Rules -- Proof of Quilt
Proof of Quilt was invented by the Japanese puzzle company Nikoli (under the name Shakashaka) in 2008.
1. Place black isosceles right triangles in some of the white cells in the grid. Each triangle must occupy exactly half of its cell, but may be in one of four orientations (◢, ◣, ◤, or ◥). A white cell may only contain one triangle.
2. Every contiguous region of white must be shaped like a rectangle (or a square).
3. A number in a black cell represents how many triangles share an edge with that cell.
2. Every contiguous region of white must be shaped like a rectangle (or a square).
3. A number in a black cell represents how many triangles share an edge with that cell.
Monday Mutant 58: Blackbarrier Jam / Streaming Content (cipher)
In the Blackbarrier Jam puzzle on the left and in the Streaming Content puzzle on the right, the given numbers have been replaced by letters; all instances of a particular letter represent the same number, but two different letters must represent different numbers. (This applies whether the letters are in the same grid or not.) The rules are otherwise unchanged.
My most sincere apologies for today's Monday Mutant being late; I was debating whether to put the series on hold for the holidays, but decided against it a few hours ago.
Puzzle 475: Fencing Match 45
Merry Christmas! (Well, in the Central time zone, at least. Those of you living west of that time zone still think it's Christmas Eve.)
On this holiday, Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, who has been alternately portrayed as a generous feeder of the hungry and as kind of a jerk towards tall people. It is also a day when some Christians complain about how secular the holiday has become with its focus on materialism and Santa Claus rather than on Jesus, and demand that the "Christ" be put back in "Christmas". This large puzzle not only puts the "Christ" in "Christmas", but the "mas" as well, or more technically the "más" (the Spanish word for more). Oh, and for those non-Christians out there who are offended to see crosses in a logic puzzle, think of it this way: Christmas is about the birth of Christ, but crosses represent the death of Christ! As such, I'm really offending Christians just as much, if not more.
That paragraph aside, I hope you enjoy this Christmas present from me to logic puzzle fans everywhere.
On this holiday, Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, who has been alternately portrayed as a generous feeder of the hungry and as kind of a jerk towards tall people. It is also a day when some Christians complain about how secular the holiday has become with its focus on materialism and Santa Claus rather than on Jesus, and demand that the "Christ" be put back in "Christmas". This large puzzle not only puts the "Christ" in "Christmas", but the "mas" as well, or more technically the "más" (the Spanish word for more). Oh, and for those non-Christians out there who are offended to see crosses in a logic puzzle, think of it this way: Christmas is about the birth of Christ, but crosses represent the death of Christ! As such, I'm really offending Christians just as much, if not more.
That paragraph aside, I hope you enjoy this Christmas present from me to logic puzzle fans everywhere.
(click to enlarge)
Puzzle 474: Circumnavi-Gates 17
Fans of Chip's Challenge or of my puzzles will be excited to know that these two things have come together in what is known as Chip's Challenge Level Pack 3! From what I understand, this official sequel to Chip's Challenge Level Pack 2, which is in turn an unofficial sequel to the original 149 levels of Chip's Challenge, contains two levels that I created (levels 43 and 98) and 147 levels that other Chip's Challenge fans made. I am truly glad to have been a part of this.
Four-Puzzle Derby minor update!
I suspect that all of my readers have been waiting with bated breath to see what kind of booby prize I decided to offer in the Four-Puzzle Derby. Having received confirmation of the booby prize's arrival in the appropriate recipient's mailbox, I will now reveal what it was to the whole world!
Monday Mutant 57: Pearls of Wisdom (every cell)
In this Pearls of Wisdom puzzle, the loop must pass through every cell in the grid. The rules are otherwise unchanged.
Contest 3 Results: Four-Puzzle Derby!
The deadline for Four-Puzzle Derby has now passed. Here are the results!
Warning: the following results contain spoilers (obviously)! If you wish to solve the contest puzzles yourself, please do so before reading on!
Warning: the following results contain spoilers (obviously)! If you wish to solve the contest puzzles yourself, please do so before reading on!
