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: Not Quite Even

Author/Opus: This is the 81st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Variation of Cave rules. Each clue represents the product of the # of row cells visible (including the cell itself) with the # of column cells visible (including the cell itself).

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 = 1:45, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Cave variations and 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

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: Big and Small

Author/Opus: This is the 80th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

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 = 1:20, Master = 2:15, Expert = 4:30

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.

All the puzzles from last week have been grouped in this PDF.

This year we are alternating between “variety” weeks with lots of puzzle styles and “focused” weeks with one/two related puzzle styles that get developed from easy to hard over the course of the week. Next week will focus on the following puzzle type (highlight to view):

Cave (Classic and Product Variation)

If you enjoy our puzzles, please consider becoming a patron of GMPuzzles. See the top of the sidebar for more info.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the composite Yajilin mode where left click marks cells, right click marks dots in cells or X’s on edges, left click+drag draws lines.)

Theme: Open Middle

Author/Opus: This is the 7th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Tapa rules. Also, the entire Tapa must be made out of L triominoes, without overlapping. The L triominoes can be rotated.

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 with a comma.

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

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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

Theme: Count-Up

Author/Opus: This is the 16th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Tom Collyer.

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

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 3rd row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 6:30, Expert = 13:00

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.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between ship placement and shading modes. In ship placement mode, right click gives sea, left click gives circle/square, left click and drag for rounded ships.)

Theme: High Seas

Author/Opus: This is the 155th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Battleships rules. Use the indicated fleet.

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 = 3:00, Master = 4:15, Expert = 8:30

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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: Surrounded!

Author/Opus: This is the 154th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Slitherlink rules. Also, there are some sheep (marked S) that must be inside the loop and some wolves (marked W) that must be outside the loop.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the internal loop segments following the arrows 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 = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Slitherlink variations and this link for 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; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a number entry mode.)

Theme: 24 Dice (after Grant’s impressive 28 given series, here comes an even more minimal puzzle with only 24 clues from 1-6.)

Author/Opus: This is the 79th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

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 column, followed by a comma, followed by the 10th column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 2:00, Expert = 4:00

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

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

Theme: Butterfly — a very elegant 22-given pattern

Author/Opus: This is the 78th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the two main diagonals, starting with the 9 digits in the upper-left corner to the lower-right corner, followed by a comma, followed by the 9 digits in the lower-left corner to the upper-right corner.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:45, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Sudoku to get started on. More classic Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku, The Art of Sudoku 2 and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

Thanks to Prasanna Seshadri for a very entertaining debut week last week. All of his puzzles have been grouped in this PDF.

This year we will be alternating between “variety” weeks with lots of puzzle styles and “focused” weeks with one/two related puzzle styles that get developed from easy to hard over the course of the week. Next week will be a variety week with the following puzzles (highlight to view):

Monday – Sudoku by Grant Fikes
Tuesday – Fillomino by Grant Fikes
Wednesday – Slitherlink (Sheep and Wolves) by Thomas Snyder
Thursday – Battleships by Thomas Snyder
Friday – TomTom by Tom Collyer
Saturday – Tapa (Triomino) by Prasanna Seshadri

If you enjoy our puzzles, please consider becoming a patron of GMPuzzles. See the top of the sidebar for more info.