Araf by Prasanna Seshadri

Araf by Prasanna Seshadri

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools with a composite mode for line/edge drawing.)

Theme: Small and Big

Author/Opus: This is the 182nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Araf rules.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 6:15, Expert = 12:30

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.

Araf by Murat Can Tonta

Araf by Murat Can Tonta

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools with a composite mode for line/edge drawing.)

Theme: How Many Squares?

Author/Opus: This is the 173rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Araf rules.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

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

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.

Araf by Ashish Kumar

Araf by Ashish Kumar

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools with a composite mode for line/edge drawing.)

Theme: The 50’s

Author/Opus: This is the 49th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Ashish Kumar.

Rules: Standard Araf rules.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

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.

Araf by Prasanna Seshadri

Araf by Prasanna Seshadri

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools with a composite mode for line/edge drawing.)

Theme: Everything has an End

Author/Opus: This is the 181st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Araf rules.

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:40, Master = 2:15, Expert = 4:30

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.

Araf by Serkan Yürekli

Araf by Serkan Yürekli

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools with a composite mode for line/edge drawing.)

Theme: Big Fish

Author/Opus: This is the 291st puzzle from our managing editor Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Araf rules.

Difficulty: 1.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:45, Master = 1:00, Expert = 2:00

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.

Araf by Murat Can Tonta

Araf by Murat Can Tonta

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools with a composite mode for line/edge drawing.)

Theme: Purgatory of Fours

Author/Opus: This is the 121st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Araf rules.

Answer String: Enter the number of cells in each connected group (between bold lines) in the marked rows.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 8:15, Expert = 16:30

Solution: PDF

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.

Araf by Murat Can Tonta

Araf by Murat Can Tonta

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools with a composite mode for line/edge drawing.)

Theme: 1 to 14

Author/Opus: This is the 98th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Araf rules.

Answer String: Enter the number of cells in each connected group (between bold lines) in the marked rows.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:45, Master = 7:30, Expert = 15:00

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.

Araf by Joseph Howard

Araf by Joseph Howard

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools with a composite mode for line/edge drawing.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry & Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 1st puzzle from guest contributor Joseph Howard.

Rules: Standard Araf rules.

Answer String: Enter the number of cells in each connected group (between bold lines) in the marked rows.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:45, Master = 6:15, Expert = 12:30

Solution: PDF

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.

Best of 2014: Region Division Puzzles

Region Division puzzles made up a total of 64 posts, and had some of the highest rankings of all of our puzzles making this an incredibly tight category.

One puzzle with a very high FAVE/solver ratio was this creative “Infinity!” Araf from Serkan Yürekli:

Araf by Serkan Yürekli

(view image directly for larger form)

While many of our best Cave puzzles were contained in our ebooks this year, Thomas Snyder’s Product Cave from January garnered a lot of Favorite votes:

Cave by Thomas Snyder

Fillomino puzzles closed out our favorites of 2014. Arguably the best puzzle of the year was a giant Fillomino “Dear John” from Grant Fikes that went out to our patrons in April; these votes just cover our web puzzles though.

Tapio Saarinen made a cute Fillomino out of just tiny digits:

Fillomino by Tapio Saarinen

Guest contributor Robert Vollmert created a really challenging Checkered Fillomino with some interesting discoveries inside as well:

Fillomino by Robert Vollmert

Closing out the best Region Division puzzles of 2014 were a pair of Cipher Fillomino from Palmer Mebane. Palmer’s not had a lot of interest in puzzle construction over the last couple years, but whenever he returns with new ideas they have been fantastic. Quoting from his email that submitted these two: “This is not really a return; just a couple good ideas that were too good (in my head) to leave undone.” While Tic-Tac-Toe got a lot of Fave votes, the C Major theme earned the most for Region Division puzzles and tied (with the TomTomTom and a puzzle to be named tomorrow) for Puzzle of the Year:

Fillomino by Palmer Mebane

These best puzzles have been gathered in this PDF.

Araf by Hans van Stippent

Araf by Hans van Stippent

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools with a composite mode for line/edge drawing.)

Theme: X Frame

Author/Opus: This is the 7th puzzle from guest contributor Hans van Stippent.

Rules: Standard Araf rules.

Answer String: Enter the number of cells in each connected group (between bold lines) in the marked rows.

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

Solution: PDF

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.