Puzzle 466: Fencing Match 44
If you're seeing this puzzle, that means the deadline for the Four-Puzzle Derby has passed, and no more entries will be accepted. A write-up of the results is forthcoming!
Monday Mutant 56: Polyominous (skyscrapers)
In this Polyominous puzzle, a number to the left or right of a row or above or below a column represents how many numbers in that row or column can be seen from that direction. A number is visible if and only if it is strictly greater than any other numbers in the row or column between that number and the edge (and is blocked from being seen if a number greater than or equal to it is in the way). The rules are otherwise unchanged.
This puzzle borrows some elements from Skyscrapers, probably one of the more well-known logic puzzle genres to have no real links to Japan. Normally, Skyscrapers doesn't involve polyominoes, but does involve a Latin square.
Puzzle 464: Process of Illumination 35
I would like to promote three things whose only commonality is my involvement in each.
1. Four Puzzle Derby! It's a contest where you can win puzzle books imported from Japan! The deadline is less than a week away, so hurry up and enter.
2. Mega Micromusic! This awesome release by Dual Mode Records contains 8 songs created using the Record MakerMatic in WarioWare DIY, which can be basically described as a new generation of Mario Paint with much more interactivity. Track 3, the surreally titled "2120 Census", was composed by me.
3. 30s30d: A Month's Worth of Composing! While I didn't advertise it on my blog (until now), I spent the entire month of November writing one new song every day. Song 14, "Link and the King Get Logical", uses sound effects from the logic puzzle games by Everett Kaser, which some readers of this blog might recognize. There are also 10 WarioWare DIY tunes and 19 NES chiptunes.
Now that I've promoted those three things, solve this not-very-difficult puzzle.
1. Four Puzzle Derby! It's a contest where you can win puzzle books imported from Japan! The deadline is less than a week away, so hurry up and enter.
2. Mega Micromusic! This awesome release by Dual Mode Records contains 8 songs created using the Record MakerMatic in WarioWare DIY, which can be basically described as a new generation of Mario Paint with much more interactivity. Track 3, the surreally titled "2120 Census", was composed by me.
3. 30s30d: A Month's Worth of Composing! While I didn't advertise it on my blog (until now), I spent the entire month of November writing one new song every day. Song 14, "Link and the King Get Logical", uses sound effects from the logic puzzle games by Everett Kaser, which some readers of this blog might recognize. There are also 10 WarioWare DIY tunes and 19 NES chiptunes.
Now that I've promoted those three things, solve this not-very-difficult puzzle.
Monday Mutant 55: Polyominous (cipher)
In this Polyominous puzzle, the given numbers have been replaced by letters; all instances of a particular letter represent the same number, but two different letters must represent different numbers. The rules are otherwise unchanged.
This puzzle is a tribute to one of my favorite Christmas movies (er, THE WINTER SOLSTICE movies) of recent time.
Contest 3: Four-Puzzle Derby
Note: this contest was delayed by eleven hours, because although I'd scheduled this post to go up automatically at 12:00 AM on 11/30/10, apparently Blogger thinks the day starts at 12:01 AM and ends at 12:00 AM. Stupid Blogger.
Do you want to win high-quality logic puzzles imported from Japan? The Four-Puzzle Derby contest might be your opportunity to do just that!
Some of you may recall my previous contests Attack of the Four Puzzles! and Attack of the Four Puzzles II!; this contest is similar, but I've decided to mix things up by adding in elements from the Nikoli Derby. The four short sections below explain all of the details.
How to enter:
This contest combines a four-part logic puzzle (below) with a horse race. To participate in the contest, simply send an e-mail to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Your entry should consist of the following:
a) the final answer to the four-part puzzle below, obtained from part iv;
b) the name of the horse you'll be entering in the race (this is just for fun and has no effect on the final outcome, so don't stress out over it too much);
c) the number of the gate your horse will start from (any integer between 1 and 50 inclusive).
