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This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Logical
Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules. Also, the digits do not repeat along the two main diagonals.
Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 4th row from left to right.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:30, Master = 5:15, Expert = 10:30
Solution: PDF
As promised, here was the original Thermo-Skyscrapers created for the USPC. I like the visual pattern and tightness of solving path much more, but it was simply too hard to use, particularly before the practice you now have from the one you saw on the USPC from yesterday’s post.
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: No given numbers, and full clue cell symmetry
Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules. Also, as in Thermo-Sudoku, digits must be strictly increasing in all thermometer shapes from round bulb to flat end.
Answer String: Enter the seven digits inside the grid for the 7th row from left to right, followed by a comma, and then the seven digits inside the grid for the 4th column from top to bottom.
Solution: PDF
The hardest puzzle I wrote for the USPC was originally intended to be presented as a subtle “surprise”. The rules would have covered what thermometer shapes do (strictly increase from bulb to flat end), but would not have been explicit that those shapes could reach outside the grid. So finding a grid with no external numbers but with many external shapes would have been a manageable but perhaps unexpected surprise. But it was decided to just be explicit here, and with some other authors in the last few months having used the same external clue ideas with skyscrapers (including myself here with an Even/Odd Skyscrapers after I knew the fate of this puzzle) it’s not clear if this would have been unexpected anyway.
I thought this was an interesting extension of some inequality skyscraper concepts I’ve seen elsewhere. My first attempt at this puzzle type was judged very elegant and far too hard. My second attempt kept one of these two traits and made it onto the test. Like the TomTom, this variation seemed to get pretty good reviews, but I do know some solvers who fell into the trap of thinking an outside number blocked that number from appearing inside the grid.
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
Theme: No given numbers, and full clue cell symmetry
Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules. Also, as in Thermo-Sudoku, digits must be strictly increasing in all thermometer shapes from round bulb to flat end.
Answer String: For the USPC, the answer string was the internal cells in the 4th row and 7th row. For this week, you can just hit the solved button on an honor system if you think you’ve solved it.
Solution: PDF
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.
Theme: No givens (this variation was inspired in part by the Even/Odd round at the 19th WPC by Lukasz Bozykowski.)
Rules: Standard Skyscrapers rules. All even digits (and only even digits) have been shaded gray. Note: this means that all unshaded digits, including unshaded outside digits, are odd.
Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 3rd row from left to right.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00
Solution: PDF
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Big City
Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, standard Skyscrapers rules.
Answer String: Enter the 8th column from top to bottom, followed by a comma, followed by the 9th column from top to bottom.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:00, Master = 6:30, Expert = 13:00
Solution: PDF
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)
This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.
Theme: Arithmetic Series
Rules: Variant of Skyscrapers rules. The numbers outside the grid represent the sum of the buildings seen in that row or column. For example, if a row is 12534, the clue from the left would be an 8 (1+2+5) and from the right would be a 9 (4+5).
Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row from left to right.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:30
Solution: PDF