Last week’s variety mix can be found in this PDF.

Next week will feature a set of six different puzzles from Prasanna Seshadri that share a common new rule:

The new “windows” rule is a connection between different sections of the grid that need to have an opposite use of the cells. The specific puzzles are:
Monday: Nurikabe
Tuesday: Tapa-Like Loop
Wednesday: Cave
Thursday: Kurotto
Friday: Masyu
Saturday: Tapa

Our supporters will also be receiving a challenging 13×13 LITS puzzle from Prasanna Seshadri, access to puzzle solutions, and a video walkthrough of the Thursday puzzle. If you’d like to receive some of these special rewards, please click here for more info.

(view directly for a larger image)

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; note that the dotted circles are just for answer entry and are where the number should be placed in the 2×2 cell. An alternate option with centralized digit entry is here.)

Theme: Heart

Author/Opus: This is the 97th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Variation of Kakuro: Enter a single digit from 1 to 9 into each cell so that the sum of digits in each Across entry equals the value given to the left of the entry, and the sum of digits in each Down entry equals the value given above the entry. The gray (2×2) cells are to be filled by a single digit which sits in multiple rows and columns. No digit may be repeated within a single entry, regardless of if it is in a small or large cell.

Answer String: Enter the values in each cell in the marked rows from left to right, separating the rows with a comma. Ignore black cells.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 13:00, Master = 22:30, Expert = 45:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Follow this link for other Kakuro puzzles.

PDF

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

Theme: Antisymmetry

Author/Opus: This is the 188th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules. Use all 12 pentominoes once.

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 = 3:45, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.

PDF

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

Theme: Orderly Middle

Author/Opus: This is the 33rd puzzle from our contributing Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Variation of LITS. Each region must contain two tetrominoes which do not overlap or touch along their edges. (They can touch each other diagonally.)

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

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

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Squares

Author/Opus: This is the 107th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Cave rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the cave 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 = 2:15, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Caves. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Cave Puzzles 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: Slithery Reflections on Sleepiness

Author/Opus: This is the 187th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

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 = 1:40, Master = 2:00, Expert = 4:00

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.

PDF

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

Theme: Smiley Face

Author/Opus: This is the 106th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Yajilin rules.

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 = 1:00, Master = 1:30, Expert = 3:00

Solution: PDF

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

Next week will feature a variety mix from many of our puzzlemasters:

Monday: Yajilin by Prasanna Seshadri
Tuesday: Slitherlink by Grant Fikes
Wednesday: Cave by Prasanna Seshadri
Thursday: LITS^2 by Murat Can Tonta
Friday: Statue Park by Grant Fikes
Saturday: Double Kakuro by Serkan Yürekli

Our supporters will also be receiving a bonus 18×10 Fillomino puzzle from Grant Fikes, and 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.

Last week’s LITS/Nanro variant mix can be found in this PDF.

As we mentioned at the start of the month, we are aiming to publish puzzles 3 out of every 4 weeks this year; after three straight weeks with puzzles, we will be off next week. We’ll be back on 2/8 with a variety mix. We’ll also finally restart our site rewards. If you would like to become a supporter of the site, and get rewards including bonus puzzles, solution walkthroughs, and even e-books, please click here for more info.

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: Spiral (Note: The regions grow from one cell in size to eleven and back down to one.)

Author/Opus: This is the 105th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Variation of Nanro. The small clue numbers indicate how many cells in that region are used (but do not necessarily indicate which cells are filled as standard Nanro clues do).

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the segments labeled with numbers 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 = 5:45, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Nanro variations and this link for classic Nanro. If you are new to this puzzle type, please first try out our easiest Nanro to get started.