Archive for the ‘Puzzle’ Category:

From the Foxger’s Den #42: Statue Park

Statue Park by Grant Fikes

PDF

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

Theme: Antisymmetry!

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules. The given subset of the pentominoes is to be used in this puzzle, with rotations and reflections allowed.

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 = 2:30, Master = 3:45, Expert = 7:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.

Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #117 – Tight Fit Sudoku

Tight Fit Sudoku by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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: Wheel

Rules: Standard Tight Fit Sudoku rules. Range is 1-10.

Answer String: Enter the 2nd column from top to bottom, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th column from top to bottom. Enter both digits for the 10’s. (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 = 4:00, Master = 7:15, Expert = 14:30

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.

Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #116 – Tom/Tom

TomTom by Thomas Snyder

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between “big” sudoku and “small” number entry modes.)

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Cage symmetry and repeated clue values

Rules: Variation of standard TomTom rules. The indicated range [1-6] is larger than usual for a 4 x 4 puzzle. Some cells containing slashes require two digits to be placed. These cells should be treated as fractional values (top value over bottom value) for the purposes of solving the puzzle.

Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 4th row from left to right. (Note: for the cells with slashes, enter the top before the bottom.)

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

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.

From the Foxger’s Den #41: LITS

LITS by Grant Fikes

PDF

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

Theme: Logical

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 = 1:20, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00

Solution: PDF

Detuned Broadcast #6: Yajilin

Yajilin by Tom Collyer

(View image directly for larger form.)

PDF

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

Theme: Clue symmetry and logic

Rules: Standard Yajilin 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 = 8:30, Master = 12:00, Expert = 24:00

Solution: PDF

Detuned Broadcast #5: Sudoku

Sudoku by Tom Collyer

PDF

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

Theme: Two by Three by Four

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 1st column from top to bottom, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th column from top to bottom.

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

Solution: PDF

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.

Detuned Broadcast #4: Yajilin

Yajilin by Tom Collyer

PDF

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

Theme: Logical

Rules: Standard Yajilin 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 = 2:30, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

Solution: PDF

Detuned Broadcast #3: Nurikabe

Nurikabe by Tom Collyer

PDF

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

Theme: Paired Islands

Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments (the unnumbered, connected “ocean”) 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 = 1:20, Expert = 2:40

Solution: PDF

Detuned Broadcast #2: Yajilin

Yajilin by Tom Collyer

PDF

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

Theme: Almost All Two Easy!

Rules: Standard Yajilin 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 = 0:55, Master = 1:10, Expert = 2:20

Solution: PDF

Detuned Broadcast #1: Masyu

Masyu by Tom Collyer

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: TC

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 = 1:00, Master = 1:30, Expert = 3:00

Editor’s Note: Today we add Tom Collyer to our list of Contributing Puzzlemasters. A noted sudoku solver and puzzle author, Tom’s Friday Puzzles have been an online puzzle mainstay for many years — not to be confused with Thomas‘s Friday Puzzle which started around the same time.

Solution: PDF