Pentominous (Borders) by Mark Sweep

Pentominous by Mark Sweep

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: Hilarious

Author/Opus: This is the 1st puzzle from guest contributor Mark Sweep.

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

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:45, Master = 9:00, Expert = 18:00

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

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 the Plenty o’ Pentominous series by Grant Fikes and Murat Can Tonta and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

Skyscrapers Sudoku by John Bulten

Skyscrapers Sudoku by John Bulten

PDF

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

Theme: Tau Cross

Author/Opus: This is the 79th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. Also, standard Skyscrapers rules.

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 8:00, Master = 14:00, Expert = 28:00

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.

Skyscrapers (Sum) by Murat Can Tonta

Skyscrapers by Murat Can Tonta

PDF

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

Theme: Count Up

Author/Opus: This is the 199th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Variation of Skyscrapers; each clue represents the sum of the heights of the visible buildings in that direction.

Difficulty: 1 star

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

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.

Sunday Stumper: Slitherlink (Cipher; Even Rows/Columns) by John Bulten

This year, we have started to have some extra difficult Sunday Stumpers, about once a month. These will be quite tough puzzles, but with a logical path to be found (and solution videos to help). This fourth Sunday Stumper is a Slitherlink puzzle with two variant rules added to it.

Slitherlink by John Bulten

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; in default edgexoi mode: left-click+drag draws line, right click marks X on edge, clicking inside a cell alternates color to yellow then green then white; hitting tab will alternate to a number entry mode that can be used to write over the letter clues and hitting tab again will go back to edgexoi.)

Theme: From Here to Maternity

Author/Opus: This is the 78th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Slitherlink rules. The letters A, M, O, and Y stand for different digits from 0 – 3. Also, an even number of cells in each row and in each column must be inside the loop.

Difficulty: 4.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 17:30, Master = 25:00, Expert = 50:00

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

Note: Follow this link for classic Slitherlink and this link for Slitherlink variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Slitherlink puzzles to get started on. More Slitherlink puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, Slitherlink and Variations, and our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101.

Nurikabe (Pairs) by Thomas Snyder

Nurikabe Pairs by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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

Theme: Diamond Archipelago

Author/Opus: This is the 380th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Variation of Nurikabe rules. Every region of white cells must contain exactly two numbers (instead of one) and have total size equal to the sum of the two numbers.

Also, see this example:

Nurikabe Pairs by Serkan Yürekli

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:00, Master = 6:15, Expert = 12:30

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

Note: Follow this link for classic Nurikabe and this link for Nurikabe variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Nurikabe puzzles to get started on. More Nurikabe puzzles can be in The Art of Puzzles, in our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101, and in the e-book Nurikabe by Ashish Kumar.

Nurikabe (Skyscrapers) by Ashish Kumar

Nurikabe Skyscrapers by Ashish Kumar

PDF

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

Theme: Windmill

Author/Opus: This is the 68th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Ashish Kumar.

Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules. Also, the numbers outside the grid show the number of shaded segments visible in that direction (as in Skyscrapers). A shaded segment of length N in a given direction is taken as a building of height N. A building blocks the view of any building behind it of equal or lesser height.

Also, see this example:

Nurikabe Skyscrapers by Serkan Yürekli

Difficulty: 3 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:30, Expert = 9:00

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

Note: Follow this link for classic Nurikabe and this link for Nurikabe variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Nurikabe puzzles to get started on. More Nurikabe puzzles can be in The Art of Puzzles, in our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101, and in the e-book Nurikabe by Ashish Kumar.

Slitherlink (Turning) by Murat Can Tonta

Myopia by Ashish Kumar

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; in default edgex mode: left-click+drag draws line, right click marks X on edge, tab shifts to a circle shape drawing mode that can help mark the vertices with different circle choices with another tab going back to default edgex)

Theme: Circular Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 197th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Draw a single, non-intersecting loop that only consists of horizontal and vertical segments between the dots. Numbers inside a cell indicate the number of turns taken by the loop at the four dots around it.

Also, see this example:

Myopia by Serkan Yürekli

Difficulty: 4 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:00, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

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

Note: Follow this link for other Loop/Path puzzles. The puzzle styles featured this week are part of the book Loop Variety Collection by Ashish Kumar and Murat Can Tonta.

Maxi Loop by Murat Can Tonta

Maxi Loop by Murat Can Tonta

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; in default linex mode: left-click+drag draws line, right click marks X on edge)

Theme: Four T’s

Author/Opus: This is the 196th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Draw a single, non-intersecting loop in the grid that passes through all white cells. If a number clue is given in a bold region, that number indicates the total count of cells passed through by the largest connected loop section(s) in the region.

Also, see this example:

Maxi Loop by Serkan Yürekli

Difficulty: 3.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:30, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

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

Note: Follow this link for other Loop/Path puzzles. The puzzle styles featured this week are part of the book Loop Variety Collection by Ashish Kumar and Murat Can Tonta.

Country Road by Ashish Kumar

Country Road by Ashish Kumar

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; in default lineox mode: left-click+drag draws line, clicking one time in a cell marks a circle and a second time marks an X)

Theme: Brick Wall

Author/Opus: This is the 66th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Ashish Kumar.

Rules: Draw a single, non-intersecting loop in the grid that enters and exits each bold region exactly once. If a number clue is given in a region, that number indicates the exact number of cells used by the loop in the region. Unused cells cannot be orthogonally adjacent across different regions.

Also, see this example:

Country Road by Serkan Yürekli

Difficulty: 2.5 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

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

Note: Follow this link for other Loop/Path puzzles. The puzzle styles featured this week are part of the book Loop Variety Collection by Ashish Kumar and Murat Can Tonta.

Maxi Loop by Murat Can Tonta

Maxi Loop by Murat Can Tonta

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; in default linex mode: left-click+drag draws line, right click marks X on edge)

Theme: Wbox

Author/Opus: This is the 195th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Draw a single, non-intersecting loop in the grid that passes through all white cells. If a number clue is given in a bold region, that number indicates the total count of cells passed through by the largest connected loop section(s) in the region.

Also, see this example:

Maxi Loop by Serkan Yürekli

Difficulty: 2 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:30, Master = 3:00, Expert = 6:00

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

Note: Follow this link for other Loop/Path puzzles. The puzzle styles featured this week are part of the book Loop Variety Collection by Ashish Kumar and Murat Can Tonta.