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Theme: Sevens

Author/Opus: This is the 142nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Skyscrapers Rules, with two grids at the bottom to solve. The top grid indicates the sum of the digits in the bottom two grids in the corresponding positions.

Answer String: For the rightmost grid, enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:00, Master = 6:30, Expert = 13:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Skyscrapers. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Skyscrapers to get started on. More Skyscrapers puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles.

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

Theme: Going Up Again?

Author/Opus: This is the 252nd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Variation of Skyscrapers rules. The numbers outside the grid represent the sum of the buildings seen in the 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 4th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 4:30, Expert = 9:00

Solution: PDF

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.

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

Theme: The Clueless Center (for patron Veep)

Author/Opus: This is the 123rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules. The grid is made of 9 overlapping 5×5 Skyscrapers puzzles. The clue cells shared between grids must see the same number of buildings (i.e., you should fill in all interior gray cells with clue numbers as these are used by two grids).

Answer String: Enter the fifteen digits (in the white cells) within the marked rows from left to right, separating the two rows with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 20:00, Master = 35:00, Expert = 1:10:00

Solution: PDF

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.

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

Theme: Logical (inspired by a 2015 USPC puzzle by Craig Kasper)

Author/Opus: This is the 2nd puzzle from guest contributor Dan Katz.

Rules: Enter the digits 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 into the grid so that each digit (and one empty square) appears exactly once in each row and column. Numbers outside the grid are either Easy as ABC or Skyscraper clues: either the clue is the first digit that appears in the corresponding row or column from the direction of the clue, or it is the number of digits in the corresponding row or column that can be “seen” from that direction (higher digits block the view of lower digits).

Answer String: Enter the letters in the marked rows in order from left to right, separating each row’s entry with a comma. Use a capital X for empty cells.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:00, Master = 8:45, Expert = 17:30

Solution: PDF

Note 1: This puzzle is much harder than a usual Tuesday puzzle.

Note 2: Follow this link for other classic Skyscrapers and this link for variations on Skyscrapers puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Skyscrapers to get started on.

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

Theme: 2014 to 2015

Author/Opus: This is the 213th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Variant of Skyscrapers rules. Each clue represents the sum of the heights of the visible buildings in that direction. 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 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th row from left to right.

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

Solution: PDF

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; use tab to alternate between Sudoku = big digits and Number candidate = small entries in the corners of cells.)

Theme: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 2nd puzzle from guest contributor Robert Vollmert. You can find more Fractional Skyscrapers, including an example, on his blog.

Rules: Variation of Skyscrapers. Place a digit from 1 to 6 into each cell (including one digit in each half of the split cells) so that no digit repeats in any row or column. The building heights in the split cells are evaluated as fractions (e.g. 5/2 = 2.5) when considering their heights. A building hides all other buildings behind it that are the same height or lower in height.

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 3rd row from left to right. Enter the split cells in the order they are seen from the left (the upper triangle = numerator before the lower triangle = denominator).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Skyscrapers and this link for variations on Skyscrapers puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Skyscrapers 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.

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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.

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Theme: No Givens

Author/Opus: This is the 5th puzzle from guest contributor Hans van Stippent.

Note: we’ve been holding onto this puzzle for awhile; it was inspired by last year’s USPC Thermo-Skyscrapers puzzle and, by adding in the sudoku constraints, makes a nice challenge before this weekend’s US Sudoku Qualifying Test.

Rules: Standard Thermo-Sudoku rules. Also, any digits in the thermometer shapes outside of the grid are Skyscraper clues, representing the number of buildings seen inside the grid in that direction as in a regular Skyscrapers puzzle. (Note: digits in a thermometer must be strictly increasing even when outside the grid, so do not repeat any digits within a thermometer.)

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th row from left to right. Note: only enter the 9 digits inside the grid in these rows, not any of the outside skyscraper clues.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:30, Master = 9:30, Expert = 19:00

Solution: PDF

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

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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Sudoku = big digits and Number candidate = small entries in the corners of cells.)

Theme: Equal Distribution and Symmetry of Clue Numbers

Author/Opus: This is the 6th puzzle from guest contributor Roland Voigt.

Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules. Also, some cells have been split into triangles, each of which must be filled with a number. In this puzzle, the numbers 1-6 must be placed in each row and column.

(The split cells are viewed in the order they are seen from a given direction, so the upper triangles are seen first from the left/top sides and the bottom triangles are seen first from the right/bottom sides.)

Answer String: Enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right. Enter the split cells in the order they are seen from the left (the upper triangle before the lower triangle).

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

Solution: PDF

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