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: Slanted Squares

Author/Opus: This is the 2nd puzzle from guest contributor Mark Sweep.

Rules: Standard Castle Wall rules, but none of the clue colors are given. The solver should determine whether each gray clue is white or black. Also, the loop must go straight through the cells with white circles, with a turn in at least one of the cells immediately before/after each white circle. The loop must make a turn in all the black circles, but must go straight in both cells immediately before/after each black circle.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:15, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

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

Note: Follow this link for more Castle Wall puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Castle Wall puzzles to get started on. More Castle Wall puzzles can be found in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles as well as the larger collection Castle Wall, both by Serkan Yürekli.

PDF

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

Theme: Poker Face

Author/Opus: This is the 75th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Ashish Kumar.

Rules: Standard Arrow Sudoku rules. Also, some of the digits in the circles are encrypted with letters. Each letter represents a different positive integer, for the solver to determine.

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:00, Master = 17:30, Expert = 35:00

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

Note: Follow this link for more Arrow Sudoku. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Arrow Sudoku to get started on. More Arrow Sudoku puzzles can be found in The Art of Sudoku 2 and Masterpiece Sudoku Mix 3.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; note that solution checking requires the 12 ciphered clues and the thirty-six interior cells to all be marked)

Theme: NEWS

Author/Opus: This is the 28th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster JinHoo Ahn.

Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules, using the integers 1-6. Also, each letter represents a different positive integer, for the solver to determine.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:30, Master = 13:30, Expert = 27:00

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

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

PDF

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

Theme: Stopped on the Way Back

Author/Opus: This is the 211th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Place the digits 1-9 in some of the cells, so that no digit is repeated in any row or column. Numbers on the outside of the grid indicate the sums of adjacent digit groups in that row or column, in order. Each sum is separated by at least one unused cell. A ? can represent any sum of 1 or larger.

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 10:00, Master = 19:15, Expert = 38:30

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

Note: Follow this link for other Japanese Sums puzzles.

PDF

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

Theme: Multiples of 3

Author/Opus: This is the 27th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster JinHoo Ahn.

Rules: Place the digits 1-7 (1-9 for the example) in some of the cells, so that no digit is repeated in any row or column. Numbers on the outside of the grid indicate the sums of adjacent digit groups in that row or column, in order. Each sum is separated by at least one unused cell.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:00, Master = 8:45, Expert = 17:30

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

Note: Follow this link for other Japanese Sums puzzles.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools. Use left click to place mine, right click (in cell) to mark unused, right click (on edge/corner) to mark a note. If you want more solving options, turn off Penpa-Lite option.)

Theme: Frames

Author/Opus: This is the 50th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Palmer Mebane.

Rules: Standard Minesweeper rules.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 8:00, Master = 13:15, Expert = 26:30

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

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

PDF

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

Theme: Tightly Packed

Author/Opus: This is the 387th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Place the twelve pentominoes into the grid, rotations and reflections allowed. Pentominoes cannot cover the numbered cells, and different pentomino shapes cannot be placed in adjacent cells that share an edge or corner. Numbered cells indicate how many of the surrounding cells (including diagonally adjacent cells) contain parts of the pentominoes.

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:45, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00

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

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

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: Noah’s Ark

Author/Opus: This is the 9th puzzle from guest contributor Roger Barkan.

Rules: Standard Cave rules.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:45, Master = 9:15, Expert = 18:30

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

Note: Follow this link for classic Caves and this link for Cave variations. 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 shift between shading mode and the linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Sevens

Author/Opus: This is the 7th puzzle from guest contributor Michael Tang.

Rules: Standard Cave rules.

Difficulty: 3 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:00, Master = 4:15, Expert = 8:30

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

Note: Follow this link for classic Caves and this link for Cave variations. 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)

Theme: Two Snakes

Author/Opus: This is the 72nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Ashish Kumar.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules.

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:30, Master = 10:15, Expert = 20:30

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

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.