PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools using a composite mode where left click inside cell shades square, left click + drag draws line segment, right click inside cell adds dot, and right click on cell edge adds an x.)

Theme: One Letter Clue

Author/Opus: This is the 3rd puzzle from guest contributor Nikolai Beluhov.

Rules: Draw a snake (a 1 cell-wide path) in the grid whose head and tail are given by circled cells. The snake can touch itself diagonally, but cannot touch itself orthogonally. All cells that are not part of the snake must be part of a pentomino (i.e., an orthogonally connected group of five cells). These unused pentominoes cannot touch orthogonally but can touch diagonally. A letter in a cell represents the pentomino shape that the cell belongs to. Pentomino shapes can be repeated in the grid, and can also be rotated and reflected. (Lettered cells cannot be used by the snake.)

Answer String: Enter the number of cells in each of the snake 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 = 4:45, Master = 7:15, Expert = 14:30

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Follow this link for other Snake puzzles.