Isodoku by Prasanna Seshadri

Isodoku by Prasanna Seshadri

PDF

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

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 127th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Isodoku rules, using numbers 1-8.

Answer String: Enter the 5th “row” from left to right, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th “row” from left to right.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF

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

Cave (Diagonal) by Prasanna Seshadri

Cave (Diagonal) by Prasanna Seshadri

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)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic (for patron Veep)

Author/Opus: This is the 125th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Variation of Cave. Number clues give the total count of cells connected diagonally to a numbered cell including the cell itself. Also, there can be no 2×2 area fully inside the cave.

Cave (Diagonal) Example by Thomas Snyder

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

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:15, Master = 5:45, Expert = 11:30

Solution: PDF

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

Yajilin by John Bulten

Yajilin by John Bulten

(view directly for a larger image)

PDF

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

Theme: Phi (for patron TheSubro)

Author/Opus: This is the 17th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster John Bulten.

Rules: Standard Yajilin rules.

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 = 3:30, Master = 4:45, Expert = 9:30

Solution: PDF

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

Nurikabe by Thomas Snyder

Nurikabe by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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

Theme: DC (for patron Daniel Cohen)

Author/Opus: This is the 247th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Nurikabe rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the black segments (the unnumbered, connected “ocean”) 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 = 3:45, Expert = 7:30

Solution: PDF

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

Fillomino by Murat Can Tonta

Fillomino by Murat Can Tonta

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 number entry mode.)

Theme: Square Numbers

Author/Opus: This is the 35th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Murat Can Tonta.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 2nd row, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row.

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

Solution: PDF

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

Star Battle (Small Regions) by Serkan Yürekli

Star Battle by Serkan Yürekli

PDF

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

Theme: Love (shading is for artistic purposes only)

Author/Opus: This is the 108th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Variation of Star Battle rules. There are two stars per row and column, but only one star per region.

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

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:00, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:30

Solution: PDF

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

Cave by Thomas Snyder

Cave by Thomas Snyder

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)

Theme: Five (originally on the US round for the 2016 WPF Puzzle Grand Prix)

Author/Opus: This is the 244th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Cave rules.

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

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

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.

Slitherlink by Thomas Snyder

Slitherlink by Thomas Snyder

PDF

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

Theme: Sum of Five Pentominoes (originally on the US round for the 2016 WPF Puzzle Grand Prix)

Author/Opus: This is the 243rd puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Standard Slitherlink rules.

Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the internal loop segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry 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 classic Slitherlink. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Slitherlink puzzles to get started on.

Pentominous (Borders) by Grant Fikes

Pentominous (Borders) by Grant Fikes

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: Logical (originally on the US round for the 2016 WPF Puzzle Grand Prix)

Author/Opus: This is the 204th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

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 rows from left to right, separating the groups with a comma. Use CAPITAL LETTERS!

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF

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.

Linesweeper (Transparent) by Prasanna Seshadri

Linesweeper by Prasanna Seshadri

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in lineox mode where left click+drag draws lines and left click in square marks O and X.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic (originally on 2016 Polish Puzzle Championship)

Author/Opus: This is the 121st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Draw a single closed loop (without intersections or crossings). Each clue gives the number of surrounding clues used by the loop. The loop can pass through the clue cells.

See also this example:

Linesweeper by Thomas Snyder

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.

Solution: PDF

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 5:30, Expert = 11:00