Star Battle (Builder) by Murat Can Tonta
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: JOIN ME
Author/Opus: This is the 80th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.
Rules: Standard Star Battle rules with two stars per row, column, and region. Also, some region boundaries are missing, but all given borders must separate cells in different regions.
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 = 6:30, Master = 12:00, Expert = 24:00
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. More Star Battle puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles.
This is a very clever concept, (and a challenging puzzle). I really enjoyed the new kinds of thinking necessary to solve this one.
Thanks!
Wow.
Excellent puzzle, really enjoyed this one!
Thanks guys, I’m glad you enjoyed the variation.
Of course everyone’s experience may vary but I think this puzzle remains rather difficult even towards the end. Hint in rot-13: Lbh znl jnag gb rahzrengr gur ertvbaf naq hfr gur snpg gung guvf chmmyr arrqf rknpgyl gra ertvbaf. Qbvat fb jvyy uryc jvgu n fhogyr pbaarpgvivgl ybtvp va gur hccre evtug.
Cheers!
I didn’t need to use that logic, but it was interesting that I found the location of all the stars before I confirmed that it was a valid Star Battle grid. Even then, it took me several minutes to convince myself that the grid was both valid and unique.
Really clever, interesting and challenging! Well done.
37 mins.Hard one.
Oh, this was great. It was one of three in the year-end round-up that I had somehow missed when they first came out so I’m grateful for this “second chance”.