Only one entry is allowed per person, but you may change your entry at any time before the deadline, 11:59 PM (Central time) on December 14, 2010.
How to win:
After the deadline has passed, the winner will be determined as follows:
a) Anyone who submits an incorrect answer to the four-part puzzle below will have his or her horse disqualified from the race.
b) If two or more qualifying horses start from the same gate number, then their riders will all fall off of their horses before finishing the race. (Heck if I know why.)
c) The remaining horses will all run the whole distance, and finish the race in order from the lowest-numbered gate through the highest-numbered gate.
Thus, to win, you must submit a correct answer to the four-part puzzle, and choose the lowest-numbered gate that nobody else with a correct answer has chosen.
In the event that none of the horses finish, the winner will be selected by random draw from all of the qualified entrants, without regard to the gates from which they started. If no horses even qualify (that is, nobody sends a correct answer), then no prize will be given.
In addition, a booby prize will be awarded to the entrant whose horse finishes in second-to-last place. If only two horses finish, then the booby prize will be awarded to the second place finisher. If only one horse finishes, or none do, then the booby prize will not be awarded.
Prize:
The winner will receive his or her choice of either 3 of Nikoli's Pencil Puzzle Books, or any 1 or 2 Nikoli books whose prices total at most 2100 yen (see this link for a list of all of the books Nikoli has available). Each Pencil Puzzle Book contains about 96 puzzles of one particular type, which is great if there's a certain puzzle type you particularly want to focus on; if you'd rather have a wider variety of puzzles available, books like the Penpas Mix series, the Puzzle Box series, and the Puzzle the Giants series will satisfy your needs perfectly. Either way, you win! :) When you win, provide me with your mailing address and which books you'd like; I'll pay Nikoli to ship them directly to you.
The booby prize will not be revealed until the outcome of the contest is decided, but it is worth far less, and far less puzzle-related, than the Nikoli puzzle books. It will be shipped from Abilene, TX (where this blog is headquartered).
Terms:
By entering the contest, you agree to the following terms:
a) You agree not to discuss your entry with any other entrants or potential entrants until the contest is over.
b) You agree to provide me with a mailing address in the event that you win. (In return, I agree not to use your mailing address for any malicious purposes, such as sending junk mail or other undesired things.)
c) You agree to wait patiently for your prize to arrive, without moaning or kvetching, especially if it's being shipped from a different country than where you live (such as winning the Nikoli books if you don't live in Japan, or the booby prize if you don't live in the United States).
Now that you're done reading all that, here is the four-part contest puzzle. Good luck! :)
Part i. Room and Reason
Solve the Room and Reason puzzle below (rules of Room and Reason).
How many black cells and how many white cells are there in the indicated row? These are the respective values of B and W in Part iii below.
Part ii. Fencing Match
Solve the Fencing Match puzzle below (rules of Fencing Match).
How many 0's are inside the loop, and how many 0's are outside it? These are the respective values of I and O in Part iii below.
Part iii. Quad-Wrangle
Using the values for B, W, I, and O derived in Parts i and ii, solve the Quad-Wrangle puzzle below (rules of Quad-Wrangle).
What are the sizes of the rectangles containing i, ii, iii, and iv? These are the respective values of i, ii, iii, and iv in Part iv below.
Part iv. Polyominous
Using the values for i, ii, iii, and iv derived in Part iii, solve the Polyominous puzzle below (rules of Polyominous).
The five numbers in the lettered cells, taken in reading order (a, b, c, d, e), form the final answer. Send this final answer, as well as your horse's name and starting gate, to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com to enter the Four-Puzzle Derby contest.
Do you want to win high-quality logic puzzles imported from Japan? The Four-Puzzle Derby contest might be your opportunity to do just that!
Some of you may recall my previous contests Attack of the Four Puzzles! and Attack of the Four Puzzles II!; this contest is similar, but I've decided to mix things up by adding in elements from the Nikoli Derby. The four short sections below explain all of the details.
