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

Theme: T Junctions

Author/Opus: This is the 3rd puzzle from guest contributor Chris Green.

Rules: Variation of LITS. Some cells or groups of cells are outlined and labeled with a letter. If any of these cells is shaded, then the tetromino shape must match the clued letter.

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 = 8:15, Master = 14:00, Expert = 28:00

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a shading mode and a composite mode where left click inside cell shades square, left click + drag draws line segment, right click inside cell adds dot, and right click on cell edge adds an x.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 95th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Draw a snake (a 1 cell-wide path) in the grid whose head and tail are given by circled cells. The snake can touch itself diagonally, but cannot touch itself orthogonally and cannot pass through any blackened cells. The given numbers show the total number of cells are used by the snake in the grid along the indicated directions. (Numbers see to the border of the grid.)

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the snake segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma. The answer to the example is “13,2”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:45, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Snake puzzles.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a letter entry mode and a shading mode. CAPS LOCK is recommended for letter entry.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 94th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Add letters to some empty cells to make a snake that doesn’t touch itself, not even diagonally. The snake’s head and tail are indicated by circles. The snake is made out of spelled out numbers, and some letters are given that must be part of the snake. Each numbered cell indicates the total sum of the distinct words that touch that cell, including diagonally. Not all words need to be used, but no word is used more than once.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the snake segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma. The answer to the example is “3,31”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:30, Master = 7:30, Expert = 14:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Snake puzzles.

PDF

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

Theme: Crown

Author/Opus: This is the 32nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Cross the Streams rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments from top to bottom for the marked columns, going in order from A to B to C to D and separating each entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:00, Master = 5:30, Expert = 11:00.

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Cross the Streams. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Cross the Streams to get started on.

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 letter entry mode.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 31st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Pentominous rules.

Answer String: Enter the letter associated with the pentomino occupying each cell in the marked rows from left to right and in the marked columns from top to bottom, separating the groups with a comma. Use CAPITAL LETTERS!

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:00, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Pentominous puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Pentominous to get started on.

There was a seventh puzzle posted this week for Murat’s debut. Have you found it yet?
(more…)

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a letter entry mode and a shading mode. CAPS LOCK is recommended for letter entry.)

Theme: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 25th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Place each of the given words into the grid, one letter per cell, reading from left to right or top to bottom. All words must be connected, and no words other than the given words can appear in the grid. The dots mark spots where two diagonally adjacent cells contain letters and the other diagonally adjacent cells are empty as in a checkerboard. (Not all possible dots are necessarily given.)

Answer String: Enter all letters in the indicated rows from left to right, separating each row with a comma. Use CAPITAL LETTERS.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:00, Master = 10:30, Expert = 21:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other word puzzles.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a letter entry mode and a shading mode. CAPS LOCK is recommended for letter entry.)

Theme: One to Thirteen, Almost

Author/Opus: This is the 24th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Place each of the given words into the grid, one letter per cell, reading from left to right or top to bottom. All words must be connected, and no words other than the given words can appear in the grid. The highlighted cells must contain the first letters of each of the words.

Answer String: Enter all letters in the indicated rows from left to right, separating each row with a comma. Use CAPITAL LETTERS.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:30, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other word puzzles.

(View image directly for larger form.)

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Sudoku number entry mode and two drawing modes, Special and Surface, to mark the shape inventory.)

Theme: Snakes on a Sudoku

Author/Opus: This is the 16th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, there are some shapes that must be put into the grid. The shapes can be rotated, but cannot be reflected; they can touch but cannot overlap. (Not all cells of the shapes contain numbers, but all numbers on the shapes must be entered into the corresponding cells after placement.)

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 30:00, Expert = 60:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other less common 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)

Theme: Grid Symmetry and Logic (originally prepared as practice for 2015 World Puzzle Championship)

Author/Opus: This is the 102nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Kakuro rules with one addition: the digits in the circled cells must all be different.

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

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Kakuro puzzles.