PDF

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

Theme: Tire Tracks

Author/Opus: This is the 28th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Palmer Mebane.

Rules: Standard LITS rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:00, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic LITS. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest LITS 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: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 27th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Palmer Mebane.

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 = 4:30, Master = 7:00, Expert = 14:00

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.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; ue tab to alternate between edgex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s and shading and number entry modes.)

Theme: Symmetry and Logic

Rules: Variation of standard Slitherlink rules. First, place the ten dominoes given below the grid into the gray areas, without overlapping, to form a valid Slitherlink puzzle; dominoes can be rotated. Solve the resulting Slitherlink following normal rules. (Note: The set of digits placed into the grid from the dominoes is unique, but the assignment of dominoes need not be unique.)

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the internal loop 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 = 7:30, Master = 17:30, Expert = 35:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the composite Yajilin mode where left click marks cells, right click marks dots in cells or X’s on edges, left click+drag draws lines.)

Theme: Threes

Rules: Standard Tapa rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry from the next with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:00, Master = 1:45, Expert = 3:30

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between number entry and shading modes.)

Theme: WPC Practice

Rules: Enter digits 1 through 4 into some cells so that each row and column contains each digit exactly once. Also, along the snail (from the upper-left corner and spiraling to the center) digits must occur in 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-… order. Some clues are given in the grid in the form of lit digital segments. Each of these cells must contain a digit, and that digit must have that segment lit in the form shown below the puzzle.

Or see an example from the WPC instructions using 1 to 3 here.

Answer String: Enter the marked rows from left to right, separating the two rows by a comma. Use an X (capital letter) for each empty square.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 8:30, Expert = 17:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Number entry mode and a shading mode to help track complete clues.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry, and Very Hard WPC Practice

Rules: Variation of Sudoku. Place integers from -4 to 4 into each cell so that each row, column, and region contains each integer from -4 to 4 exactly once. The numbers outside the grid represent the sum of all integers between that clue and the zero in that row/column. Some cells inside the grid already contain an integer but no sign is given. It is part of the puzzle to determine if these values are positive or negative. An example using -2 to 2 from the WPC instructions is here.

Answer String: Enter the numbers (ignoring sign) from left to right in the marked rows, separating each row with a comma (eg “123401234,431023412”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 16:00, Expert = 32:00

Solution: PDF

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: Clue Symmetry

Rules: Place some blocks of three hexagons connected in a line (briquets) into the grid so that they do not overlap themselves or the numbered cells. For each numbered cell, the top clue indicates how many of the surrounding cells containing a briquet segment; the bottom clue indicates how many different briquets are in the surrounding cells. All cells that are not covered by briquets, including the numbered cells, must be part of a single connected group. Or see this example from the WPC instruction booklet.

Answer String: For each marked row, enter the length in cells of each group of connected cells that are part of briquets. Separate each row’s entry with a comma (eg “5,16,33,14”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:30, Master = 8:30, Expert = 17:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

Theme: WPC Practice

Rules: Place a digit 1, 2, or 3 into each empty cell so that each digit appears exactly three times in each row and column. All cells are either white or gray. A digit in a white cell must share an edge with at least one cell containing the same digit. A digit in a gray cell cannot share an edge with any cell containing the same digit.

Answer String: Enter the digits from left to right in the marked rows, separating the rows with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 15:00, Expert = 30:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a letter entry mode and a shading mode to mark off the clues.)

Theme: One-Point Letters

Rules: Place the 9 words into the grid, one letter per cell, so they can be read from left to right or from top to bottom, without crossing or overlapping each other. A dot between two cells indicates that both cells must contain the same letter. All possible dots are given. Or see this example from the WPC instructions.

Answer String: For each column from left to right, enter the number of unused cells in that column (eg “3510563449”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 4:30, Expert = 9:00

Solution: PDF

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: “Hard” Practice (this was a WPC puzzle style) — in contrast to this post.

Rules: Place each of the 11 pentominoes into the grid exactly once, with rotations and reflections allowed, to form a valid “Coral”. In a Coral puzzle, all blackened areas are connected, but no group of 2×2 cells is entirely blackened. Also, there are no unshaded areas enclosed by the coral (meaning each unshaded cell must have a path through its edges with other unshaded cells to a border). Numbers outside the grid indicate the lengths of groups of shaded cells in that row/column, but not necessarily in order.

Or see this example from the 22nd WPC instruction booklet.

Answer String: Enter the identities of the pentominoes (one capital letter for each, even if in multiple cells) appearing in the marked rows from left to right (eg “ILN,WVXT”).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 20:00, Expert = 40:00

Solution: PDF