How to enter:
This contest combines a four-part logic puzzle (below) with a horse race. To participate in the contest, simply send an e-mail to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Your entry should consist of the following:
a) the final answer to the four-part puzzle below, obtained from part iv;
b) the name of the horse you'll be entering in the race (this is just for fun and has no effect on the final outcome, so don't stress out over it too much);
c) the number of the gate your horse will start from (any integer between 1 and 50 inclusive).
Only one entry is allowed per person, but you may change your entry at any time before the deadline, 11:59 PM (Central time) on December 14, 2010.
How to win:
After the deadline has passed, the winner will be determined as follows:
a) Anyone who submits an incorrect answer to the four-part puzzle below will have his or her horse disqualified from the race.
b) If two or more qualifying horses start from the same gate number, then their riders will all fall off of their horses before finishing the race. (Heck if I know why.)
c) The remaining horses will all run the whole distance, and finish the race in order from the lowest-numbered gate through the highest-numbered gate.
Thus, to win, you must submit a correct answer to the four-part puzzle, and choose the lowest-numbered gate that nobody else with a correct answer has chosen.
In the event that none of the horses finish, the winner will be selected by random draw from all of the qualified entrants, without regard to the gates from which they started. If no horses even qualify (that is, nobody sends a correct answer), then no prize will be given.
In addition, a booby prize will be awarded to the entrant whose horse finishes in second-to-last place. If only two horses finish, then the booby prize will be awarded to the second place finisher. If only one horse finishes, or none do, then the booby prize will not be awarded.
Prize:
The winner will receive his or her choice of either 3 of Nikoli's Pencil Puzzle Books, or any 1 or 2 Nikoli books whose prices total at most 2100 yen (see this link for a list of all of the books Nikoli has available). Each Pencil Puzzle Book contains about 96 puzzles of one particular type, which is great if there's a certain puzzle type you particularly want to focus on; if you'd rather have a wider variety of puzzles available, books like the Penpas Mix series, the Puzzle Box series, and the Puzzle the Giants series will satisfy your needs perfectly. Either way, you win! :) When you win, provide me with your mailing address and which books you'd like; I'll pay Nikoli to ship them directly to you.
The booby prize will not be revealed until the outcome of the contest is decided, but it is worth far less, and far less puzzle-related, than the Nikoli puzzle books. It will be shipped from Abilene, TX (where this blog is headquartered).
Terms:
By entering the contest, you agree to the following terms:
a) You agree not to discuss your entry with any other entrants or potential entrants until the contest is over.
b) You agree to provide me with a mailing address in the event that you win. (In return, I agree not to use your mailing address for any malicious purposes, such as sending junk mail or other undesired things.)
c) You agree to wait patiently for your prize to arrive, without moaning or kvetching, especially if it's being shipped from a different country than where you live (such as winning the Nikoli books if you don't live in Japan, or the booby prize if you don't live in the United States).
Now that you're done reading all that, here is the four-part contest puzzle. Good luck! :)
Part i. Room and Reason
Solve the Room and Reason puzzle below (rules of Room and Reason).
Part ii. Fencing Match
Solve the Fencing Match puzzle below (rules of Fencing Match).
Part iii. Quad-Wrangle
Using the values for B, W, I, and O derived in Parts i and ii, solve the Quad-Wrangle puzzle below (rules of Quad-Wrangle).
Part iv. Polyominous
Using the values for i, ii, iii, and iv derived in Part iii, solve the Polyominous puzzle below (rules of Polyominous).
Monday Mutant 54: Pearls of Wisdom (total / outside clues)
In this Pearls of Wisdom puzzle, there are no clues inside the grid. Instead, you are to both draw a loop and place black pearls and white pearls in every cell that could legally contain one. Pearls to the left of a row or above a column represent all of the pearls which are in that row or column, in order from left to right or from top to bottom. A question mark (?) represents a pearl whose color is unknown; an asterisk (*) represents any number of pearls of unknown colors, including none at all.
