#169: WPC '25 Practice Puzzles

Rules: Shade some cells so that all areas of orthogonally connected shaded cells are rectangular and all areas of orthogonally connected unshaded cells are not rectangular. A clue represents the size of its group of shaded/unshaded cells.

The puzzle is arranged on a circular grid consisting of three rings. The relative orientation is for the solver to determine.

Rules: Shade some cells so that the shaded cells are all connected orthogonally by other shaded cells to the edge of the grid, and the remaining unshaded cells form one orthogonally connected area. Clues cannot be shaded, and represent the total number of unshaded cells that can be seen in a straight line vertically or horizontally, including itself.

All clues have the same value and all possible clues of that value are given.

Rules: Connect some pairs of orthogonally adjacent dots to form a single non-intersecting loop. Clues represent the number of edges drawn surrounding the clue (up to four).

All clues have the same value and all possible clues of that value are given.

Rules: Divide the grid into regions of orthogonally connected cells, each containing exactly one compass. A number in a compass indicates how many cells belong to its region that are further in the indicated direction than the compass itself.

All clues have the same value and all possible clues of that value are given.

Rules: Enter exactly one number from 1 to 6 into each empty cell. Numbers of the left and top indicate the sum of the numbers in that row, column or the main diagonal. Numbers on the right and bottom indicate the strongest dice poker combinations in that row, column or the main diagonal. For the purposes of this puzzle, the list of possible hands, their ordering (of highest to lowest value) and their definitions are:

• S: five consecutive numbers (e.g. 1-2-3-4-5)
• 5: all five numbers are the same (e.g. 3-3-3-3-3)
• 4: four identical numbers and one different number (e.g. 5-5-5-5-4)
• 3+2: three identical numbers and another two identical numbers (e.g. 1-1-1-6-6)
• 3: three identical numbers and the two other numbers are all different (e.g. 4-4-4-2-1)
• 2+2: two pairs of identical numbers and one different number (e.g. 3-3-6-6-1)
• 2: one pair of identical numbers and the three other numbers are all different (e.g. 2-2-4-5-6)
• 1: All numbers are different and not consecutive (e.g. 1-2-3-5-6)

Rules: Draw a non-intersecting loop through the centers of all cells. A region outlined with solid lines is considered a “symmetry region” whose shape has 180 degrees rotational symmetry, and its centre point is marked with a small white circle. The way the loop passes through the cells of a symmetry region must also be rotationally symmetric with regards to the centre point / small circle. The loop is allowed to make multiple entries / exits in a symmetry region, so long as symmetry is maintained. Note that the centre point may or may not be contained inside the region. Also note that if a region surrounds some cells that are not part of the region, then the cells of that “island” are not in scope for the symmetry rule with regards to that region.

The puzzle does not have a unique solution. Find one (additional) loop segment which is uniquely determined.

Rules: Draw a non-intersecting loop through the centers of all cells.

Masyu rules:
The loop must go straight through the cells with large white circles, with a turn in at least one of the cells immediately before/after each large white circle. The loop must make a turn in all the cells with large black circles but must go straight in both cells immediately before/after each large black circle.

Mid-loop rules:
The loop must go straight through all small black circles, with the circle marking the centre of that straight segment.

Equal segments region rules:
A region outlined with dotted lines is considered an “equal segments region”, in which each loop segment passing through that region must be of equal length. If a number is given in an equal segments region, it must be equal to the lengths of all loop segments visiting that region. Otherwise, a “?” will be given, denoting an unspecified non-zero number, which must be equal to all loop segments visiting that region.

Symmetry region rules:
A region outlined with solid lines is considered a “symmetry region” whose shape has 180 degrees rotational symmetry, and its centre point is marked with a small white circle. The way the loop passes through the cells of a symmetry region must also be rotationally symmetric with regards to the centre point / small circle. The loop is allowed to make multiple entries / exits in a symmetry region, so long as symmetry is maintained. Note that the centre point may or may not be contained inside the region. Also note that if a region surrounds some cells that are not part of the region, then the cells of that “island” are not in scope for the symmetry rule with regards to that region.