PDF

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Theme: To The Nines

Author/Opus: This is the 8th puzzle from guest contributor Craig Kasper.

Rules: Draw a single loop in the grid which may cross itself orthogonally, but otherwise does not touch or retrace itself. The clue numbers to the left/right of the rows indicate the number of squares visited by the nearest section of the loop that travels horizontally in the rows. The clue numbers to the top/bottom of the columns indicate the number of squares visited by the nearest section of the loop that travels vertically in the columns.

Also, see this example:

Answer String: Enter the number of empty squares for each row from top to bottom, followed by a comma, and then the number of turns for each row from top to bottom. This example has the key “100000,422224”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:45, Master = 7:00, Expert = 14:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Round Trip puzzles. Some more Round Trip puzzles can be found in the book Loop Variety Collection by Ashish Kumar and Murat Can Tonta.

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Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 60th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Variation of Nurikabe. Shade some empty cells black so that the grid is divided into white areas, each containing at most one number. A white area with a number must have the same area in cells as that number. White areas may only touch diagonally. All shaded cells must be connected with each other, but no 2×2 group of cells can be entirely shaded. Also, all shaded cells must be divisible into snakes with the heads and tails given in the grid. Snakes cannot cross each other.

Also, see this example:

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma. This example has the key “7,32,31”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:00, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF

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

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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; in default linex mode: left-click+drag draws line, right click marks X on edge)

Theme: Odd Lots

Author/Opus: This is the 7th puzzle from guest contributor Craig Kasper.

Rules: Draw a single loop in the grid which may cross itself orthogonally, but otherwise does not touch or retrace itself. The clue numbers to the left/right of the rows indicate the number of squares visited by the nearest section of the loop that travels horizontally in the rows. The clue numbers to the top/bottom of the columns indicate the number of squares visited by the nearest section of the loop that travels vertically in the columns.

Also, see this example:

Answer String: Enter the number of empty squares for each row from top to bottom, followed by a comma, and then the number of turns for each row from top to bottom. This example has the key “100000,422224”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:30, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Follow this link for other Round Trip puzzles. Some more Round Trip puzzles can be found in the book Loop Variety Collection by Ashish Kumar and Murat Can Tonta.

PDF

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

Theme: One of Each Digit

Author/Opus: This is the 1st puzzle from guest contributor Wei-Hwa Huang.

Rules: Standard Isodoku rules, using numbers 1-8.

Answer String: Enter the 1st “row” from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th “row” from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 8:00, Master = 18:00, Expert = 36:00

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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

Author/Opus: This is the 1st puzzle from guest contributor Ashish Kumar.

Rules: Locate a snake of unknown length in the grid, whose head, tail, and exact center are given. The snake does not touch itself, even diagonally. Numbers outside the grid indicate the number of snake cells in that row/column.
See also this example:

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. This example has the key “211,31”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:00, Master = 9:30, Expert = 19:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: Logical (Originally on 2014 Hungarian Puzzle Championship)

Author/Opus: This is the 6th puzzle from guest contributor Zoltán Horváth.

Rules: Place all 12 pentominoes into the grid, rotations and reflections allowed. Pentominoes cannot touch each other, not even diagonally. Pentominoes cannot use any of the black squares. Outside numbers indicate how many cells in that row/column are part of pentominoes.

Answer String: Enter letters for all pentomino segments from left to right in the marked rows, with one letter for each cell it appears in (e.g. LLLLIV,XXXUU). Separate each row’s entry with a comma and use CAPITAL LETTERS.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:30, Master = 12:30, Expert = 25:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Follow this link for other puzzles involving Pentominoes.

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Theme: Four Squares (Originally on 2014 Hungarian Puzzle Championship)

Author/Opus: This is the 5th puzzle from guest contributor Zoltán Horváth.

Rules: Standard Star Battle rules. Two stars per row, column, and region.

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a star appears. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 5:45, Expert = 11:30

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 5th puzzle from guest contributor Tapio Saarinen. You can find more of his puzzles on Perplexible.

Rules: Combination of Statue Park and Tapa.

Place 11 pentominoes (no P) into the grid, rotations and reflections allowed. Pentominoes cannot cover any cells with clues, and no pentominoes can share an edge (diagonal touching allowed). All remaining white cells, including those with clues, must be connected. Number clues behave like Tapa clues and indicate the length of consecutive shaded blocks in the neighboring cells. All ?s stand for clue values 1 or greater.

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 = 5:00, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles or Tapa Puzzles.

PDF

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Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 199th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Place the twelve pentominoes into the grid, rotations and reflections allowed. Pentominoes cannot cover the numbered cells, and different pentomino shapes cannot be placed in adjacent cells that share an edge or corner. Numbered cells indicate how many of the surrounding cells (including diagonally adjacent cells) contain parts of the pentominoes.

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 = 3:30, Master = 6:45, Expert = 13:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other puzzles involving Pentominoes.

(View image directly for larger form.)

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Theme: Staircases

Author/Opus: This is the 197th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Star Battle rules. Three stars per row, column, and region.

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a star appears. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators. Enter both digits of any two-digit column number.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:30, Master = 10:15, Expert = 20:30

Solution: PDF

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