USPC 2019

USPC just happened, and I am... not too happy with how I did. 125 if I got everything right but it seems like I got the count wrong, so 110 at best. Was hoping for 150 :/

I started with the Spot the Differences puzzle for some easy points after the puzzles didn't print for 10 minutes, then started working through in order, solving the first 6 on good pace. Skipped the Regional Fences and Kropki Loop and then solved the Penta Nurikabe (it and the Tapa were excellent). Triangle Count- probably missed a set of 6. I started the Oasis but hit a wall, started the Doppelblock but hit a wall, started the Star Battle but hit a wall...

Penominous fell quickly and then I thought I was making good progress on the Skyscrapers before breaking it late and being unable to fix it, then I took down the Winner's Circle. Was able to fix the Oasis and work through the Star Battle afterwards, but no luck on the Skyscrapers.

I was hoping to also get through the Compass Yajilin and give the Odd-Angle Sudoku a shot, as well as the Doppelblock, but even with the extra 10 minutes I wouldn't have made it through them as my focus was on fixing the Skyscrapers, even starting over. Though I might have had a shot at my goal at that point. I guess I need more practice? I had fun solving, in any case. We'll see where I placed overall, if I'm somehow in the top half I'll be happy enough.

Also, more puzzles coming after We Are Puzzlers Club part 2 finishes on Logic Masters India. I have a couple puzzles in there that I've been holding onto for a while.

Puzzle #50 - Lattice 2.0 (Regional Skyscrapers)

This Regional Skyscrapers puzzle was my entry for Logic Showcase #5, in which constructors had to make a Geisterbahn. What's a Geisterbahn? A puzzle type with about 20 rules that the constructor chooses which ones apply. I saw "all numbers in a region must be the same" and "all numbers in a region must be different" and knew I wanted my puzzle to use both. Skyscrapers seemed a natural extension to that.

In addition to normal Skyscrapers rules, each region contains exactly one number. This puzzle uses the set {1, 2, 3, 4}.

puzz.link interface       penpa interface

This puzzle was the organizer of the showcase's favorite puzzle, even though it placed... 6th of 9, I think?

Puzzle #49 - Lattice (Regional Skyscrapers)

This is another Regional Skyscrapers puzzle. In addition to normal Skyscrapers rules, each region contains exactly one number. This puzzle uses the set {1, 2, 3}.

puzz.link interface      penpa interface

I actually made this puzzle after both the one before and the one after this one, for a gentler curve into puzzle 50. Though, I think this one probably has both a nicer solve path and demonstration of the rules.

Puzzle #48 - Glass Half Full (Regional Skyscrapers)

This is a Regional Skyscrapers puzzle. In addition to normal Skyscrapers rules, each region contains exactly one number. This puzzle uses the set {1, 2, 3}.

puzz.link interface     penpa interface

Here is an example puzzle and its solution.

Puzzle #47 - 3*3 (Skyscrapers)

This is a Skyscrapers puzzle.
This is a Skyscrapers puzzle.
This is a Skyscrapers puzzle.

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A solid 3/3 difficulty. (Honestly though this is probably 3 stars out of 5?)

Puzzle #46 - Powers of Two (Skyscrapers)

Alright, 5 more puzzles until another hiatus, and you know what that means... time to build up to another tough one. Skyscrapers puzzles used to give me a really tough time, but now I find them quite enjoyable. Constructing them is tough, and constructing with a theme is even tougher though!

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Next up is a 5x5 puzzle that's harder than this one. That said, I really like this one.

Puzzle #45 - A Star is Born (Star Battle)

How do you even make a Star Battle puzzle!? Even after making this one I still don't really know.

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Puzzle #44 - Fourfold (Heyawake)

For my American solvers, happy 4th of July! For everyone else... happy 4th of July anyway! Have my 4th Heyawake puzzle and my 44th puzzle posted on the 4th day of the... 7th... month. Okay that timing could be slightly better, but that's a lot of fours!

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Not a lot of 4s in the puzzle, though.

Puzzle #43 - H E Y A (Heyawake)

W A K E

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Yes, this is another Heyawake puzzle. I may have developed a bit of a personal style for them already.

Puzzle #42 - Unevenly Spaced (Heyawake)

Another Heyawake puzzle. I actually made this one first, but thought it fit better as a second puzzle.

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Update: added a clue to fix uniqueness.

Puzzle #41 - Mostly Empty Rooms (Heyawake)

I've been attempting to work backwards through every pzv link posted on Twitter for a while now, and over the past month there's been a lot more Heyawake than normal. This is a genre that I used to not understand at all, and though I still don't totally understand it, I'm competent enough to solve and by extension, construct.

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It turns out, making Heyawake is pretty hard! I've got a few more of these coming, but no Heyawacky (same rules but far less restrictive on puzzle layouts).