Everything is Awesome

Title: Everything is Awesome

Rating: 3/5

This week offers another product puzzle whose title is inspired by blocks.

The official rules:

• The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
• Digits in each shaded region must multiply to the indicated product.   
• Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
• Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

Candy Center

Title: Candy Center

Rating: 4/5

 

One of the earliest puzzles of any type that I created, this happens also be one of the hardest.  Enjoy the treat.

The official rules:

• The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
• Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum.   
• Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
• Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.

Five By

Title: Five By

Rating: 3/5

For a change of pace, here's an alternate puzzle.  Brainfreeze Puzzles recently released a book with 10 X 10 puzzles with pentomino blocks.  Having seen test runs of such puzzles a couple of years prior to that, I decided to see what that style of puzzle would look like with overlapping regions in a standard 9 X 9 board.  I created four such puzzles; this is the first.

The official rules:

• The digits 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 appear in the above puzzle.
• Each shaded region contains exactly one of each of the digits 1 through 5.
• No row or column can contain more than two appearances of any of the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
• Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in both of the associated adjacent regions.

Mai Tai

Title: Mai Tai

Rating: 2/5

A tropical cocktail made from rum, Curaçao liqueur, and lime juice, garnished with pineapple.

The official rules:

• The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
• Digits in each shaded region must add to the indicated sum (denoted by +) or multiply to the indicated product (denoted by *).   
• Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the sum/product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
• Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that repetition doesn't violate the first rule.

Jenga

Title: Jenga

Rating: 1/5

A fairly easy product puzzle this week, one where choosing the right point to start causes the rest of the puzzle to topple quickly afterwards.

The official rules:

• The digits 1 through 9 appear in each row and each column exactly once.
• Digits in each shaded region must multiply to the indicated product.   
• Squares with multiple colors contain a number that’s used in the product for adjacent regions of each of those colors.  
• Remember: numbers can repeat within a shaded region if that doesn't violate the first rule.