Slitherlink by Grant Fikes

Slitherlink by Grant Fikes

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: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 207th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Slitherlink rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the internal loop 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 = 0:45, Master = 1:45, Expert = 3:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Slitherlink. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Slitherlink puzzles to get started on.

Nurikabe by Grant Fikes

Nurikabe by Grant Fikes

PDF

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

Theme: The Most Cliché Nurikabe Theme in Existence™

Author/Opus: This is the 206th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

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. 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

Note: Follow this link for other classic Nurikabe. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Nurikabes to get started on.

Rock Paper Scissors by Serkan Yürekli

Rock Paper Scissors by Serkan Yürekli

PDF

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

Theme: Logical

Author/Opus: This is the 116th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: In this puzzle, the symbols represent a Rock Paper Scissors game (as expected: rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock). Divide the grid into connected regions so that every cell belongs to one region and each region contains exactly two kinds of symbols. In each region there must be only one “winning” symbol and two or more “losing” symbols.

Or see this example:

Answer String: (similar to Fillomino): For each cell in the marked rows, enter the area of the region it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number, and separate the rows by a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:15, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00

Solution: PDF

Arrow Sudoku by Serkan Yürekli

Arrow Sudoku by Serkan Yürekli

PDF

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

Theme: Donington Park Circuit

Author/Opus: This is the 113th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Arrow Sudoku rules.

Answer String: Enter the 2nd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right.

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

Solution: PDF

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.

Yajilin by Murat Can Tonta

Yajilin by Murat Can Tonta

PDF

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

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 34th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

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 = 1:15, Master = 1:30, Expert = 3:00

Solution: PDF

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

Star Battle (Small Regions) by Serkan Yürekli

Star Battle by Serkan Yürekli

PDF

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

Theme: Is It Funny? (shading is for artistic purposes only)

Author/Opus: This is the 107th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Variation of Star Battle rules. There are two stars per row and column, but only one star per 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 = 2:00, Master = 3:00, Expert = 6:00

Solution: PDF

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

Star Battle by Thomas Snyder

Star Battle by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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

Theme: Pentomino Five (originally on the US round for the 2016 WPF Puzzle Grand Prix)

Author/Opus: This is the 242nd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

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. Enter both digits of any two-digit column number.

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

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.

TomTom by Thomas Snyder

TomTom by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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

Theme: Five (originally on the US round for the 2016 WPF Puzzle Grand Prix)

Author/Opus: This is the 241st puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the integers 1-5.

Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right followed by the 4th row from left to right. Separate the entries with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:45, Master = 1:15, Expert = 2:30

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.

Nanro (Signpost) by Thomas Snyder

Nanro (Signpost) by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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

Theme: Pentominoes (originally on the US round for the 2016 WPF Puzzle Grand Prix)

Author/Opus: This is the 238th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Variation of Nanro.

Label some cells with numbers to form a single connected group of labeled cells. No 2×2 group of cells may be fully labeled. Each number must be equal to the total count of labeled cells in that bold region, and all bold regions contain at least one labeled cell. The given numbers indicate how many cells are labeled in that region (but not necessarily which cells are labeled). When two numbers are orthogonally adjacent across a region boundary, the numbers must be different.

Also see this example:

Nanro (Signpost) Example by Thomas Snyder

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the segments labeled with numbers 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 = 1:30, Expert = 3:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Nanro variations and this link for classic Nanro. If you are new to this puzzle type, please first try out our easiest Nanro to get started.

Pentominous (Borders) by Grant Fikes

Pentominous (Borders) by Grant Fikes

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: Vertical Hold (originally on the US round for the 2016 WPF Puzzle Grand Prix)

Author/Opus: This is the 203rd 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 = 2:00, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30

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.