PDF

Theme: Primes

Author/Opus: This is the 125th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: In this variation of Nurikabe, the no 2×2 ocean rule is removed and instead all ocean cells must belong to a single closed loop.

Specifically: Divide the grid into regions called “islands”, each containing exactly one of the given numbers and with the same area as that number. Islands can only touch diagonally. A single closed loop (without intersection or crossings) must be drawn in all remaining cells.

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. This example has the key “12,3”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:30, Master = 10:15, Expert = 20:30

Note: Follow this link for classic Nurikabe puzzles on this website and this link for other variations on Nurikabe puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Nurikabe puzzles to get started on. More Nurikabe puzzles can be in The Art of Puzzles, in our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101, and in the e-book Nurikabe by Ashish Kumar.

PDF

Theme: V

Author/Opus: This is the 8th puzzle from guest contributor Ashish Kumar.

Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules. Also, some borders are drawn in the grid between adjacent cells. One side of each border must be part of the ocean and the other side must be part of an island.

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. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 7:30, Expert = 15:00

Note: Follow this link for classic Nurikabe puzzles on this website and this link for other variations on Nurikabe puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Nurikabe puzzles to get started on. More Nurikabe puzzles can be in The Art of Puzzles, in our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101, and in the e-book Nurikabe by Ashish Kumar.

PDF

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 123rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-8.

Answer String: Enter the 5th row from left to right followed by the 8th row from left to right. Separate the entries with a comma.

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

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

PDF

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 327th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-8. The “rows” in this puzzle pass through opposite parallel sides of each quadrilateral; in other words, the rows bend across the surface of the apparent cube to travel in a “straight” line.

Answer String: Enter the 5th “row” from left to right followed by the 6th “row” from left to right. Separate the entries with a comma.

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

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

PDF

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

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.

PDF

Theme: Two-year-old Baby Snakes

Author/Opus: This is the 234th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: (Hybrid of Fillomino and Snake Puzzles.) Divide the grid along the boundary lines so that every cell belongs to a snake. A snake is a one-cell-wide path at least two cells long that does not touch itself, not even diagonally. Circled cells must be at one of the ends of a snake. A snake may contain one circled cell, two circled cells, or no circled cells at all. Numbered cells must be part of a snake with a length of exactly that number of cells. A snake may contain one number, multiple identical numbers, or no numbers at all. Two snakes of the same length cannot touch each other horizontally or vertically.

Also see this example:

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the length of the snake it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. This example has the key “35522,44462”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:30, Master = 5:45, Expert = 11:30

Note: Follow this link for more Snake Pit puzzles. Follow these links for other Fillomino or Snake puzzles.

PDF

Theme: 1 to 4 Spiral

Author/Opus: This is the 35th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Carl Worth.

Rules: Combination of Battleships and Star Battle. Follow standard Battleships rules. Also, exactly two ship segments are present in each bold region.

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a ship segment appears (enter just the last digit for any two-digit number). If the row is empty, enter 0. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.

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

Note: Follow this link for classic Star Battles and this link for classic Battleships. More Battleships puzzles can be found in Battleships and Variations, in The Art of Puzzles, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.