CQS

be fbyir bayvar (hfvat bhe orgn grfg bs Cracn-Rqvg gbbyf; hfr gno gb nygreangr orgjrra n funqvat zbqr naq n zbqr gb znex rqtrf jvgu na K.)

Gurzr: Fcbvyre-serr

Nhgube/Bchf: Guvf vf gur 166gu chmmyr sebz bhe pbagevohgvat chmmyrznfgre Tenag Svxrf.

Ehyrf: Fgnaqneq YVGF ehyrf (jneavat: yvax znl pbagnva fcbvyref!).

Nafjre Fgevat: Ragre gur yratgu va pryyf bs rnpu bs gur funqrq frtzragf sebz yrsg gb evtug sbe gur znexrq ebjf, fgnegvat ng gur gbc. Frcnengr rnpu ebj’f ragel sebz gur arkg jvgu n pbzzn.

Gvzr Fgnaqneqf (uvtuyvtug gb ivrj): Tenaqznfgre = 4:00, Znfgre = 5:15, Rkcreg = 10:30

Fbyhgvba: CQS

Abgr: Sbyybj guvf yvax sbe bgure pynffvp YVGF. Vs lbh ner arj gb guvf chmmyr glcr, urer ner bhe rnfvrfg YVGF gb trg fgnegrq ba.

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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: Hungry Hearts

Author/Opus: This is the 7th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules. For artistic reasons, clues have been replaced with letters using the standard code A=1, B=2, etc. Also, all polyominoes should have rotational symmetry as in this example:

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Use both digits for any two-digit number. Start with the 6th row, followed by a comma, followed by the 4th column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

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.

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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, a mine placement mode, and number entry mode.)

Theme: Cirrus Clouds

Author/Opus: This is the 6th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Place either 0, 1, or 2 mines into each empty cell so that each number represents the total count of mines in all neighboring cells, including diagonally adjacent cells. See also this example:

Also, all cells other than Minesweeper clues are Slitherlink clues. After solving the Minesweeper, convert these cells’ contents to numbers (use corresponding cells in additional grid), then draw a single, non-intersecting loop in the additional grid that only consists of horizontal and vertical segments between the dots, where the number inside each of these cells indicates how many of the four edges of that cell are part of the loop.

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 = 8:00, Master = 9:30, Expert = 19:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Click here for other Double Minesweeper puzzles and here for other Slitherlink puzzles.

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

Theme: Pocket Puzzle

Author/Opus: This is the 5th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Variation of standard Nanro rules. Besides the cells numbered 4, identical numbers in differing regions cannot touch along common borders. All “4” clues have been replaced by tetromino letters, and must be connected to form a valid LITS solution (that is, identical shapes cannot touch along common borders). In other words: the final solution, including all numbered cells and tetrominoes, is a valid Nanro solution, and just the regions with tetrominoes form a valid LITS solution.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the segments labeled with characters from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. (Characters include both numbers and letters.) Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:30, Master = 5:30, Expert = 11:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Click here for other Nanro puzzles and LITS puzzles.

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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a letter entry mode and a shading mode. CAPS LOCK is recommended for letter entry.)

Theme: Beach Booty
(This pirates’ map depicts eastern Palm Beach County, Florida, showing the locations of the communities of Abacoa, Boynton Beach, and Boca Raton, in relation to the coastal road U.S. Alternate Route 1A. More information about the treasure hidden therein will appear in a later post.)

Author/Opus: This is the 4th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

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. Clues outside the grid include both letters and numbers. Letters indicate the first letter seen from that direction. Numbers 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 a nine-character string, consisting of 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 = 3:30, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Number Placement variations.

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

Theme: Logical (Originally for the 2015 Polish Puzzle Championship Online Qualifier)

Author/Opus: This is the 28th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Tom Collyer.

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 = 3:00, Master = 4:30, Expert = 9:00

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.

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

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 76th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Slitherlink rules.

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

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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

Theme: Triple Trouble

Author/Opus: This is the 6th puzzle from guest contributor Carl Worth. The theme was inspired by Grant’s “Single Vision” Pentopia.

Rules: Standard Pentopia rules: Place some of the given pentominoes in the grid so that no pentominoes are in adjacent cells that share an edge or corner. Pentominoes cannot repeat in the grid; rotations and reflections of a pentomino are considered the same shape. The arrow clues indicate all the directions (up, down, left, and right) where the nearest pentominoes are located when looking from that square. (Arrow clues cannot contain pentomino shapes.) Also, see this example:

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded pentomino segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma. The example has the solution “21,23”.

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

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for more Pentopia puzzles and this link for other puzzles involving Pentominoes.

PDF

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

Theme: Antisymmetry

Author/Opus: This is the 18th puzzle from guest contributor Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Variation of Masyu rules. In addition to the standard rules, white circles may be shaded to become black circles.

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 = 2:30, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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

Theme: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 223rd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Yajilin 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 = 2:00, Master = 5:15, Expert = 10:30

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

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