This puzzle is one part Total Masyu, one part Griddlers/Hanjie/Nonograms/
Paint by Numbers/Pic-a-Pix/Picross, and one part kind of difficult. Be forewarned. Also, ralphmerridew wants me to publicize that he was responsible for catching an error in this puzzle before I posted it here. Thanks, ralphmerridew!
This puzzle is one part Total Masyu, one part Griddlers/Hanjie/Nonograms/
Paint by Numbers/Pic-a-Pix/Picross, and one part kind of difficult. Be forewarned. Also, ralphmerridew wants me to publicize that he was responsible for catching an error in this puzzle before I posted it here. Thanks, ralphmerridew!
Puzzle 463: Streaming Content 33
All I said was that I wanted to post a giant puzzle for Thanksgiving. I never said anything about posting only one giant puzzle.
(click to enlarge)
Puzzle 462: Circumnavi-Gates 16
Today is Thanksgiving, at least in the United States (I can't speak for other countries). I had originally intended to save this puzzle for 475, but I felt like I should post a giant puzzle on this special holiday. Fans of this type of puzzle will be glad to know that there are two 31x45 Suraromu puzzles in Puzzle the Giants 23 (including one which spells the puzzle's name in katakana using the black cells), and Puzzle Communication Nikoli 129 has a 64x50 Suraromu with 170 gates! It is truly a wonderful puzzle.
Monday Mutant 53: Cross the Streams
Shade in some cells black such that the black cells are all connected to each other through their edges, and no 2x2 cell area within the grid contains all black cells. Numbers to the left of a row or above a column represent the groups of consecutive black cells which are in that row or column. For example, a clue of "3" means the row or column has three consecutive black cells, and a clue of "3 1" means that the row or column has a group of three consecutive black cells followed by a single black cell, separated by at least one white cell. A question mark (?) represents a group of consecutive black cells whose size is unknown; an asterisk (*) represents any number of unknown groups of black cells, including none at all.
Puzzle 461: The Inner Limits 4
A new contest will be starting on November 30! What does this puzzle have to do with it? Nothing.
Monday Mutant 52: Spirits of Serpentine (cipher)
In this Spirits of Serpentine puzzle, most of the given numbers have been replaced by letters; all instances of a particular letter represent the same number, but two different letters must represent different numbers. The rules are otherwise unchanged.
The two given numbers look very similar to the letters S and O; if you find yourself confused, just remember that the only letters in this puzzle are the ones in the word BANKER.
Monday Mutant 51: Straight and Arrow (indirect)
In this Straight and Arrow puzzle, a number followed by a question mark represents how many black cells are in at least one of the four orthogonal directions (that is, the question mark can be replaced by an up arrow, a down arrow, a left arrow, or a right arrow, and be a normal Straight and Arrow clue). A number followed by an x means that none of the four orthogonal directions contain that many black cells. (Note that for the purposes of a 0? or a 0x on an edge or in a corner, any orthogonal direction which would point off of the grid is excluded.) A number followed by a plus sign represents the total number of black cells in all four orthogonal directions. The rules are otherwise unchanged.
Monday Mutant 50: Straight and Arrow (indirect)
In this Straight and Arrow puzzle, a number followed by a plus sign represents the total number of black cells in all four orthogonal directions. The rules are otherwise unchanged.
It would not appear that MellowMelon has ever made an Indirect Yajilin with nothing but plus sign clues.
Puzzle 458: Process of Illumination 34
This puzzle is dedicated to TheSubro, who apparently thought my last Process of Illumination was too easy.
Rules -- Spirits of Serpentine
Spirits of Serpentine was invented by the Japanese puzzle company Nikoli (under the name Hebi-Ichigo) in early 2009.
1. Locate several snakes in the white cells of the grid. Each snake consists of five cells, numbered 1 (the head) through 5 (the tail). Consecutively numbered cells within a snake must share an edge.
2. No two snakes may overlap or share an edge.
3. No snake may see another snake. A snake's eyes are on the side of its head opposite the number 2 cell. It can only see in that direction, in a straight line, up to the edge of the grid or the nearest black cell (whichever is closer). (See this illustrated example.)
