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Theme: 2022

Author/Opus: This is the 410th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

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

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 14:30, Expert = 29:00

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

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

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Theme: Black Hexagon

Author/Opus: This is the 221st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Kakuro rules except on a hexagonal grid: Fill all empty hexes with digits from 1-9 so that all number clues (in white) indicate the sum of the digits in that direction. Digits cannot repeat in any entry (i.e., any group of hexes connected either horizontally or in one of the two diagonal directions, without any black cells separating them). This no repeat rule applies even for unclued entries.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:45, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

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

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

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Theme: Y’s for Kakuro

Author/Opus: This is the 15th puzzle from guest contributor Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Standard Kakuro rules. Also, identical digits cannot be in diagonally adjacent cells.

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

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

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

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Theme: Numbers

Author/Opus: This is the 364th puzzle from our managing editor Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules, using the integers 1-5. Also, each letter represents a different positive integer, for the solver to determine.

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:40, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:30

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

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

Note from Thomas (2022-03-22 8:18 AM PT): I rarely post my own editorial comments anywhere, but I just solved this puzzle for the first time and have to say this is really elegant and fun! Thanks Serkan for sharing this great Cipher puzzle with the world. I’m (we’re) blessed to have you as managing editor AND puzzle constructor for Grandmaster Puzzles.

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Theme: X

Author/Opus: This is the 13th puzzle from guest contributor Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Variation of Tapa-Like Loop rules (Form a single non-intersecting loop. Clues inside the grid represent the number of neighboring cells visited by the loop; if there is more than one number in a cell, each number should be represented with a separate loop segment. There is no 2×2 rule of Tapa in this puzzle.). The loop can travel through clue cells. Each clue now describes the entire 3×3 area the clue cell is in the middle of.

See also this example:

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30

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

Note: Follow this link for other Tapa-Like Loop puzzles. More Tapa-Like Loop puzzles can be found in the Tapa-Like Loop Collection by Prasanna Seshadri.

Since 2021, we have posted some extra difficult Sunday Stumpers, about once a month. These will be quite tough puzzles, but with a logical path to be found (and solution videos to help). This third Sunday Stumper of 2022 is an Araf variation by guest contributor Jeffrey Bardon.

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Theme: 3 6 T’s

Author/Opus: This is the 7th puzzle from guest contributor Jeffrey Bardon.

Rules: Standard Araf rules. Also, no two regions with the same size can share an edge. (Note: this is the same rule as in Fillomino puzzles where no equal size polyominoes can touch.)

See also this example:

Difficulty: 5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 24:00, Master = 32:00, Expert = 1:04:00

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

Note: Follow this link for more Araf puzzles on this website. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Araf Puzzles to get started on. More Araf puzzles can be found in the ebook Araf by Serkan Yürekli.

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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a shading mode.)

Theme: City Knights

Author/Opus: This is the 86th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Araf rules. Also, numbers outside the grid show the number of separate region segments visible in that direction. A segment of length N in a given direction is taken as a building of height N. Buildings of height N block the view of all buildings behind them of equal or lesser height.

See also this example:

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:15, Master = 15:30, Expert = 31:00

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

Note: Follow this link for more Araf puzzles on this website. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Araf Puzzles to get started on. More Araf puzzles can be found in the ebook Araf by Serkan Yürekli.

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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a shading mode.)

Theme: Loop

Author/Opus: This is the 362nd puzzle from our managing editor Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Araf rules. Also, there may not be four consecutive cells that are part of a region in any row or column.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:30, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00

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

Note: Follow this link for more Araf puzzles on this website. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Araf Puzzles to get started on. More Araf puzzles can be found in the ebook Araf by Serkan Yürekli.

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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Sudoku = big entries and Number candidate = small entries in the corners of cells.)

Theme: Low/High

Author/Opus: This is the 7th puzzle from guest contributor Sam Cappleman-Lynes.

Rules: Standard Tight Fit Sudoku rules, except that the bold regions are irregularly shaped. Remember, the smaller number goes above the larger number in all slashed cells. The range of this puzzle is 1-9.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00

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

Note: Follow this link for other Tight Fit Sudoku puzzles on this website. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Tight Fit Sudoku to get started on. More Tight Fit Sudoku can be found in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli, in The Art of Sudoku 2, and in Masterpiece Sudoku Mix 5: Tight Fit Sudoku.

This puzzle is a special Birthday Sudoku variation by Prasanna Seshadri, marking March 2, 1991 to March 2, 2022.

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Theme: Tight Fitting a New Beginning

Author/Opus: This is the 229th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Variation of Tight Fit Sudoku rules: Insert a number from {0,1,2,2,2,3,3,9} into each cell so that the full number set appears in each row, column, and bold region. Some white and black circles are given on some slashes. If there is a black circle with the slash, the bigger number must be above the smaller number. If there is a white circle with the slash, the smaller number must be above the bigger number. A number in a circle gives the difference between the two values in the cell with the slash. If the difference is 0, the color of the circle is irrelevant.

Difficulty: 2 stars

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

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

Note: Follow this link for other Tight Fit Sudoku puzzles on this website. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Tight Fit Sudoku to get started on. More Tight Fit Sudoku can be found in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli, in The Art of Sudoku 2, and in Masterpiece Sudoku Mix 5: Tight Fit Sudoku.