From the Foxger’s Den #66: Pentominous
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.
That had a very nice logical flow to it — each piece or two placed creating the situation that forced the next pieces.
I particularly liked the logic near the bottom left.
I like these puzzles, but I never understood why it’s referred to as a Fillomino variation. The only relation it has to Fillomino is that you cut the grid in regions and there’s hundreds of genres like that. It’s much closer related to LITS Dissection/LITSO, and I don’t think that’s ever been referred to as a Fillomino variation.
Grant’s name for the type stems from his name for Fillomino (Polyominous) so that was my initial basis for calling it a Fillomino variation (I also use my Fillomino art scripts with it). I’d call all these styles region division puzzles so LITSO would fit somewhere under the same roof.
Yeah, I figured that’s where the name came from. I understand they all fall under the same group of division puzzles. But just because they belong to the same subset means they have any more relation.
I just think that it’s more appropriately placed under other, its own label or maybe under a higher “division puzzles” label under which also Fillomino would also fall.
Two other reasons why I’m happy to think of it as a “Fillomino variant”.
1) Solving it feels pretty much like solving a Fillomino.
2) It seems like it’s fair game to include on a “Fillomino Filia” test from Grant & Palmer. Poke poke. (Those are among my favorite LMI tests)
Interestingly though the Pentominous puzzles posted do not have clue symmetry, even though Fillomino puzzles traditionally do. One comes close, but had a clue added or removed.
Puzzle link [EDIT: Removed as we added our own official link to post]