PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a number entry mode.)

Theme: 123456

Author/Opus: This is the 273rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules. Also, all polyominoes should have rotational symmetry.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 2nd column, followed by a comma, followed by the 3rd column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino and this link for more variations on Fillomino puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on. More Fillomino puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, in Fill o’ Fillomino and Fill o’ Fillomino 2 by Grant Fikes, and in our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a number entry mode.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 314th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules. Also, all polyominoes must be rectangles.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 7th row, followed by a comma, followed by the 3rd column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino and this link for more variations on Fillomino puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on. More Fillomino puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, in Fill o’ Fillomino and Fill o’ Fillomino 2 by Grant Fikes, and in our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a number entry mode.)

Theme: 26 Dice

Author/Opus: This is the 354th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 9th row, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:00, Master = 1:30, Expert = 3:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino and this link for more variations on Fillomino puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on. More Fillomino puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, in Fill o’ Fillomino and Fill o’ Fillomino 2 by Grant Fikes, and in 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: Twos and Threes

Author/Opus: This is the 272nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Cave rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the cave segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Caves. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Cave Puzzles to get started on. More Cave puzzles can be found in Roger Barkan’s Colossal Cave Collection, in The Art of Puzzles, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing, a shading mode, and a shape (star) entry mode for the relay puzzle.)

Theme: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 37th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Carl Worth.

Rules: First, solve the top grid puzzle as a Mirror Universe puzzle: Divide the grid along the indicated lines into connected regions – “galaxies” – so that every cell is part of one galaxy and every galaxy has one circle clue inside it. If the galaxy contains a plain circle without any lines, the galaxy must be rotationally symmetric with that circle being the center of rotational symmetry. If the galaxy contains a circle with a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, the galaxy must have mirror symmetry when reflecting across the line given in the circle. Also, some cells contain black dots – “asteroids” – which must be symmetrically arranged based on the rules of symmetry (rotational or mirror) for every galaxy that contains them.

Mirror Universe + Asteroids Example by Carl Worth:

Then, copy all ten of the galaxy regions from the solved Mirror Universe into the bottom grid. Solve this puzzle as a Star Battle puzzle with two stars in every 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 = 8:00, Master = 10:15, Expert = 20:30

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.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in a composite mode for line/edge drawing)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 31st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Ashish Kumar.

Rules: Divide the grid into five cell regions (pentominoes). The clue numbers in the grid indicate how many of the four edges of that cell are part of the border of a pentomino. (There can be no lines inside the P pentomino.)

See also this example:

Answer String: Enter the letter associated with the pentomino occupying each cell in the marked rows from left to right, separating the groups with a comma. Use CAPITAL LETTERS!

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:30, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other puzzles involving Pentominoes.

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: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 29th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Ashish Kumar and 348th from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Cave rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the cave segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:00, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00

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

Note: Follow this link for other classic Caves. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Cave Puzzles to get started on. More Cave puzzles can be found in Roger Barkan’s Colossal Cave Collection, in The Art of Puzzles, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

(view directly for a larger image)

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a letter entry mode.)

Theme: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 311th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Variation of Pentominous rules. Some borders between pentominoes are already drawn.

Answer String: Enter the letter associated with the pentomino occupying each cell in the marked rows from left to right, separating the groups with a comma. Use CAPITAL LETTERS!

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:30, Master = 11:00, Expert = 22:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Pentominous puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Pentominous to get started on. More Pentominous puzzles can be found in Plenty o’ Pentominous by Grant Fikes and Murat Can Tonta and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

This week we are sharing easy sample puzzles from our ebook The Puzzlemasters’ Workshop which showcases six authors exploring new puzzle styles or variations with 8-10 challenges in each section. Today’s post is Mirror Universe.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between an edge mode, a line mode, and a shading mode.)

Theme: Circle

Background: Variation of the region division puzzle Spiral Galaxies, with new clues indicating galaxies with mirror symmetry. This variation was created by Carl Worth.

Rules: Divide the grid along the indicated lines into connected regions – “galaxies” – so that every cell is part of one galaxy and every galaxy has one circle clue inside it. If the galaxy contains a plain circle without any lines, the galaxy must be rotationally symmetric with that circle being the center of rotational symmetry. If the galaxy contains a circle with a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, the galaxy must have mirror symmetry when reflecting across the line given in the circle.

Example by Carl Worth:

(No official times or solution entry for this week; just click “SOLVE?” when finished.)

Solution: Last page of PDF

Note: More Mirror Universe puzzles can be found in The Puzzlemasters’ Workshop.

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: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 264th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Cave rules. (The puzzle is on a hexagonal grid and cells now see in a maximum of six possible directions.)

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the cave segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:45, Master = 6:45, Expert = 13:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Caves. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Cave Puzzles to get started on. More Cave puzzles can be found in Roger Barkan’s Colossal Cave Collection, in The Art of Puzzles, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.