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: White Whorl

Author/Opus: This is the 8th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Tapa rules. Also, the Tapa wall in this puzzle is made using one of each pentomino given below the grid with no overlaps. Rotations and reflections are allowed. (Note: There is no P pentomino here because it would violate Tapa rules).

Answer String: Enter letters for all pentomino segments from left to right in the marked rows, with one letter for each cell it appears in. Separate each row’s entry with a comma, and use CAPITAL LETTERS.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 9:00, Master = 13:30, Expert = 27:00

Solution: PDF

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.

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.)

Theme: Hungry Hearts

Author/Opus: This is the 7th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules. For artistic reasons, clues have been replaced with letters using the standard code A=1, B=2, etc. Also, all polyominoes should have rotational symmetry as in this example:

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Use both digits for any two-digit number. Start with the 6th row, followed by a comma, followed by the 4th column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

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.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between edgex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s, a mine placement mode, and number entry mode.)

Theme: Cirrus Clouds

Author/Opus: This is the 6th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Place either 0, 1, or 2 mines into each empty cell so that each number represents the total count of mines in all neighboring cells, including diagonally adjacent cells. See also this example:

Also, all cells other than Minesweeper clues are Slitherlink clues. After solving the Minesweeper, convert these cells’ contents to numbers (use corresponding cells in additional grid), then draw a single, non-intersecting loop in the additional grid that only consists of horizontal and vertical segments between the dots, where the number inside each of these cells indicates how many of the four edges of that cell are part of the loop.

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

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 8:00, Master = 9:30, Expert = 19:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Click here for other Double Minesweeper puzzles and here for other Slitherlink puzzles.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use the tab key to alternate between shading and number entry modes)

Theme: Pocket Puzzle

Author/Opus: This is the 5th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Variation of standard Nanro rules. Besides the cells numbered 4, identical numbers in differing regions cannot touch along common borders. All “4” clues have been replaced by tetromino letters, and must be connected to form a valid LITS solution (that is, identical shapes cannot touch along common borders). In other words: the final solution, including all numbered cells and tetrominoes, is a valid Nanro solution, and just the regions with tetrominoes form a valid LITS solution.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the segments labeled with characters from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. (Characters include both numbers and letters.) Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.

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

Solution: PDF

Note: Click here for other Nanro puzzles and LITS puzzles.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a letter entry mode and a shading mode. CAPS LOCK is recommended for letter entry.)

Theme: Beach Booty
(This pirates’ map depicts eastern Palm Beach County, Florida, showing the locations of the communities of Abacoa, Boynton Beach, and Boca Raton, in relation to the coastal road U.S. Alternate Route 1A. More information about the treasure hidden therein will appear in a later post.)

Author/Opus: This is the 4th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Either shade or add a single letter (A, B, or C) to each square so that each row and column contains exactly one A, one B, one C, and the rest shaded squares. Cells in the grid already marked with a letter can be shaded or remain unchanged. Clues outside the grid include both letters and numbers. Letters indicate the first letter seen from that direction. Numbers describe the size of groups of consecutive shaded squares in that row or column in order. There must be at least one unshaded square between groups.

Or, see here.

Answer String: Enter a nine-character string, consisting of the number of the column where the B is placed in each row, starting with the top row and proceeding to the bottom.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:30, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Number Placement variations.

All the puzzles from Tom and Prasanna’s variety week can be found in this PDF.

This next week will be somewhat different and also somewhat challenging. But first, an announcement:

With great pleasure I welcome John Bulten to Grandmaster Puzzles as a new Contributing Puzzlemaster. I haven’t added a new Contributing Puzzlemaster in over a year, and John may be a new name for some of you, but after I ran into amazing puzzle after amazing puzzle in his submissions for our upcoming title The Art of Puzzles 2 I know he would be a great addition to our team.

John is an accomplished cruciverbalist as well as a logic puzzle designer. He’s been published in many places including “Will Shortz’s Wordplay” and “GAMES” (now “GAMES World of Puzzles”). He will regale us with puzzles that often require unique verbal logic as part of our 2015 goal to publish more letter- and word-based puzzles and themes. This week features puzzle overlaps where different styles work together:

Monday: BACA (Easy as ABC/Paint by Numbers)
Tuesday: Litro (LITS/Nanro)
Wednesday: Slithersweeper (Double Minesweeper/Slitherlink)
Thursday: Symmetry Fillomino (Fillomino/Spiral Galaxies)
Friday: Pentapa (Tapa/Pentomino Placement)
Saturday: Hidden Shape Sudoku (Shape Sudoku/Battleship Sudoku)

The bonus puzzle for our high-level supporters will be a Cavestream (Cave/Cross the Streams) by John Bulten.

PDF

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

Theme: Middle Numbers (Originally for the 2015 Polish Puzzle Championship Online Qualifier)

Author/Opus: This is the 29th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Tom Collyer.

Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules.

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 9:00, Master = 18:00, Expert = 36:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Follow this link for other classic Skyscrapers. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Skyscrapers to get started on.

PDF

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

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 77th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, around the three symbols (circle, diamond, and square), the indicated pairs of labelled cells must have identical sums.

Answer String: Enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:45, Master = 13:30, Expert = 27:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other less common variations of Sudoku and this link for classic Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Sudoku to get started on.

PDF

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

Theme: Logical (Originally for the 2015 Polish Puzzle Championship Online Qualifier)

Author/Opus: This is the 28th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Tom Collyer.

Rules: Standard Star Battle rules. Two stars per row, column, and region.

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a star appears. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.

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

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Star Battles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Star Battles to get started on.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in edgex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 76th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Slitherlink rules.

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

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

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Slitherlink. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Slitherlink puzzles to get started on.