules: Variation of Tapa rules. Additionally, some squares are combined into areas, each counting as one cell for the Tapa clues. Or see here. [Note: the no 2×2 shaded rule applies as usual based on cell count, not area count, and some areas may contribute multiple cells to such a group.]

Answer String: Enter the length in cells (not the # of areas) 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 = 2:15, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: 64

Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments (the unnumbered, connected “ocean”) 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 = 1:00, Master = 2:00, Expert = 4:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Inverted Clues

Rules: Variation of Cross the Streams rules. The clues in this puzzle are inverted. They indicate the WHITE (unshaded) areas, not the black areas as in other Cross the Streams. The shaded cells must still obey the regular rules (connectivity, no 2×2 squares).

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments from top to bottom for the marked columns, going in order from A to B to C to D and separating each entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: Logical

Rules: Standard LITS rules.

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 = 1:20, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: Paired Islands

Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments (the unnumbered, connected “ocean”) 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 = 1:00, Master = 1:20, Expert = 2:40

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: Rise and Fall

Rules: Standard Cross the Streams rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments from top to bottom for the marked columns, going in order from A to B to C to D and separating each entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 10:30, Expert = 21:00

Solution: PDF