PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Sudoku number entry mode and a shading mode to manage the shape inventory.)

Theme: Four Squares (Originally on 2017 Brand’s Sudoku Open)

Author/Opus: This is the 167th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Shape Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 5th 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 = 11:45, Expert = 23:30

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.

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: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 4th puzzle from guest contributor Dan Katz.

Rules: Variation of Kakuro. The gray (2×2) cells are to be filled by a single digit which sits in multiple rows and columns. No digits can repeat within an entry, regardless of if it is in a small or large cell.

Answer String: Enter the values in each white/gray cell in the marked row from left to right then the marked column from top to bottom, separating the groups with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 8:00, Master = 12:30, Expert = 25:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Follow this link for other Kakuro puzzles. More Kakuro puzzles can be found in Kakuro and Variations by Serkan Yürekli. Kakuro will also be featured in the upcoming The Art of Puzzles 2.

(view directly for a larger image)

PDF

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

Theme: Adders and Ladders

Author/Opus: This is the 28th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Kakuro Rules.

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

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:30, Master = 11:45, Expert = 23:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Kakuro puzzles. More Kakuro puzzles can be found in Kakuro and Variations by Serkan Yürekli. Kakuro will also be featured in the upcoming The Art of Puzzles 2.

(view directly for a larger image)

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the composite Yajilin mode where left click marks cells, right click marks dots in cells or X’s on edges, left click+drag draws lines.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic (for Chris Green)

Author/Opus: This is the 163rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Variation of Tapa. Additionally painted cells cannot form three hexagons meeting in a point. There are no wall segments on cells containing numbers.

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 = 9:30, Master = 13:45, Expert = 27:30

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Follow this link for other Tapa variations and this link for classic Tapa. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Tapa puzzles to get started on. More Tapa puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles and in Tapa and Variations, both by Serkan Yürekli.

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PDF

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

Theme: Go Four a Swim (for Daniel Cohen)

Author/Opus: This is the 240th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules.

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 = 5:45, Master = 7:45, Expert = 15:30

Solution: PDF

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 collection.

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 shading mode.)

Theme: Double Spiral Galaxy (the pattern of galaxies is a double spiral as shown here)

Author/Opus: This is the 25th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Carl Worth.

Rules: Variation of Spiral Galaxies. In addition to the standard rules, some circles are shaded gray and must belong to galaxies containing two gray circles, not one, with the circles in rotationally symmetric spots for those galaxies.

Answer String: Enter the number of cells in each connected group (between bold lines) in the marked rows. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma. The example has the answer “52,11131”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:30, Master = 17:00, Expert = 34:00

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 will soon be found in The Art of Puzzles 2.

(view directly for a larger image)

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 shading mode.)

Theme: Astronomical Clock

Author/Opus: This is the 26th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Variation of Spiral Galaxies. In addition to the standard rules, some circles are shaded gray and must belong to galaxies containing two gray circles, not one, with the circles in rotationally symmetric spots for those galaxies.

Answer String: Enter the number of cells in each connected group (between bold lines) in the marked columns. Separate each column’s entry from the next with a comma. The example (using rows) has the answer “52,11131”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:15, Master = 10:15, Expert = 20:30

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 will soon be found in The Art of Puzzles 2.

PDF

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

Theme: Clue Symmetry & Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 6th puzzle from guest contributor Jamie Hargrove.

Rules: Place each of the twelve pentominoes into the grid once, with rotations and reflections allowed. No two pentominoes can overlap or be orthogonally adjacent, and all cells not occupied by the pentominoes must be orthogonally connected. The black circles indicate some cells that must be covered by pentominoes. Some numbers and arrows are also given in the grid. For all numbers that are not covered by a pentomino, the clues give the exact count of shaded cells in the given direction. A shaded over clue may or may not be true.

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 = 10:30, Master = 17:15, Expert = 34:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles and this link for other less common Shading puzzles including Yajisan Kazusan puzzles.

PDF

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

Theme: No 2×2 White Blocks

Author/Opus: This is the 5th puzzle from guest contributor Jamie Hargrove.

Rules: Shade some cells black so that all unshaded number and arrow clues indicate the exact count of shaded cells in the given direction. Shaded cells cannot share an edge, and all white cells must remain connected as part of a single contiguous group. It is allowed to shade over some of the numbered cells; a shaded over clue may or may not be true. Also, as an extra rule from standard Yajisan Kazusan, there cannot be any fully unshaded 2×2 cell blocks in the grid.

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of shaded cells as a single string.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:00, Master = 12:00, Expert = 24:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other less common Shading puzzles.

(view directly for a larger image)

PDF

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

Theme: Open Seas

Author/Opus: This is the 2nd puzzle from guest contributor Jamie Hargrove.

Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules.

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. Enter both digits for any two-digit number. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:15, Master = 11:30, Expert = 23:00

Solution: PDF

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 collection.