PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 43rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Shade some dominoes (pairs of empty cells) black so that each number indicates the total count of white cells connected vertically and horizontally to that number including the numbered cell itself. Dominoes cannot share an edge, and all white cells must belong to a single connected group. Or see this example:

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the white 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 “23,15”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:45, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Kuromasu is a new puzzle for us this week and we are curious to hear what you think of it.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 42nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Shade some empty cells black so that each number indicates the total count of white cells connected vertically and horizontally to that number including the numbered cell itself. Black cells cannot share an edge, and all white cells must belong to a single connected group. Or see this example:

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the white 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 “14,221”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:15, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Kuromasu is a new puzzle for us this week and we are curious to hear what you think of it.

PDF

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

Theme: Logical (or to match an earlier puzzle: Zero X)

Author/Opus: This is the 127th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules. Note: there are just 11 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 = 4:45, Master = 7:30, Expert = 15:00

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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

Theme: Fourteen Squares?

Author/Opus: This is the 126th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Variant of Skyscrapers rules. The numbers outside the grid represent the sum of the buildings seen in that row or column. For example, if a row is 1273456, the clue from the left would be an 10 (1+2+7) and from the right would be a 13 (6+7).

Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:45, Master = 7:30, Expert = 15:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

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.

PDF

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

Theme: Sudoku GP Round 7 (this puzzle continues a hidden theme present throughout Prasanna’s Sudoku Grand Prix set)

Author/Opus: This is the 41st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Additionally, all cells having the same digit(s) more than once as orthogonal neighbors are shaded. (If a cell is not shaded, it cannot have any digits repeated as orthogonal neighbors). Or see this example image.

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

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 9:00, Master = 17:30, Expert = 35:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

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: Two-Sided Problem

Author/Opus: This is the 187th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Even/Odd Sudoku rules (i.e., cells with a square contain an even digit; cells with a circle contain an odd digit).

Answer String: Enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 2nd column from top to bottom.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:45, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for more Even/Odd Sudoku puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Even/Odd Sudoku to get started on. More Even/Odd Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku 2.

PDF

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

Theme: 1, 2, Star, ?

Author/Opus: This is the 6th puzzle from guest contributor 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 in the two grids, going in order from A to B to C to D and separating each entry 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 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)

Theme: Sudoku GP Round 7, plus two hidden themes related to 7
(Note: this puzzle was originally created for the Sudoku Grand Prix but after testing was judged too hard and too puzzle-based for the competition. It is an excellent puzzle, and we are proud to showcase it here.)

Author/Opus: This is the 40th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, standard Skyscrapers rules. Additionally, the cells in gray are “underground” and cannot be seen by any of the outside skyscraper clues (think of them as starting with a negative sign if necessary). As an example, the 3 on the left of row 2 refers only to seeing three buildings in columns 2 through 9, even if there is a 9 in column 1 as that 9 cannot be seen.

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:00, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for our first Basement Skyscraper Sudoku. 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.

Note: When we said everything was a lie in last week’s schedule, that included there being just 6 puzzles. Enjoy this bonus ‘Sunday’ challenge from Prasanna.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode, a number entry mode for placing Tapa clues, 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

Author/Opus: This is the 38th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Variation of Tapa Rules. Every given clue is lying in two ways: first, the number of given clues in that cell is false; second, the value of any given clues is not true for any part of the Tapa around that cell. For example, a 3 clue could actually indicate 24, but it could not indicate 2 (same number of clues) or 23 (the digit 3 appears). 0 is not a valid clue for this Tapa.

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 = 8:00, Master = 16:00, Expert = 32:00

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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

Theme: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 123rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Variation of Cross the Streams rules. Some groups of outside clues are lying and refer to the white cells in that row/column, not the black cells. It is up to you to determine which clue groups are lies. (It is possible for a clue group to be true for both the white and black cells in that row/column.)

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

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:30, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00

Solution: PDF

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