or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Big City
Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, standard Skyscrapers rules.
Answer String: Enter the 8th column from top to bottom, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th column from top to bottom.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:00, Master = 6:30, Expert = 13:00
Solution: PDF
Today’s surprise comes from Hans van Stippent, who sent several creative submissions in for The Art of Puzzles. For this book I’m mostly avoiding “variations”, but I found this puzzle to be a surprising twist perfect for this spot.
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 number entry mode.)
Theme: Diagonals
Rules: Variation of standard Fillomino rules. Some clues are not fully specified, and must simply follow the inequality value given in the cell.
Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Start with the 2nd row, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row.
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino and this link for more variations on Fillomino puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on.
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 number entry mode.)
This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Mostly themeless, besides the variation itself
Rules: Variation of standard Fillomino rules. All polyominoes must be rectangles.
Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Start with the 6th column, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th column.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:45, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino and this link for more variations on Fillomino puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on.
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.
Theme: TomTomTom: The Next Dimension?
Rules: Variation of TomTom rules, using digits from 1-8. In this variation, similar to Isodoku, the rows bend along the surface of an apparent cube.
Answer String: Enter the marked “column” A, starting at the arrow, followed by a comma, followed by the marked “column” B.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00
Solution: PDF
Today’s surprise comes from Tyler Hinman, five-time winner of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament and author of Winner’s Circle Crosswords. I’ve had the pleasure of co-solving with Tyler — whom I call “Kid Crossword” when in “Dr. Sudoku” mode — on many puzzle hunts in recent years and we’ve had a number of good conversations on puzzle design. Total Masyu, which appeared again this Tuesday, for example was an idea that came up in one such chat from Tyler that I constructed for my blog.
As I heard from Tyler a few months ago: “Here’s a weird idea I had the other night while unable to sleep. … It’s inspired by the Spy piece in Stratego, which wins a battle if it attacks the highest-ranked piece (the Marshal), but loses under all other circumstances.” The concept was for Spy Futoshiki, the subject of today’s surprise, where the lowest value (1) is considered greater than the highest value (5), but all other inequalities obey normal ordering. It’s a clever idea and Tyler’s provided a very nice puzzle to demonstrate the change.
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: Spies among us
Rules: Insert a number from 1-5 into each square so that each number appears once in every row and column. Inequality signs between the boxes indicate the larger/smaller numbers, with the single exception that the number 1, the “Spy”, is considered larger than the number 5 if in adjacent cells.
Answer String: Enter the 1st column from top to bottom, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th column from top to bottom.
Solution: PDF
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use Tab to go between number entry and shading modes)
This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Crypt-oceanography
Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules, except the size of each island has been encrypted. Each letter in this puzzle stands for a different positive integer, which must be determined while solving the puzzle. (Formatting note: space has been left in the cells for you to write the actual number values beneath each letter.)
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 = 10:00, Master = 15:00, Expert = 30:00
Solution: 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)
This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Totally symmetric?
Rules: Standard Masyu rules. Also, all possible white and black circles have been given. (In other words, the loop cannot turn in any unlabeled spot and then continue straight in the next two cells as that should be a black circle; the loop also cannot go straight in any unlabeled spot and then turn in one of the adjoining cells as that should be a white circle.)
Answer String: Enter the length in cells of the horizontal loop segments from left to right in the marked rows, starting at the top. If the loop only has vertical segments in the marked row, enter 0. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00
Solution: PDF
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Spiral
Rules: Variation of TomTom rules, using digits from 1-6. In this variation, equations start at the cell marked by the arrow and proceed cell by cell performing operations in the order they are encountered to equal the value indicated in the last cell. In other words, A+BxC = 18 could be A=5, B=1, C=3 as 5+1 = 6 and 6×3 = 18.
Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:00, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00
Solution: PDF
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 number entry mode.)
This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Mostly themeless, besides the variation itself.
Rules: Variation of standard Fillomino rules. In addition to polyominoes of the same size not being allowed to touch, polyominoes that differ in size by one (for example, 3 and 4) also cannot touch.
Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Start with the 5th row, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino and this link for more variations on Fillomino puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on.
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s and a black circle shading mode.)
This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.
Theme: This is not all white!
Rules: Standard Masyu rules. Also, some white circles must be shaded in to become black circles to allow solution of the puzzle.
Answer String: Enter the length in cells of the horizontal loop segments from left to right in the marked rows, starting at the top. If the loop only has vertical segments in the marked row, enter 0. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00
Solution: PDF