Yajilin by John Bulten

Yajilin by John Bulten

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Theme: My Beach Trip

Author/Opus: This is the 62nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

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 = 4:15, Master = 6:30, Expert = 13:00

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. 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.

Double Yajilin by Serkan Yürekli

Yajilin by Serkan Yürekli

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Theme: Entrance and Exit

Author/Opus: This is the 242nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Yajilin rules, except that instead of blackening single cells, blacken in dominoes (1×2 rectangles). Clues indicate the total number of dominoes (not the total number of cells) that are shaded in the given direction.

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 = 3:15, Master = 5:30, Expert = 11:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other variations of Yajilin and this link for classic Yajilin. 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.

Fillomino by John Bulten

Fillomino by John Bulten

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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: Top-Heavy 21 Dice

Author/Opus: This is the 61st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 6th row, followed by a comma, followed by the 3rd column.

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 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. 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 book Logic Puzzles 101.

Fillomino (Cipher) by Tim Marsden

Fillomino (Cipher) by Tim Marsden

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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: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 4th puzzle from guest contributor Tim Marsden. [Update: this puzzle is the 13th puzzle from guest contributor Dan Katz and is part of a set connected to the 2019 Mystery Hunt.]

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules. Also, each letter represents a different positive integer.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 5th row, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:30, Master = 7:45, Expert = 15:30

Solution: PDF

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. 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 book Logic Puzzles 101.

Killer Sudoku by Grant Fikes

Killer Sudoku by Grant Fikes

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Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 290th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, the sum of the numbers in each cage must equal the value given in the upper-left corner of that cage. Numbers cannot repeat inside a cage.

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 9:00, Master = 15:00, Expert = 30:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other 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.

XV Sudoku by Ashish Kumar

XV Sudoku by Ashish Kumar

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Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 10th puzzle from guest contributor Ashish Kumar.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, whenever the numbers in two adjacent cells sum to exactly 10 or 5, an X or V is placed on the edge between cells reflecting the Roman numerals for 10 or 5. All adjacent cells not marked with an X or V cannot add up to 10 or 5.

Answer String: Enter the 6th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th row from left to right.

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

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other 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.

Spiral Galaxies by Grant Fikes

Spiral Galaxies by Grant Fikes

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Theme: Something Meta?

Author/Opus: This is the 289th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Spiral Galaxies rules (treat white and black circles the same when solving). After completing the grid, there is a secret message to find.

Answer String: Enter the hidden word in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 20:00, Master = 30:00, Expert = 60:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for classic Spiral Galaxies puzzles on this website and this link for variations on Spiral Galaxies puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Spiral Galaxies Puzzles to get started on. More Spiral Galaxies puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles 2.

Galactic Fillomino by Carl Worth

Galactic Fillomino by Carl Worth

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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: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 36th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Carl Worth.

Rules: Combination of Spiral Galaxies and Fillomino rules. Divide the grid along the dotted lines into regions, each of which must contain either exactly one circle, or one or more identical given numbers. (Note that there are no “hidden polyominoes” in this puzzle meaning there are no regions without a given number or a given circle.) Each region containing a circle is a “galaxy” and must have rotational symmetry with the circle at its center. Each region with given numbers must be the same size in cells as those numbers. Two regions with numbers of the same size cannot share an edge, but a region with numbers and a region with a circle in it can be the same size.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows, enter the area of the region it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 4th row, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:00, Master = 13:45, Expert = 27:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for classic Spiral Galaxies puzzles on this website and this link for variations on Spiral Galaxies puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Spiral Galaxies Puzzles to get started on. More Spiral Galaxies puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles 2.

Skyscrapers (with Sum Baskets) by Palmer Mebane

Skyscrapers (with Sum Baskets) by Palmer Mebane

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Theme: Fours and Fives

Author/Opus: This is the 48th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Palmer Mebane.

Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules (using digits 1 to 7). Also, there are some regions (”Sum baskets”) in the grid marked by dashed lines. The sum of the buildings in these sum baskets is given. Building heights can repeat within a basket.

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 6:30, Expert = 13:00

Solution: PDF

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

Inner Coral by Palmer Mebane

Inner Coral by Palmer Mebane

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Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 47th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Palmer Mebane.

Rules: Shade some empty cells black to create a single connected wall (the “Coral”). The shaded cells cannot form a 2×2 square anywhere in the grid, and all unshaded cells including clue cells must be connected to an edge of the grid. Clues in the gray cells indicate the lengths of the first shaded segments visible from this cell in all four directions (clues are given in ascending order). [For clarity, when considering the “first shaded segment” in a direction, gray cells see through all empty and gray cells to the edge of the grid when finding this segment, if any.]

Also see this example:

Inner Coral Example by Thomas Snyder

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 = 4:30, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

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

Editorial Note: Many solvers can confuse Coral with another puzzle type with similar spelling. An easy way to remember the difference is that Cave has no R’s and also has no 2×2 Region constraint. Coral puzzles, with an R, do have this region constraint. The other general rules (about not enclosing white spaces and having a single shaded group) are shared between Cave and Coral puzzles.