(View image directly for larger form.)

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Sudoku number entry mode and two drawing modes, Special and Surface, to mark the shape inventory.)

Theme: Snakes on a Sudoku

Author/Opus: This is the 16th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, there are some shapes that must be put into the grid. The shapes can be rotated, but cannot be reflected; they can touch but cannot overlap. (Not all cells of the shapes contain numbers, but all numbers on the shapes must be entered into the corresponding cells after placement.)

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 30:00, Expert = 60:00

Solution: PDF

Note: 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.

PDF

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

Theme: Grid Symmetry and Logic (originally prepared as practice for 2015 World Puzzle Championship)

Author/Opus: This is the 102nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Kakuro rules with one addition: the digits in the circled cells must all be different.

Answer String: Enter the values in each white cell in the marked rows from left to right, separating the rows with a comma. Ignore black cells.

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

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Kakuro puzzles.

(View image directly for larger form.)

PDF

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

Theme: Diametric Opposition

Author/Opus: This is the 15th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Masyu 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 = 3:00, Master = 3:45, Expert = 7:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other 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: Open Middle

Author/Opus: This is the 186th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments (the unnumbered, connected “ocean”) from left to right for the marked rows. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:00, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Nurikabe. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Nurikabes 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 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: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 101st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Tapa 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 = 1:45, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Tapa. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Tapa 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: Dominoes

Author/Opus: This is the 185th 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 = 1:00, Master = 1:30, Expert = 3:00

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.

Last week’s mix of puzzles from Thomas and Serkan can be found in this PDF.

Next week we’ll have a variety week representing all our puzzle categories, specifically:
Monday: Cave by Grant Fikes
Tuesday: Tapa by Prasanna Seshadri
Wednesday: Nurikabe by Grant Fikes
Thursday: Masyu by John Bulten
Friday: Kakuro (Different Areas) by Prasanna Seshadri
Saturday: Hidden Shape Sudoku by John Bulten

PDF

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

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic (Originally for 2015 Arlington Puzzle Festival — playoff puzzle)

Author/Opus: This is the 234th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th column from top to bottom.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:15, Expert = 8:30

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.

(View image directly for larger form.)

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between lineox mode where left click+drag draws lines and left click in a square marks O and X, and a Letter entry mode.)

Theme: Solar System (words come from Italian, French, Hindi, Norwegian, Greek, English, Welsh, Farsi, and Arabic)

Author/Opus: This is the 89th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Place the words into the grid (one letter per cell) so that they do not touch each other, not even diagonally, and so that they can be read in a straight line in a vertical or horizontal direction. Some letters in the words are already given in the grid. Then find a path that passes through every cell of the grid, starting with the first letter of the first word, passing through the words in order from their first letters to their last letters, and ending at the last letter of the last word.

Or see this example:

Answer String: Enter the number of turns the path takes between each of the words in order as a single string of numbers. (Ignore turns in cells with letters.) The answer for this example is “224”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:30, Master = 11:00, Expert = 22:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: Three Ring Circus (Originally for 2015 Arlington Puzzle Festival)

Author/Opus: This is the 233rd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 8th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th column from top to bottom.

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

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.