PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools using a composite mode where left click inside cell shades square, left click + drag draws line segment, right click inside cell adds dot, and right click on cell edge adds an x.)

Theme: Railroad Crossing (“Tren” means train in Turkish.)

Rules: Locate some blocks in the grid, either 1×2 or 1×3 in size, with each block containing one of the given numbers. A block’s number must indicate the total possible movement of the block along either direction in its long direction, where it is blocked only by an edge of the grid or another block. Or see here.

Answer String: Enter the size of consecutive groups of cells that belong to blocks in each marked row from left to right, separating each row with a comma (ie 151,22,44,22).

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 5:00, Master = 7:30, Expert = 15:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use Tab to alternate between letter entry and shading)

Theme: Hidden words (each row of letters forms an English word like SERF.)

Rules: Put each number (given as a word) into the grid, one letter per cell, as a snakelike strip which does not touch or cross itself. Some letters of the words are given. The remaining cells should be painted black to form a continuous wall as in a Nurikabe puzzle with no 2×2 shaded regions. Or see here.

Answer String: Enter the contents of each marked column from top to bottom, using X (capital letter) for each blackened square and capital letters for each island cell, and separating the columns with a comma.

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

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the composite Yajilin mode where left click marks cells, right click marks dots in cells or X’s on edges, left click+drag draws lines.)

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Region shapes

Rules: Variation of Tapa rules. Additionally, some squares are combined into areas, each counting as one cell for the Tapa clues. Or see here. [Note: the no 2×2 shaded rule applies as usual based on cell count, not area count, and some areas may contribute multiple cells to such a group.]

Answer String: Enter the length in cells (not the # of areas) 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 = 2:15, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30

Solution: PDF

Editor’s Note: While our Sunday Surprises are meant to be unexpected, today’s surprise should be a double surprise for you. Besides the bonus puzzle, it is my great pleasure to announce that one of the world’s best puzzlemakers and the inventor of Tapa, Serkan Yürekli, is joining us as a regular contributor. (If you haven’t yet, you should check out his Tapa Variation Contests that are starting again this weekend and his Classic Tapa Contest that starts next week.)

I asked Serkan, for his debut week, to provide some of the puzzle styles I know him best for and I hope you will enjoy what is in store. Today brings a “The Persistence of Memory” puzzle that Serkan wrote with GMPuzzles in mind.

(View image directly for larger form.)

(PNG with extra lines for solvers who want to flood-fill the path)

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools using a composite mode where left click inside cell shades square, left click + drag draws line segment, right click inside cell adds dot, and right click on cell edge adds an x.)

PDF

Theme: GMPuzzles

Rules: Find a path from one dot to the other by moving horizontally or vertically between adjacent squares. The path cannot touch itself, even diagonally. All highlighted regions must be used, and may be re-entered. If two or more highlighted regions have the same shape and orientation, then how the path passes through those shapes must be identical. Or see here.

Answer String: For each marked row, enter the size of each group of cells used by the path from left to right. Separate each row with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 7:30, Master = 10:30, Expert = 21:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: All Cells and All Antisymmetry!

Rules: Standard Masyu rules. Also, ALL CELLS must be visited by the loop.

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 = 1:45, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00

Solution: PDF

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.)

This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Squares of Squares

Rules: Standard Battleships rules. The fleet in this puzzle has no rounded ends; instead, all ship segments are square and indistinguishable.

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

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:30, Master = 5:45, Expert = 11:30

Solution: PDF

PDF

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

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Inverted Clues

Rules: Variation of Cross the Streams rules. The clues in this puzzle are inverted. They indicate the WHITE (unshaded) areas, not the black areas as in other Cross the Streams. The shaded cells must still obey the regular rules (connectivity, no 2×2 squares).

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments from top to bottom for the marked columns, going in order from A to B to C to D and separating each entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between shading mode and the linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Prime Time

Rules: Standard Cave rules, except the grid is hexagonal.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the internal cave segments following the arrows for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 6:00, Master = 8:30, Expert = 17:00

Solution: PDF

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

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between “big” sudoku and “small” number entry modes.)

This is a “Twisted Tuesday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Cage symmetry and repeated clue values

Rules: Variation of standard TomTom rules. The indicated range [1-6] is larger than usual for a 4 x 4 puzzle. Some cells containing slashes require two digits to be placed. These cells should be treated as fractional values (top value over bottom value) for the purposes of solving the puzzle.

Answer String: Enter the 3rd row from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 4th row from left to right. (Note: for the cells with slashes, enter the top before the bottom.)

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

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.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

This is a “Franken-Friday” puzzle variation.

Theme: Half Truths

Rules: Variation of Masyu rules. Half of the circles are lying; a lying white circle is actually a black circle and a lying black circle is actually a white circle. The loop must alternate between true circles and lying circles (T-L-T-L-…).

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 = 5:30, Master = 10:00, Expert = 20:00

Solution: PDF