4. A cell containing a number and an arrow represents the first number encountered in the row or column pointed at by the arrow, up to the edge of the grid or the nearest black cell (whichever is closer). A 0 means that no snake is encountered in this area.
2. No two snakes may overlap or share an edge.
3. No snake may see another snake. A snake's eyes are on the side of its head opposite the number 2 cell. It can only see in that direction, in a straight line, up to the edge of the grid or the nearest black cell (whichever is closer). (See this illustrated example.)
4. A cell containing a number and an arrow represents the first number encountered in the row or column pointed at by the arrow, up to the edge of the grid or the nearest black cell (whichever is closer). A 0 means that no snake is encountered in this area.
Monday Mutant 49: Streaming Content (all 3's)
In this Streaming Content puzzle, only the number 3 is shown. A question mark represents a number that isn't 3. The rules are otherwise unchanged.
Puzzle 452: Pearls of Wisdom 44
If it looks like the givens are arranged with any rhyme or reason whatsoever, then you are very, very mistaken.
Monday Mutant 48: Battleships (all 3's)
Ten ships (as indicated below the grid: one four-cell ship, two three-cell ships, three two-cell ships, and four one-cell ships) are hidden in the grid. The ships may be rotated from the orientations shown (without changing the numbers), but may not overlap or occupy cells which share a corner or an edge. A number 3 to the right of a row or below a column indicates that three cells in that row or column are occupied by ships; the number of occupied cells in a row or column without a number must not be 3. Find the ships.
Note to solvers (courtesy of Jonah): read the rules, not just the title.
Grant's Review Corner: Volume 2
I'm sorry to post this on a Monday and risk taking attention away from today's Monday Mutant, but I felt it was necessary.
Not too long ago, I got the following e-mail:
Hi,
I’m an incurable puzzler but found that Sudoku was getting too easy. So I wrote a new puzzle app for iPhone, [name redacted], which is available in the iPhone store for the first time today. ([link redacted])
The easiest level is kid friendly. The hardest level (with almost 4 quadrillion, quadrillion, quadrillion possible answers) is “Insane”. The game is called [name redacted] and, like Sudoku, it challenges us to place a set of numbers in the correct positions on a square grid. In this case, “correct” means that once placed, the numbers add up to the sums shown for each row, column and diagonal.
A 3 x 3 grid isn’t much of a challenge. A 6 x 6 grid is incredibly challenging. (Yes, hints are available)
I would love it if you would review the puzzle in your blog. I would be happy to send you a promo code to download and test it.
I've never considered myself an expert at constructive criticism, but I think I'll make an exception for this app and try my hand at reviewing it. In fact, looking at the iTunes store, I see that you have since released a second puzzle game app, and I will throw in a review of that one as a free bonus! Unfortunately, Mr. Incurable Puzzler, as you might have already surmised from that fact that I have redacted your name and your apps' names, it's not going to be a positive one.
Not too long ago, I got the following e-mail:
Hi,
I’m an incurable puzzler but found that Sudoku was getting too easy. So I wrote a new puzzle app for iPhone, [name redacted], which is available in the iPhone store for the first time today. ([link redacted])
The easiest level is kid friendly. The hardest level (with almost 4 quadrillion, quadrillion, quadrillion possible answers) is “Insane”. The game is called [name redacted] and, like Sudoku, it challenges us to place a set of numbers in the correct positions on a square grid. In this case, “correct” means that once placed, the numbers add up to the sums shown for each row, column and diagonal.
A 3 x 3 grid isn’t much of a challenge. A 6 x 6 grid is incredibly challenging. (Yes, hints are available)
I would love it if you would review the puzzle in your blog. I would be happy to send you a promo code to download and test it.
I've never considered myself an expert at constructive criticism, but I think I'll make an exception for this app and try my hand at reviewing it. In fact, looking at the iTunes store, I see that you have since released a second puzzle game app, and I will throw in a review of that one as a free bonus! Unfortunately, Mr. Incurable Puzzler, as you might have already surmised from that fact that I have redacted your name and your apps' names, it's not going to be a positive one.
