This is a Melon puzzle. (16 – Statue Park)

Statue Park by Palmer Mebane

PDF

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

Theme: GM Puzzles

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules.

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 = 4:00, Master = 6:00, Expert = 12:00

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.

From the Foxger’s Den #66: Pentominous

Pentominous by Grant Fikes

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: Logical

Rules: Variation of Fillomino rules where regions with the same shape must avoid each other instead of regions with the same size (all regions in a pentominous puzzle are pentominoes).

Specifically, divide the grid into 20 pentominoes so that no two pentominoes of the same shape (including rotations/reflections) share an edge. A cell with a letter in it must be part of the pentomino shape normally associated with that letter as given below the grid. Not all pentomino shapes need appear.

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

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

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other puzzles involving Pentominoes.

Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #140 – Star Battle

Star Battle by Thomas Snyder

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

Theme: Clipped Rectangles

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 = 2:15, Master = 3:15, Expert = 7:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Star Battles and this link for Star Battle variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Star Battles to get started on. More Star Battle puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, in the book Star Battle by JinHoo Ahn, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #139 – Even/Odd Sudoku

Sudoku by Thomas Snyder

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

Theme: Windmill (Note: This puzzle was the Team USA contribution to the Sudoku Grand Prix Final recently held in Beijing)

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 5th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th column from top to bottom.

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

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.

The Puzzle Robot #17 – TomTom (NC-in-cage)

TomTom by Serkan Yürekli

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

Theme: Logic/New Variation

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using digits from 1-6. Also, consecutive digits (for example, 2 and 3) are not allowed to share an edge inside a bold cage. Consecutive digits are allowed to touch along the bold borders that separate cages.

See also this example:

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

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30

Solution: PDF

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

From the Foxger’s Den #62: Fillomino

Fillomino by Grant Fikes

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 number entry mode.)

Theme: Lambda

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Start with the 7th row, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th column.

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

Solution: PDF

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

The Puzzle Robot #15 – The Persistence of Memory

The Persistence of Memory by Serkan Yürekli

(View image directly for larger form.)

(PNG with extra lines for solvers who want to flood-fill the path)

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.)

PDF

Theme: T

Rules: Find a path from one dot to the other by moving horizontally or vertically between adjacent squares. The path cannot touch itself, even diagonally. All highlighted regions must be used, and may be re-entered. If two or more highlighted regions have the same shape and orientation, then how the path passes through those shapes must be identical. Or see here.

Answer String: For each marked row, enter the size of each group of cells used by the path from left to right. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 5:30, Expert = 11:00

Solution: PDF

Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #137 – TomTom

TomTom by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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

Theme: 10/9

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using digits from 1-6.

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 = 2:45, Master = 4:15, Expert = 8:30

Solution: PDF

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

The Puzzle Robot #13 – BACA

BACA by Serkan Yürekli

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between number entry and shading modes.)

Theme: Trapped in A box

Rules: Either shade or add a single letter (A, B, or C) to each square so that each row and column contains exactly one A, one B, one C, and the rest shaded squares. Cells in the grid already marked with a letter can be shaded or remain unchanged.

Letters outside the grid indicate the first letter seen from that direction.

Numbers outside the grid describe the size of groups of consecutive shaded squares in that row or column in order. There must be at least one unshaded square between groups.

Or, see here.

Answer String: Enter the number of the column where the B is placed in each row, starting with the top row and proceeding to the bottom.

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

Solution: PDF

Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #135 – Sudo-Kurve

Sudo-Kurve by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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

Theme: Corners

Rules: Standard Sudo-Kurve rules.

Answer String: Enter the “row” marked A, followed by a comma, followed by the “row” marked B.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00

Solution: PDF