Here are our best Object Placement puzzles of 2016, selected from the 23 posts over the year.

The last year (+ one week) saw two new puzzlemasters join the team. Murat Can Tonta proved a master of clever puzzles, including this all black Statue Park puzzle.

Our other new puzzlemaster, Carl Worth, while still a “guest” of the site, contributed this Pentopia puzzle that a lot of solvers liked.

(view directly for a larger image)

Another Pentopia, this time a “Transparent” variation, from Prasanna Seshadri also got high marks.

The best object placement puzzle of 2016 though was this challenging Star Battle puzzle from Thomas Snyder, posted here from the US round to the Puzzle Grand Prix. Amusingly, it narrowly edged out in votes this other Star Battle from Thomas that was voted the best by the coordinators of the Grand Prix. Reviewing the votes across the board, our GMPuzzles voters do seem to prefer the super tough, unique challenges, and that is something the “Cornered” Star Battle certainly embodies.

(view directly for a larger image)

PDF

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

Theme: Black Hole Sun

Author/Opus: This is the 51st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments 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 = 6:30, Master = 11:15, Expert = 22:30

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.

PDF

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

Theme: All Black

Author/Opus: This is the 47th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments 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 = 3:15, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.

PDF

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

Theme: Antisymmetry

Author/Opus: This is the 188th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules. Use all 12 pentominoes once.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments 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 = 3:45, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.

PDF

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

Theme: 2015 (Originally on 2015 Indian Puzzle Championship)

Author/Opus: This is the 87th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments 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 = 0:45, Master = 1:30, Expert = 3:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.

PDF

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

Theme: IPC (Originally on 2015 Indian Puzzle Championship)

Author/Opus: This is the 86th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments 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 = 0:40, Master = 1:00, Expert = 2:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.

PDF

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

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic (Originally on 2015 Indian Puzzle Championship)

Author/Opus: This is the 85th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments 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 = 0:40, Master = 1:00, Expert = 2:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.

PDF

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

Theme: Antisymmetry

Author/Opus: This is the 37th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Palmer Mebane.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules. Use all 12 pentominoes once; rotations and reflection are allowed.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments 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 = 10:00, Master = 12:30, Expert = 25:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.

PDF

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

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 5th puzzle from guest contributor Tapio Saarinen. You can find more of his puzzles on Perplexible.

Rules: Combination of Statue Park and Tapa.

Place 11 pentominoes (no P) into the grid, rotations and reflections allowed. Pentominoes cannot cover any cells with clues, and no pentominoes can share an edge (diagonal touching allowed). All remaining white cells, including those with clues, must be connected. Number clues behave like Tapa clues and indicate the length of consecutive shaded blocks in the neighboring cells. All ?s stand for clue values 1 or greater.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments 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 = 5:00, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles or Tapa Puzzles.

PDF

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

Theme: Mountain

Author/Opus: This is the 139th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Statue Park rules. Use all 12 pentominoes once.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the shaded segments 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 = 2:30, Master = 4:15, Expert = 8:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Statue Park Puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Statue Parks to get started on.