Monday Mutant 47: Fencing Match (all 3's)
In this Fencing Match puzzle, a 3 has been placed in every cell which could legally contain one. The number of edges of an empty cell which are part of the loop must not be 3. The rules are otherwise unchanged.
With apologies to MellowMelon (AKA Palmer Mebane).
In unrelated news, Sudoku Xtra issue 11 is out! It contains five of my puzzles, including 3 Battleships puzzles and a mutant Seek and Spell! It also contains two enjoyable Heyawake puzzles created by Gareth Moore himself, so even if you absolutely hate my puzzles, maybe you'll still enjoy something in there.
In unrelated news, Sudoku Xtra issue 11 is out! It contains five of my puzzles, including 3 Battleships puzzles and a mutant Seek and Spell! It also contains two enjoyable Heyawake puzzles created by Gareth Moore himself, so even if you absolutely hate my puzzles, maybe you'll still enjoy something in there.
Monday Mutant 46: Danny Boy's Pipes
Place a piece of pipe in each square of the grid. Each pipe piece consists of two or more pipe sections which connect that piece to some or all of the squares which share an edge with the piece. Thus, there are four different shapes for a pipe piece: two sections at an angle (an L-bend), two sections in a line (an I-straight), three sections in a T-junction, and four sections in an X-junction. All of the pipe pieces must form a single connected unit, and there may not be any loose ends (if one piece has a section connecting to an adjacent square, the piece in that square must also have a section connecting back). Letters in a square represent the shapes (L-bend, I-straight, T-junction, X-junction) of all of the pieces which are connected to the piece on that square. (See here for an illustrated example.)
Monday Mutant 45: Danny Boy's Pipes
Place a piece of pipe in each square of the grid. Each pipe piece consists of two or more pipe sections which connect that piece to some or all of the squares which share an edge with the piece. Thus, there are four different shapes for a pipe piece: two sections at an angle (an L-bend), two sections in a line (an I-straight), three sections in a T-junction, and four sections in an X-junction. All of the pipe pieces must form a single connected unit, and there may not be any loose ends (if one piece has a section connecting to an adjacent square, the piece in that square must also have a section connecting back). Letters in a square represent the shapes (L-bend, I-straight, T-junction, X-junction) of all of the pieces which are connected to the piece on that square. (See here for an illustrated example.)
This puzzle type, which first appeared on my old blog, is based on Knarly Works by Everett Kaser Software.
Monday Mutant 44: Right Way Robot
A robot is located on the cell with a red arrow, facing in the direction the arrow points. The robot is programmed to move forward until it reaches a wall (the perimeter of the puzzle or a black cell) or a cell it has already visited. At this point, the robot will attempt to turn 90 degrees to the right and continue moving forward again; if a wall or a cell that has already been visited it to its right, the robot will attempt to turn left instead. The robot will stop when it can no longer move to a cell it hasn't already visited. Shade in some of the cells black such that the robot will visit every white cell in the grid, and stop on a dot. Cells containing dots or arrows may not be black; additionally, the robot must exit a cell with an arrow (including the cell it starts on) in the direction the arrow indicates. (See here for an illustrated example.)
Monday Mutant 43: Right Way Robot
A robot is located on the cell with a red arrow, facing in the direction the arrow points. The robot is programmed to move forward until it reaches a wall (the perimeter of the puzzle or a black cell) or a cell it has already visited. At this point, the robot will attempt to turn 90 degrees to the right and continue moving forward again; if a wall or a cell that has already been visited it to its right, the robot will attempt to turn left instead. The robot will stop when it can no longer move to a cell it hasn't already visited. Shade in some of the cells black such that the robot will visit every white cell in the grid, and stop on a dot. Cells containing dots or arrows may not be black; additionally, the robot must exit a cell with an arrow (including the cell it starts on) in the direction the arrow indicates. (See here for an illustrated example.)
This concept was invented by MellowMelon. I feel very honored to have the privilege of working my monogram into a puzzle genre he created. :)
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