Nurikabe Cousins
(Published on 22. August 2023, 09:00 by Agent)
This puzzle was inspired in part by some of the earliest puzzles I have solved, where a number placement puzzle was used to restrict the number of cells inside a loop. I think this idea has some potential for many other puzzle genres, and it has some similarities with the colossal sudoku type of puzzles that I really enjoyed.
Rules
- Nurikabe: Shade some cells so that all shaded cells are orthogonally connected. Clues cannot be shaded, and each orthogonally connected group of unshaded cells contains exactly one clue, the value of which represents the size of the group. No 2x2 region may be entirely shaded.
- Two 4x4 puzzle cousins (Fillomino and Latin Square) must be located within the Nurikabe grid, and may overlap each other. Each cell of the puzzle cousins occupies a 2x2 area (thin borders) of the Nurikabe. The number placed in that cell indicates the number of unshaded cells (from 1 to 4) in the respective 2x2 area of the Nurikabe.
- Fillomino: Divide the grid into orthogonally connected regions such that no two regions of the same size share an edge, and enter a number into each cell equal to the size of its region.
- Latin Square: Place the digits 1 to 4 exactly once each in each row and each column.
Puzzle links
Solution code: For each row of the Nurikabe, from top to bottom, give the length of the longest contiguous stretch of shaded cells.
Comments
on 7. April 2024, 12:34 by Piatato
Great puzzle! A fairly approachable and very fun introduction to this concept. Any larger and more challenging versions coming eventually? :)
on 12. November 2023, 23:38 by Myxo
Awesome puzzle, loved it!
on 29. October 2023, 15:44 by Silverstep
Rules clarification: What is a "puzzle cousin"? How many cells are in the Fillomino? How many cells in the Latin Square? The rules make it seems like all 36 cells are Fillomino ("divide the grid") and 24 cells are Latin Square ("1 to 4 exactly once in each row & each column"), but in that case I don't understand why they would be "cousins" and why it's stated that they "may" overlap instead of "must" overlap.
-- Both puzzle cousins are 4x4, will clarify the rules.
on 20. September 2023, 21:00 by Christounet
Enjoyed that one very much ! Took me a couple minutes to understand how the indexing worked. Connectivity logic was great ! Thanks
on 24. August 2023, 19:10 by Jesper
Cool idea, and very enjoyable!
on 23. August 2023, 19:45 by madhupt
Super hard, super fun, super setting, superb!
on 23. August 2023, 09:02 by MagnusJosefsson
Great puzzle, very original and cool combination!
-- Thanks Magnus! Good to have you back :)
on 22. August 2023, 15:27 by KNT
enjoyed that, thanks!
on 22. August 2023, 15:15 by MicroStudy
wow that was super trippy, i loved that
on 22. August 2023, 14:47 by wooferzfg
Very fun, thanks!
