All the puzzles from last week’s Fillomino focus have been grouped in this PDF.

Next week will be another variety week with these puzzles (highlight to view):
Monday: Sudoku by Thomas Snyder
Tuesday: Negative Tetromino by Serkan Yürekli
Wednesday: Masyu by Thomas Snyder
Thursday: Tapa by Serkan Yürekli
Friday: Star Battle by Thomas Snyder
Saturday: Ripple Effect by Grant Fikes

The bonus puzzle for our high-level supporters will be a 13×13 Nurikabe by Prasanna Seshadri.

All the puzzles from last week have been grouped in this PDF. While we don’t like breaking the rules too often, we hope you enjoyed last week’s “Oddities”. Even the bonus puzzle, the “Nothing Odd Going On Here” Slitherlink, was quite twisted in its execution.

Next week will focus on one of our favorite puzzle types: Fillomino and variations. Puzzles will be by Grant Fikes, Prasanna Seshadri, and Serkan Yürekli. The bonus puzzle will also be from that category, and if our high-level supporters haven’t had their Fillia of puzzles yet, there will be an extra large and rather incredible puzzle sent out by Grant Fikes as well.

While we tend to focus on “paper puzzles” here at Grandmaster Puzzles, this coming year we will make a dedicated push into the puzzle game app space.

Today we wanted to show you a promo image for our first game. It combines one of our strengths (TomTom) with the best of 2014’s puzzle apps (namely, Threes! and 2048).

Can you find the one solution?

PDF

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

Theme: 2048 and Threes!

Author/Opus: This is the 172nd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-4.

Answer String: As this is just a promo image, no answer entry is required.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:30, Master = 0:50, Expert = 1:40

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic TomTom. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest TomTom to get started on.

All the puzzles from last week have been grouped in this PDF.

Next week will be another variety week with these puzzles (highlight to view):
Monday: Cave by Tom Collyer
Tuesday: Kurotto by Prasanna Seshadri
Wednesday: Nurikabe by Tom Collyer
Thursday: Nanro by Prasanna Seshadri
Friday: Yajilin by Palmer Mebane
Saturday: Cross the Streams by Grant Fikes

The bonus puzzle for our high-level supporters will be a Slitherlink by Thomas Snyder.

PDF

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

Theme: Going Up?

Author/Opus: This is the 171st puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Variant of Skyscrapers rules. The numbers outside the grid represent the sum of the buildings seen in that row or column. For example, if a row is 12534, the clue from the left would be an 8 (1+2+5) and from the right would be a 9 (4+5).

Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 4:30, Expert = 9:00

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.

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: Tightly Packed

Author/Opus: This is the 170th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

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.

All the puzzles from last week’s Sudoku focus have been grouped in this PDF. Many of the puzzles from last week have gotten rave reviews. So even if you normally don’t like sudoku you may want to go back and try the puzzles you missed.

Next week will be another variety week with these puzzles (highlight to view):
Monday: Cave by Thomas Snyder
Tuesday: Slitherlink by Grant Fikes
Wednesday: Pentominous by Grant Fikes
Thursday: Sum Skyscrapers by Thomas Snyder
Friday: Outside Nurikabe by guest constructor Tapio Saarinen
Saturday: Nanro by Serkan Yürekli

The bonus puzzle for our high-level supporters will be a Fillomino by Grant Fikes.

PDF

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

Theme: Flyers

Author/Opus: This is the 169th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 6th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:30, Master = 11:00, Expert = 22:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

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.

PDF

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

Theme: Stacked Boxes

Author/Opus: This is the 168th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Thermo-Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 5:15, Expert = 10:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for more Thermo-Sudoku puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Thermo-Sudoku to get started on. More Thermo-Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku 2.

PDF

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

Theme: Parity Groups

Author/Opus: This is the 167th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Even/Odd Sudoku rules (i.e., cells with a square contain an even digit; cells with a circle contain an odd digit).

Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th row from left to right.

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

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for more Even/Odd Sudoku puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Even/Odd Sudoku to get started on. More Even/Odd Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku 2.