Multi-Skyscrapers by Serkan Yürekli
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: The Clueless Center (for patron Veep)
Author/Opus: This is the 123rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.
Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules. The grid is made of 9 overlapping 5×5 Skyscrapers puzzles. The clue cells shared between grids must see the same number of buildings (i.e., you should fill in all interior gray cells with clue numbers as these are used by two grids).
Answer String: Enter the fifteen digits (in the white cells) within the marked rows from left to right, separating the two rows with a comma.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 20:00, Master = 35:00, Expert = 1:10:00
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for classic Skyscrapers puzzles and this link for variations on Skyscrapers puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Skyscrapers Puzzles to get started on.
1:19:28.This is brutally hard.
37:46 for the puzzle. it was awesome.did well. could have reached master time. some good techniques used here.
37:46, Awesome puzzle. did well. could have reached master timings. some good techniques used here.
I have no idea how much actual solving time this took me (I did it in small pieces over two days) but this is probably my favorite puzzle that I’ve ever seen posted on this site, and I’m not even that big a fan of Skyscrapers. Every time I’d come back to it I’d see a little bit more that I hadn’t seen last time I was looking at it. It was a super frustrating but very fulfilling solve.
🙂 I’m glad you liked. Vladimir Portugalov presented some combined puzzles in Forsmart Anniversary Contest a few years ago. I think, if I remember correctly, I did one for the Akil Oyunlari magazine after the test.
Contest link: http://logicmastersindia.com/lmitests/?test=forsmarts2011
Very nice puzzle. None of the individual deductions were actually that tough, but finding the right place to look was often quite challenging, so this one took me a very long time.
I think that knowing the right place to look by instinct is one of the things that really differentiates the speed with which solvers can tackle a puzzle. I would expect this one to have a very large variance of solving times.
This is a great puzzle! It kept me entertained on a long flight, at least until I made a mistake which I will blame on exhaustion. Started the puzzle over again upon arriving home, woke up during the night to keep working on it, and then completed it the next day. Was happy to see the long time standards, though I came nowhere clear to meeting them.
Wow:D I’m glad you kept it busy. Thanks.