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

Theme: Back and Forth

Author/Opus: This is the 13th puzzle from guest contributor Bryce Herdt.

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:

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded pentomino 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 = 2:45, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF

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

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

Theme: Binary

Author/Opus: This is the 1st puzzle from guest contributor Michael Tang. You can find more puzzles from Michael on the blog mstang’s puzzles.

Rules: Fill each row and column of the grid with the digits 1 to 5 and two blackened cells. Numbers outside the grid indicate the sum of the digits between the two blackened cells in that row or column. Blackened cells are allowed to touch. Or see here.

Answer String: Enter the 5th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th row from left to right. Use an X (capital letter) for each blackened square.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 3:00, Expert = 6:00

Solution: PDF

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

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

Theme: Easy as LITS

Author/Opus: This is the 132nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Star Battle rules. Two stars per row, column, and region.

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a star appears. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:00, Master = 1:20, Expert = 2:40

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Star Battles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Star Battles to get started on. More Star Battle puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

Our master+ subscribers receive access to two bonus puzzles each week in addition to other rewards. We make these posts so those supporters have a space to comment on these puzzles, mark as FAVES, or log their solving. If you are interested in subscribing and seeing these bonus puzzles, click here for more info.

Theme: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 296th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Masyu rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of the horizontal loop segments from left to right in the marked rows, starting at the top. If the loop only has vertical segments in the marked row, enter 0. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:45, Master = 1:00, Expert = 2:00

Note: Follow this link for other classic Masyu. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Masyu to get started on. More Masyu puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles.

Our master+ subscribers receive access to two bonus puzzles each week in addition to other rewards. We make these posts so those supporters have a space to comment on these puzzles, mark as FAVES, or log their solving. If you are interested in subscribing and seeing these bonus puzzles, click here for more info.

Theme: 3/3

Author/Opus: This is the 336th 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 = 5:15, Master = 11:00, Expert = 22:00

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.

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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Sudoku = big entries and Number candidate = small entries in the corners of cells.)

Theme: Sweeping Diagonals

Author/Opus: This is the 9th puzzle from guest contributor Chris Green.

Rules: Standard Tight Fit Sudoku rules. Also, looking across all of the Tight Fit cells in both grids, each Tight Fit cell must have a unique pair of digits.

Answer String: In the top grid, enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 4th row from left to right; then, after another comma, in the bottom grid enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th row from left to right. (Note: for the tight fit cells, enter the top before the bottom as would be normal for the read order.)

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 11:15, Master = 20:00, Expert = 40:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Tight Fit Sudoku puzzles on this website. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Tight Fit Sudoku to get started on. More Tight Fit Sudoku can be found in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli and in The Art of Sudoku 2.

(Note: This bonus puzzle is being posted today to mark the occasion of Prasanna’s birthday.)

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

Theme: 28 from 03/02 1991-2019

Author/Opus: This is the 173rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. The numbers outside the grid indicate the sum of all digits between the 8 and the 9 in that row or column. Also, as in Consecutive Pairs Sudoku, if a gray circle is given between two adjacent cells, then the two numbers in those cells must be consecutive. (Note: not all gray circles are given; adjacent cells without a circle may contain either consecutive numbers or nonconsecutive numbers.)

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:45, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF

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

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

Theme: Dots Vs. Numbers

Author/Opus: This is the 11th puzzle from guest contributor Ashish Kumar.

Rules: Standard Consecutive Pairs Sudoku rules. (If a gray circle is given between two adjacent cells, then the two numbers in those cells must be consecutive. Note not all gray circles are given; adjacent cells without a circle may contain either consecutive numbers or nonconsecutive numbers.)

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:30, Master = 12:30, Expert = 25:00

Solution: PDF

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

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

Theme: Rocket Launch

Author/Opus: This is the 248th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, the sum of the digits in each cage must equal the value given in the upper-left corner of that cage. Digits cannot repeat inside a cage.

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:00, Master = 7:30, Expert = 15:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for more Killer Sudoku and this link for classic Sudoku. More Killer Sudoku puzzles can be found in Killer Sudoku by Serkan Yürekli.

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Theme: Feng Shui (Clue symmetry, and 7 of the regions have one line of symmetry for the region and for the clues)

Author/Opus: This is the 12th puzzle from guest contributor Bryce Herdt.

Rules: Insert a letter from FENG SHUI into each cell so that no letter repeats in any row, column, or bold region.

Answer String: Enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row from left to right. Use CAPITAL LETTERS.

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

Solution: PDF

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