PDF

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

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Unique Islands

Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules. Also, each island shape must be unique. This means that no two islands, including rotation and/or reflection of the shapes, can be superimposed.

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, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 6:00, Expert = 12:00

Solution: PDF

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: Even Frame

Rules: Standard Cave rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the cave segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:15, Expert = 8:30

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Doctor Sudo-Who?

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules except that instead of the numbers 1-9 this puzzle uses the letters in “WORD BATCH”. Also, clues in the grid represent typical “Seek and Spell/Kanaore” clues; specifically, it must be possible to read each of the words/phrases listed below the grid by starting at the indicated number, moving one cell in the direction indicated by the arrow, and then continuing to move one cell at a time up, down, left, or right to complete the word/phrase. No cell may be used more than once in a single path, but the same cell can appear in the paths of different words/phrases.

Answer String: Enter the 1st column from top to bottom, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th column from top to bottom. Use all capital letters.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:00, Master = 7:00, Expert = 14:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: Two Easy? A counterpoint to the excellent “Two Hard!” from a few weeks ago with fourteen 2’s this time.

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 = 2:00, Master = 3:00, Expert = 6:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Arithmetic Series

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 12534, the clue from the left would be an 8 (1+2+5) and from the right would be a 9 (4+5).

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 = 1:30, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:30

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a line drawing mode and a shading mode.)

Theme: Grandmasters

Rules: Standard Word Search rules.

Answer String: Enter the final message, related to what you are getting today, revealed by solving the puzzle. Enter the answer in all capital letters, with no spaces or punctuation.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 8:30, Master = 11:30, Expert = 23:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between edgex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s and a line drawing mode to mark the dominoes.)

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Double Domino – both domino-based clue groupings, and a domino-based loop.

Rules: Standard Slitherlink rules; also, the interior of the loop must be divisible into dominoes (1×2 rectangles) in at least one way without any overlaps.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the internal loop segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.

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

Editorial Note: This puzzle is a fair bit more difficult than our usual Tuesday puzzles, but this may be a side effect of the new Twisted Tuesday format.

Solution: PDF

PDF

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Theme: Bracket Buster. Our 64th prescription is the perfect cure for anyone concerned with their logical decision making after the last 48(+4*) basketball games.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, including the possibility for multi-cell subtraction or division by starting from the largest number.

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 3rd row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:15, Master = 1:45, Expert = 3:30

Solution: PDF

*Editorial Note: That the NCAA basketball tournament now starts with 68 teams is an accident of greed that I try not to think about too much. Like those two unclued cells in this grid that just don’t seem to fit in completely.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between Battleships placement and line drawing modes.)

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: A Fleet of Clues

Rules: Variation of Battleships rules. Place the fleet of ships in the grid so that no ships touch each other, even diagonally. The grid contains internal clues (a number and an arrow) that show how many ship segments are in the indicated direction. All remaining cells containing neither a ship nor a clue must be able to form a single loop, as in a Yajilin puzzle (see for example here but note the “black square rules” are replaced with battleships placement rules).

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a ship segment appears. If the row is empty, enter 0. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Mostly themeless? A mostly straight-forward puzzle to start the week.

Rules: Standard Masyu 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 = 0:45, Master = 1:15, Expert = 2:30

Solution: PDF