TomTom (Different Number Set) by Dan Katz

TomTom by Dan Katz

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

Theme: Even

Author/Opus: This is the 15th puzzle from guest contributor Dan Katz.

Rules: Standard TomTom rules, using the indicated set of integers {0,2,4,6,8}.

Answer String: Enter the 1st 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 = 1:00, Master = 1:30, Expert = 3:00

Solution: PDF

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

Pentominous (Borders) by Murat Can Tonta

Pentominous by Murat Can Tonta

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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: Alphabetical Order

Author/Opus: This is the 136th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

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 columns from top to bottom, separating the groups with a comma. Use CAPITAL LETTERS!

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30

Solution: PDF; a solution video is also available here from Cracking the Cryptic and another video from Ashish Kumar.

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

Nanro (Signpost) by Murat Can Tonta

Nanro by Murat Can Tonta

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

Theme: Tetromino Tiling

Author/Opus: This is the 134th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

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 = 3:15, Master = 4:15, Expert = 8:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for Nanro puzzles on this website and this link for variations on Nanro puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Nanro Puzzles to get started on. More Nanro puzzles can be found in A Number o’ Nanro by Prasanna Seshadri.

Battleships (Digital) by Serkan Yürekli

Battleships (Digital) by Serkan Yürekli

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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between ship placement and shading modes. In ship placement mode, right click gives sea, left click gives circle/square, left click and drag for rounded ships.)

Theme: First 100 of Pi

Author/Opus: This is the 249th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Variation of standard Battleships rules. Locate the indicated fleet in the grid. Each segment of a ship occupies a single cell. Ships can be rotated. Ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. The clues on the right and bottom edges of the grid reveal the sum of the digits in each of the ship segments that appear in that row or column.

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a ship segment appears (enter just the last digit for any two-digit number). If the row is empty, enter 0. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:14, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF

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

Smashed Sums by Michael Tang

Smashed Sums by Michael Tang

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

Theme: Binary

Author/Opus: This is the 1st puzzle from guest contributor Michael Tang. You can find more puzzles from Michael on the blog mstang’s puzzles.

Rules: Fill each row and column of the grid with the digits 1 to 5 and two blackened cells. Numbers outside the grid indicate the sum of the digits between the two blackened cells in that row or column. Blackened cells are allowed to touch. Or see here.

Answer String: Enter the 5th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th row from left to right. Use an X (capital letter) for each blackened square.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 3:00, Expert = 6:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other less common Number Placement puzzles.

Tight Fit Sudoku (Unique Pairs) by Chris Green

Tight Fit Sudoku by Chris Green

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or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between Sudoku = big entries and Number candidate = small entries in the corners of cells.)

Theme: Sweeping Diagonals

Author/Opus: This is the 9th puzzle from guest contributor Chris Green.

Rules: Standard Tight Fit Sudoku rules. Also, looking across all of the Tight Fit cells in both grids, each Tight Fit cell must have a unique pair of digits.

Answer String: In the top grid, enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 4th row from left to right; then, after another comma, in the bottom grid enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 6th row from left to right. (Note: for the tight fit cells, enter the top before the bottom as would be normal for the read order.)

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 11:15, Master = 20:00, Expert = 40:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other Tight Fit Sudoku puzzles on this website. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Tight Fit Sudoku to get started on. More Tight Fit Sudoku can be found in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli and in The Art of Sudoku 2.

Birthday Surprise Sudoku by Prasanna Seshadri

(Note: This bonus puzzle is being posted today to mark the occasion of Prasanna’s birthday.)

Birthday Surprise Sudoku by Prasanna Seshadri

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

Theme: 28 from 03/02 1991-2019

Author/Opus: This is the 173rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Sudoku rules. The numbers outside the grid indicate the sum of all digits between the 8 and the 9 in that row or column. Also, as in Consecutive Pairs Sudoku, if a gray circle is given between two adjacent cells, then the two numbers in those cells must be consecutive. (Note: not all gray circles are given; adjacent cells without a circle may contain either consecutive numbers or nonconsecutive numbers.)

Answer String: Enter the 1st row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th row from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:45, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF

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

Jigsaw Wordoku by Bryce Herdt

Jigsaw Wordoku by Bryce Herdt

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

Theme: Feng Shui (Clue symmetry, and 7 of the regions have one line of symmetry for the region and for the clues)

Author/Opus: This is the 12th puzzle from guest contributor Bryce Herdt.

Rules: Insert a letter from FENG SHUI into each cell so that no letter repeats in any row, column, or bold region.

Answer String: Enter the 4th row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th row from left to right. Use CAPITAL LETTERS.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30

Solution: PDF

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

Battleships (Minesweeper) by Ozan Kaya

Battleships by Ozan Kaya

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between ship placement and shading modes. In ship placement mode, right click gives sea, left click gives circle/square, left click and drag for rounded ships.)

Theme: Evens and Odds

Author/Opus: This is the 1st puzzle from guest contributor Ozan Kaya.

Rules: Variation of standard Battleships rules. Instead of exterior clues, clues inside the grid indicate the number of adjacent squares, including diagonally adjacent squares, containing ship segments. Ships do not sit on cells with numbers.

Answer String: For each row from top to bottom, enter the number of the first column from the left where a ship segment appears (enter just the last digit for any two-digit number). If the row is empty, enter 0. Enter these numbers as a single string with no separators.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for more variations on Battleships and this link for classic Battleships. More Battleships puzzles can be found in Battleships and Variations, in The Art of Puzzles, and in our beginner-friendly collection Intro to GMPuzzles by Serkan Yürekli.

Nanro (Doubleback) by Takeya Saikachi

Nanro by Takeya Saikachi

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

Theme: Grid Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 4th puzzle from guest contributor Takeya Saikachi.

Rules: Variation of Nanro and Nanro Signpost puzzles.

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 bold region must contain at least one labeled cell. The small clue numbers indicate how many cells in that region are used. When two numbers are orthogonally adjacent across a region boundary, the numbers must be different. Each bolded region must be visited twice (i.e., have exactly two distinct connected groups inside it).

Also see this example:

Nanro (Doubleback) 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 = 5:45, Master = 7:15, Expert = 14:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for Nanro puzzles on this website and this link for variations on Nanro puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Nanro Puzzles to get started on. More Nanro puzzles can be found in A Number o’ Nanro by Prasanna Seshadri.