Puzzles #634 & #635 - TV Tower (Multi-Skyscrapers)

Before WPC 2023, I ran a Puzzle Getchu!, a contest themed on Ape Escape. I had intended to queue these puzzles for posting before WPC, but didn't have the time. Better late than never!

The penultimate level, TV Tower, is a skyscraper. But I didn't just want to go with a big Skyscrapers puzzle since I felt an 8x8 or larger would be less interesting. I also didn't think I could pull it off well! So I added the multi rule: Circled cells act as clues for all adjacent grids and will have the same value for all grids.

The example had a lot to show and I'm kind of surprised this grid layout even has any solutions, let alone working with such a sparse antisymmetric cluing. I almost like the example more than the contest puzzle.

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The 20 point contest puzzle had to be multiple stacked grids, of course. My first attempt was a pair of 7x7 grids, but after a few hours I found I had no way to resolve the middle. So I scrapped that start and briefly considered three 5x5 grids before discarding that idea - WSPC 2021 did a 3x3 array of these and I had nothing new to add. I then set up three 6x6 grids and thought it looked way too large, so I nerfed it down to a pair of 6x6 grids and went for it. I used the same break-in as the aborted 7x7 attempt since I'd already discovered it, and there was no point not using the things I learned from that failed attempt.

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Puzzle #600 - Interconnected Secret

This year for Secret Solver I was assigned feadoor, someone I know is quite a good solver and constructor across a variety of puzzle types. I wanted to try to lean into as much of those types as I could, remembering the Skyscrapers and Sudoku from a GP round, Yajilin from Yajilin and Variations, and Heyawake from Heyawake Hike. The rest of the genres were picked to cooperate with the connections between grids, and lead to a final secret. I did a lot of planning before any actual construction here!

Anyway, here's all the rules. The short version is that standard rules apply for each individual puzzle, and that cages marked with the same letter must have the same pattern of shaded cells. Country Road requires all regions, and unused cells are considered shaded. Nanro (Signpost), the numbered cells are considered shaded. Skyscraper Sudoku is 1-6 in each row, column and region. Domino Yajilin counts the number of shaded cells.

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I really should have taken my own advice and not made an interconnected puzzle - it's very stressful when something starts not working, or seems like it might not resolve. I also ended up doing most of the writing over 2 days, with a few scattered bits of progress before that point. I even brought a notebook with transcriptions of the starting points (determined links) for 3 puzzles to a relatives' for Christmas Eve, and finished those puzzles there!

To think my original idea involved having to figure out the cage matching as part of solving... that would have been impossible within the time I ended up having, and especially with the other constraints.

Puzzle #376 - Out of Character (Killer Skyscraper Sudoku)

Uhhhh... yeah that's a variant. Killer Skyscraper Sudoku. The rules are as follows: inside the 4x4 grid, place a number from 1 to 4 into each cell such that each row, column and region contain each digit once each. Additionally, each cage must not contain a duplicated number. Any digits placed outside of the grid act as skyscraper clues on the grid.

puzz.link interface (cages are shown by same number links) penpa interface

Yes, I'm aware this is very atypical for my constructions. I was curious if this sort of construction would even be possible, and it was- maybe I'll try a 6x6 with this ruleset? It's pretty interesting.

Puzzle #336 - Failed Practice (Cipher Skyscrapers)

The third round of the Puzzle Grand Prix was held last weekend, and in some slight preparation for the puzzle I was most scared of, a Cipher Skyscrapers, I made one. But then the ending didn't quite work well without a hacky patch and then I didn't notice that the patch broke everything so there were 0 solutions... which I suppose matches my GP experience as I finished the round. But I broke the Skyscrapers and had to redo it and also had answer key errors on both Shakashakas resulting in a (for me) poor showing. Hopefully I can make that up in future rounds and get a clean finish on a tough one.

Anyway, solve as a regular Skyscrapers puzzle where each letter (A-D) stands for a different number.

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Puzzle #251 - Opposition (Non-Consecutive Skyscrapers)

I'm going to be trying to make daily puzzle posts during December again, and specifically I'll be aiming for a different variant puzzle every day through Christmas. Will I succeed? I hope so! First up is a puzzle I prepared earlier, a non-consecutive Skyscrapers puzzle. Solve as a standard Skyscrapers puzzle, with the additional rule that numbers differing by one may not be orthogonally adjacent. This 6x6 turned out very difficult to construct, after a completely unfair 7x7 and several failed attempts on larger grids.

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(thanks to gravel and Bryce for pointing out the original 2 placements left 2 solutions. The puzzle has been fixed twice and definitely has one solution now.)

And for fun, here's the unfair puzzle. If you're just trying to find *a* solution it should be doable, but proving it's the only solution required me to make several 3-layer deep bifurcations. It's an elegant design, however, and honestly surprising that it works.

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Puzzle #185 - Rejected (Skyscrapers)

 A while back I submitted a few puzzles to GMPuzzles. One was broken (I've fixed it since), one was rejected (this Skyscrapers) and the rest have an intent to be used. When I sent in the puzzles I knew that this was the weakest of the set. That said, I still like the solve here- I'm guessing the lack of visual theme is what killed it.

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Puzzle #178 - Glass Houses (Liar Skyscrapers)

So. It turns out that Liar Skyscrapers was actually possible to construct for a 5x5. I almost can't believe that this works or that I managed to do so. Solve as a normal Skyscrapers puzzle, except every number is lying and should actually be a different number. So a 2 can see 1, 3, 4 or 5 numbers, but never 2.

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Thanks to Deusovi, TGE and edderiofer for testsolving this- it took a couple tweaks to fix but it was possible to fix.

Puzzle #166 - Around the Block (Skyscrapers)

After making some algorithmically generated puzzles (place smallest clue in first unspecified cell in reading order, deduce everything, repeat) and ending up with a Skyscrapers, I elected to make a standard one. This was the result, and I'm very pleased with it.

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I know 5x5 Skyscrapers aren't the most interesting, but I think this one has enough going for it.

Also, as a bonus, here are some of the algorithm puzzles- don't expect anything groundbreaking here :P

Yin Yang - Hitori - Cave - Skyscrapers - Kurodoko

Puzzle #151 - Another Hybrid (Skyscrapers Sudoku)

At least for now, this is the last of my puzzleduel puzzles. I wanted to include a number placement in my set, to go with the object placement, loop, and shading puzzles I'd already cooked up and so I elected to try Skyscrapers Sudoku as I'm reasonably comfortable with Skyscrapers construction at this point.

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Congratulations to Freddie Hand for winning this puzzle, with an astounding time of 53 seconds... which is incredible given PD number input!

Puzzles #116 & #117 - Puzzle Chimera (Doppelblock, Skyscrapers)

I hadn't really tried to construct a chimera before, or a puzzle that works in multiple different genres simultaneously. Doppelblock is a type that I'm trying to understand better, and it pairs well with Skyscrapers. Neither puzzle here is that difficult, but hey- I'm trying to make puzzles I find interesting.

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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}.

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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}.

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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.