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Theme: HEX Week

Author/Opus: This is the 25th puzzle from guest contributor Joseph Howard.

Rules: Fill some cells with stars so that each row (in a horizontal or either of two diagonal directions) and bold region contains the indicated number of stars. Stars cannot be placed in adjacent cells that share an edge.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:15, Master = 9:45, Expert = 19:30

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for other classic Star Battles and this link for Star Battle variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Star Battles to get started on. More Star Battle puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, in the books Star Battle by JinHoo Ahn and Star Battle 2 by JinHoo Ahn and Murat Can Tonta, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

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Theme: Five Rings

Author/Opus: This is the 6th puzzle from guest contributor Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Standard Kurotto rules. Also, the grid is hexagonal.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:45, Master = 9:15, Expert = 18:30

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for classic Kurotto puzzles and this link for variations on Kurotto puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Kurotto to get started on. More Kurotto puzzles can be found in the ebook Kurotto by Prasanna Seshadri.

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

Theme: One-Two Punch

Author/Opus: This is the 16th puzzle from guest contributor Dan Katz.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-6. Additionally, no clue numbers are given for the cages, but clue numbers are given for adjacent pairs of cages. For each clue number, it must be possible to apply one operation to the digits in the first cage, a different operation to the digits in the second cage, and a third operation (different from the first two) to the two cage results to obtain the given clue number.

See also this example:

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:15, Master = 17:30, Expert = 35:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for classic TomTom and this link for TomTom variations. 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 TomTom collection, in The Art of Puzzles, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

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

Theme: Tetrominoes

Author/Opus: This is the 383rd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

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

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 11:00, Master = 15:30, Expert = 31:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for classic TomTom and this link for TomTom variations. 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 TomTom collection, in The Art of Puzzles, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

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

Theme: Plusses

Author/Opus: This is the 3rd puzzle from guest contributor Jeffrey Bardon.

Rules: Standard Yajilin rules.

Difficulty: 4 stars

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

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for classic Yajilin and this link for Yajilin variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Yajilin to get started on. More Yajilin puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles 2, in Yajilin by Murat Can Tonta and Prasanna Seshadri, and in our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; tab key alternates between Yajilin solving tool and a gray arrow mode which can be used to mark over some of the clues)

Theme: Stretching the Circle

Author/Opus: This is the 329th puzzle from our managing editor Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Variation of Yajilin rules. Numbers indicate the total number of blackened cells in one of the two directions pointed to by arrows. Numbers do not give any information about the other direction indicated by the arrows.

Difficulty: 3 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 5:15, Expert = 10:30

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for classic Yajilin and this link for Yajilin variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Yajilin to get started on. More Yajilin puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles 2, in Yajilin by Murat Can Tonta and Prasanna Seshadri, and in our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between ship placement and shading modes. In ship placement mode, right click gives sea, left click gives circle/square, left click and drag for rounded ships.)

Theme: Four Sight

Author/Opus: This is the 382nd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Battleships rules. Use the indicated fleet.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:15, Master = 11:30, Expert = 23:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

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

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between ship placement and shading modes. In ship placement mode, right click gives sea, left click gives circle/square, left click and drag for rounded ships.)

Theme: Fun 4 You 2 Solve?

Author/Opus: This is the 346th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Battleships rules. Use the indicated fleet.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

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

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing, a number entry mode, and shading for this variation.)

Theme: Siege

Author/Opus: This is the 327th puzzle from our managing editor Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules. Also, it must be possible to shade some polyominoes black so that no bordering polyominoes are the same color (in other words, the grid must allow a two-color shading).

See also this example:

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:30, Master = 10:30, Expert = 21:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for classic Fillomino and this link for Fillomino variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on. More Fillomino puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, in Fill o’ Fillomino and Fill o’ Fillomino 2 by Grant Fikes, and in our beginner-friendly books Logic Puzzles 101 and Starter Pack 1: Fillomino.

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: Interlocking Rings

Author/Opus: This is the 6th puzzle from guest contributor Michael Tang.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules.

Difficulty: 3 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for classic Fillomino and this link for Fillomino variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on. More Fillomino puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, in Fill o’ Fillomino and Fill o’ Fillomino 2 by Grant Fikes, and in our beginner-friendly books Logic Puzzles 101 and Starter Pack 1: Fillomino.