Last week’s variety mix can be found in this PDF.

Next week will feature a set of six different puzzles from Prasanna Seshadri that share a common new rule:

The new “windows” rule is a connection between different sections of the grid that need to have an opposite use of the cells. The specific puzzles are:
Monday: Nurikabe
Tuesday: Tapa-Like Loop
Wednesday: Cave
Thursday: Kurotto
Friday: Masyu
Saturday: Tapa

Our supporters will also be receiving a challenging 13×13 LITS puzzle from Prasanna Seshadri, access to puzzle solutions, and a video walkthrough of the Thursday puzzle. If you’d like to receive some of these special rewards, please click here for more info.

Next week will feature a variety mix from many of our puzzlemasters:

Monday: Yajilin by Prasanna Seshadri
Tuesday: Slitherlink by Grant Fikes
Wednesday: Cave by Prasanna Seshadri
Thursday: LITS^2 by Murat Can Tonta
Friday: Statue Park by Grant Fikes
Saturday: Double Kakuro by Serkan Yürekli

Our supporters will also be receiving a bonus 18×10 Fillomino puzzle from Grant Fikes, and access to puzzle solutions and a video walkthrough of the Saturday puzzle. If you’d like to receive some of these special rewards, please click here for more info.

Last week’s LITS/Nanro variant mix can be found in this PDF.

As we mentioned at the start of the month, we are aiming to publish puzzles 3 out of every 4 weeks this year; after three straight weeks with puzzles, we will be off next week. We’ll be back on 2/8 with a variety mix. We’ll also finally restart our site rewards. If you would like to become a supporter of the site, and get rewards including bonus puzzles, solution walkthroughs, and even e-books, please click here for more info.

Last week’s Snake puzzle mix from Serkan Yürekli can be found in this PDF.

Next week will feature two similar variations of shading puzzles, independently created by Chris Green and Prasanna Seshadri. The difficulty may be more variable than usual, but we think you’ll find the LITS and Nanro variations to be very fun.

Finally, starting with our next puzzle release (in two weeks), we will be restarting our site rewards. If you would like to become a supporter of the site, and get rewards including bonus puzzles, solution walkthroughs, and even e-books, click here for more info.

Last week’s variety mix from Murat Can Tonta can be found in this PDF.

Next week will feature a Snake puzzle collection from Serkan Yürekli.

Next week will feature another variety mix from our newest puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta. The specific schedule is:

Monday: Yajilin
Tuesday: Cave
Wednesday: Masyu
Thursday: Slash Pack
Friday: Pentominous
Saturday: Cross the Streams

For the first quarter of 2016, we’re aiming to post full weeks of puzzles at least 3 times each month, and I’m adding more help from our other team members to ensure more regular posting, e-books, and other GMPuzzles releases. We’re also reworking site rewards, to be weekly and not monthly this year, and we will post an update here soon about the new campaign.

All of the puzzles selected by our solvers as the “Best of 2015” are gathered in this PDF.

We’ll be back next week with new puzzles, and some thoughts on what is ahead in 2016 for GMPuzzles.

Here are our best Shading puzzles of 2015. As shading puzzles are (still) our most frequent category with 42 posts, there are five awards this year with just four in the other categories.

Leading off this list is a very neat geometry of cages in this Nanro by Grant Fikes.

This classic Tapa puzzle by Tapio Saarinen with an antisymmetry theme also got a lot of Fave votes.

Hex week was by far our most favorited week of puzzles in 2015, and every puzzle from that week was either a Best of … winner or a close runner-up. In the shading genre, Prasanna Seshadri’s Tapa (Hex) was amongst the best shading puzzles of 2015.

Also from Hex week, this SLICY by Thomas Snyder (a LITS variant) was a top shading puzzle and tied for third for votes across the year.

The best puzzle in this category, and the best puzzle of the year based on number of Fave votes, was this Unique Clues variation of Tapa by Tapio Saarinen. It was truly a special puzzle with many different insights hidden in a quite elegant package.

Here are our best Region Division puzzles of 2015.

While the year would mostly belong to great Fillomino puzzles, this Cave puzzle by Thomas Snyder with an antisymmetry theme earned a “Best of …” honor.

Grant Fikes’ Valentine’s Day Fillomino earned a lot of love from our solvers.

(View image directly for larger form.)

Palmer Mebane’s Fillomino “Married or Single?” also earned a fair share of Fave votes.

The most votes in this category though, and the second most favorited puzzle of 2015, was the Shape Fillomino by Palmer Mebane written for one of our patrons.

Here are our best Loop/Path puzzles of 2015.

The first best “Loop” puzzle is a hybrid with object placement and featured twelve pentomino shaped loops. Serkan Yürekli wrote this favorited Slitherlink (Pentomino) puzzle.

Prasanna Seshadri introduced a new puzzle style this year in the form of Balance Loop; this particular puzzle was one of the best of 2015.

Prasanna included Balance Loop as part of his quite special Birthday Loop mix. Alongside his 100th puzzle spectacular, Prasanna definitely made a lot of great combo/other puzzles this year.

(View image directly for larger form.)

The best 2015 Loop/Path puzzle came from our newest contributing puzzlemaster. With just two clues, Murat Can Tonta’s Snake Egg still yielded an elegant and surprising challenge.