Spiral Galaxies by Grant Fikes
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 shading mode.)
Theme: Hidden?
Author/Opus: This is the 288th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.
Rules: Standard Spiral Galaxies rules.
Answer String: Enter the number of cells in each connected group (between bold lines) in the marked rows. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:45, Master = 6:30, Expert = 13:00
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for classic Spiral Galaxies puzzles on this website and this link for variations on Spiral Galaxies puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Spiral Galaxies Puzzles to get started on. More Spiral Galaxies puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles 2.
Are you sure this is the Thursday puzzle? It took me less than 3 minutes, never mind the 4:45 GM time, and seemed very straightforward.
Sorry, 3:45. (I need new bifocals)
Still, it seemed like the easiest puzzle of the week.
The week’s PDF has this puzzle swapped with William Hu’s Wednesday puzzle. Perhaps the par times are also switched?
While the PDF does have a swapped order, the times are accurate to our testers’ experience. I probably ask, when confirming uniqueness, that they solve more logically than intuitively and this is a style where time standards can have very high variance due to approach.
12:48.Nice one