PDF

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

Author/Opus: This is the 246th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Variation of Pentopia rules: Place some of the given tetrahexes in the grid so that no tetrahexes are in adjacent cells that share an edge. Tetrahexes cannot repeat in the grid; rotations and reflections of a tetrahex are considered the same shape. The arrow clues indicate all the six directions where the nearest tetrahexes are located when looking from that hexagonal cell. (Arrow clues cannot contain tetrahex shapes.)

Difficulty: 3 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for more Pentopia puzzles.

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. CAPS LOCK is recommended for letter entry.)

Theme: Yell Out Greetings!

Author/Opus: This is the 245th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Fill some empty cells with the letters E, H, I, L, O, Y (A, B, C, D in the example) so that each row and column contains each letter exactly once. The letters outside the grid indicate the first letter seen from that direction, but each row and column has one transparent letter that is ignored by the clues. The transparent letters must be different in each row and column.

See also this example:

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:45, Master = 8:30, Expert = 17:00

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for other less common Number Placement variations.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: 4×4

Author/Opus: This is the 244th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Castle Wall rules.

Difficulty: 2 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:20, Master = 2:00, Expert = 4:00

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for more Castle Wall puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Castle Wall puzzles to get started on. More Castle Wall puzzles can be found in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles as well as the larger collection Castle Wall, both by Serkan Yürekli.

Since 2021, we have posted some extra difficult Sunday Stumpers, about once a month. These will be quite tough puzzles, but with a logical path to be found (and solution videos to help). This tenth Sunday Stumper of 2022 is a Tapa-Like Loop (Transparent) puzzle by Prasanna Seshadri. Will all the cells be used in this puzzle like the title and the clues suggest?

(view directly for a larger image)

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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s on edges)

Theme: All Cells?

Author/Opus: This is the 243rd puzzle from contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Variation of Tapa-Like Loop rules. (Form a single non-intersecting loop. Clues inside the grid represent the number of neighboring cells visited by the loop; if there is more than one number in a cell, each number should be represented with a separate loop segment. There is no 2×2 rule of Tapa in this puzzle.)

The loop can travel through clue cells. Each clue now describes the entire 3×3 area the clue cell is in the middle of.

See also this example:

Difficulty: 5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 32:00, Master = 45:00, Expert = 1:30:00

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for other Tapa-Like Loop puzzles. More Tapa-Like Loop puzzles can be found in the Tapa-Like Loop Collection by Prasanna Seshadri.

PDF

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

Author/Opus: This is the 242nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Pentopia rules: Place some of the given pentominoes in the grid so that no pentominoes are in adjacent cells that share an edge or corner. Pentominoes cannot repeat in the grid; rotations and reflections of a pentomino are considered the same shape. The arrow clues indicate all the directions (up, down, left, and right) where the nearest pentominoes are located when looking from that square. (Arrow clues cannot contain pentomino shapes.) Also, see this example:

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

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

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for more Pentopia puzzles and this link for other puzzles involving Pentominoes.

(view directly for a larger image)

PDF

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

Theme: Unique Groups

Author/Opus: This is the 241st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Variation of Pentopia rules: Place some of the given polyominoes in the grid so that no polyominoes are in adjacent cells that share an edge or corner. Polyominoes cannot repeat in the grid; rotations and reflections of a polyomino are considered the same shape. The arrow clues indicate all the directions (up, down, left, and right) where the nearest polyominoes are located when looking from that square, ignoring the clue cell itself. Polyominoes can sit on the clue cells.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:30, Master = 12:15, Expert = 24:30

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for more Pentopia puzzles and this link for other puzzles involving Pentominoes.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a shading mode and a mode to mark edges with an X.)

Theme: P Pentominoes

Author/Opus: This is the 240th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard LITS rules.

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:00, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for more variations of LITS and this link for classic LITS. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest LITS to get started on. More LITS puzzles can be found in LOTS O’ LITS by Grant Fikes and Prasanna Seshadri, in The Art of Puzzles 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: Dominoes

Author/Opus: This is the 239th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Place a number from 0 to 9 into each area so that no two areas that touch orthogonally share the same number. Wherever four areas meet at a point (marked with dots as a visual aid), the numbers in those areas must add up to 10.

Also, see this example:

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:45, Master = 7:00, Expert = 14:00

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for other less common Number Placement puzzles.

PDF

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

Theme: Twenty20 Vision

Author/Opus: This is the 238th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Place the numbers in the indicated range (1-9) in some of the cells so that no number is repeated in any row or column. Numbers on the outside of the grid indicate the sums of adjacent number groups in that row or column, in order. Each sum is separated by at least one unused cell. The adjacent question marks (??) show two-digit numbers, not two groups)

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 9:15, Expert = 18:30

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for other Japanese Sums puzzles.

(view directly for a larger image)

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Diamonds

Author/Opus: This is the 237th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Balance Loop rules. Also, number clues are not fully specified and must strictly follow the inequality values given.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 9:00, Master = 16:00, Expert = 32:00

Solution: PDF and solving video.

Note: Follow this link for other Balance Loop puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Balance Loop Puzzles to get started on. More Balance Loops can be found in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli and in Balance Loop by Prasanna Seshadri and Murat Can Tonta.