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.)

Author/Opus: This is the 193rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Tapa rules. Also, similar to Nurikabe, each Tapa clue cell is part of an island of horizontally and vertically connected white cells and the area of the island must be one of the numbers in the clue (as an example, if a clue is 1 5, then the island containing that clue must be either 1 cell or 5 cells large). Islands are allowed to touch diagonally, and there may be islands without any number clues in the grid.

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

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

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: Explosion

Author/Opus: This is the 20th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster JinHoo Ahn.

Rules: Standard Tapa rules.

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:00, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

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

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: White Space

Author/Opus: This is the 75th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Tapa rules.

Difficulty: 2 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:40, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:30

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

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

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: Matrix

Author/Opus: This is the 203rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Tapa rules.

Difficulty: 1.5 stars

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

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

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

This year, we have started to have 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 second Sunday Stumper is a challenging Sudoku variation with a special theme for Pi Day, whether you like Pi or are in the Anti-Pi = Tau camp.

PDF

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

Theme: Pinenut

Author/Opus: This is the 320th puzzle from our managing editor Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, no two of 3, 1, and 4 can appear in adjacent cells. Some cages are marked by dashed lines; 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). Some arrows given outside the grid indicate the sum of the digits along that diagonal path (digits can repeat on a diagonal). The value of any ungiven sum in either a cage or an arrow must not be a number composed solely of the digits 3, 1, and 4 (like 4, 11, 14, 31).

Difficulty: 5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 28:00, Master = 1:00:00, Expert = 2:00:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here from Dr. Sudoku and another video here from Cracking the Cryptic.

Note: Follow this link for other variations on Sudoku.

PDF

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

Theme: Evens

Author/Opus: This is the 192nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules. Also, an even number of cells in each row and in each column must be occupied by pentomino shapes.

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 9:30, Master = 17:00, Expert = 34:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for other classic Statue Park and this link for Statue Park variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on. More Statue Park puzzles can be found in the ebook Statue Park by Murat Can Tonta.

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: Avoid the Edge

Author/Opus: This is the 339th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Tapa rules. Also, an even number of cells must be shaded in each row and in each column.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 8:30, Expert = 17:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

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

PDF

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

Theme: Clock

Author/Opus: This is the 74th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Slitherlink rules. Also, an even number of cells in each row and in each column must be inside the loop.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:45, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for classic Slitherlink and this link for Slitherlink variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Slitherlink puzzles to get started on. More Slitherlink puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, Slitherlink and Variations, and our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101.

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: Missing 5

Author/Opus: This is the 202nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Shade some empty cells black so that each number indicates the total count of white cells connected vertically and horizontally to that number including the numbered cell itself. Black cells cannot share an edge, and all white cells must belong to a single connected group. Also, an even number of cells must be shaded in each row and in each column.

Also see this example:

Difficulty: 3 stars

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

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

Note: Follow this link for more Kuromasu puzzles.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between ship placement and shading modes. In ship placement mode, right click gives sea, left click gives circle/square, left click and drag for rounded ships.)

Theme: Invisible Outer Clues

Author/Opus: This is the 319th puzzle from our managing editor Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Battleships rules. Also, an even number of cells in each row and in each column must be occupied by ship segments.

Difficulty: 2 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:30

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here.

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