Tapa-Like Loop by Prasanna Seshadri
or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s on edges)
Theme: Double Trouble
Author/Opus: This is the 11th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.
Rules: In this variation of Tapa, the wall is in the form of a single non-intersecting loop. Clues inside the grid represent the number of neighboring cells visited by the loop; if there is more than one number in a cell, each number should be represented with a separate loop segment. There is no 2×2 rule of Tapa in this puzzle. This example image should help:
Answer String: Enter the length in cells of the horizontal loop segments from left to right in the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma. For the example, this would be “11,12”.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:45, Master = 2:45, Expert = 5:30
Solution: PDF
Note: Follow this link for other Tapa-Like Loop puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Tapa puzzles to get started on.
05:37.
I got stuck after resolving bottom-left corner, and just got a lucky guess through the rest. Anyone can tell the intended solution path?
Rot13-ing it –
Chggvat Ybbc fgenaqf orgjrra pyhrf urycf (r.t. gur dhnqehcyr 2 pyhr jvyy unir n cyhf-fvta yvxr cnggrea bs fgenaqf pbzvat bhg). Fvzvyne fgenaqf arrq gb or gurer sbe rirel nern gur ybbc tbrf guebhtu (znvayl hfr guvf sbe gbc yrsg).
I cheated:
Bgure guna gjb fdhnerf, gur tevq vf qvntbanyyl flzzrgevp. Fb V thrffrq fgnegvat ng gur bccbfvgr pbeare. Jura V tbg gb gur obggbz yrsg, rvgure zl thrff jnf pbeerpg, be V unq gur nafjre zveeberq.
V ernyvmr abj V pbhyq unir nccyvrq gur fnzr ybtvp V hfrq ng gur raq ng gur ortvaavat: bar cbffvovyvgl sbe gur obggbz evtug ‘2’ jbhyq vzzrqvngryl pybfr gur ybbc.
Not sure if that counts as cheating, but I found this way easiest too. Starting in lower left gives some help but seems it doesn’t solve the puzzle. With the “break-in” you used the whole puzzle falls out.
I’d have done better here with more thinking and less guessing. Great puzzle, thanks!
~5 minutes
Excellent theme and puzzle.
Regards,
Ravi
I broke this puzzle multiple times while solving it, due to the false assumption that gur ybbc tbrf guebhtu nyy pbearef bs gur tevq. Once I realized that that was a false assumption, I quickly found that the correct solving path was to pbafvqre gur fvatyr-gjb pyhrf ba gur rqtrf, naq juvpu fdhnerf nebhaq gurz unq gb or hfrq.
It’s a miracle that i managed to complete the puzzle within the expert time.
4:35 .Very nice puzzle!
This one left me completely stumped the first time I attempted it… V unq gur obggbz yrsg pbeare, naq V xarj gur ybbc pbirerq zbfg bs gur gbc evtug pbeare va bar bs 2 jnlf ohg V pbhyqa’g frr nal jnl gb qrgrezvar juvpu. I eventually gave up. Coming back to it now with fresh eyes I saw the logic needed gb oernx bhg bs gur obggbz yrsg pbeare and everything else fell into place.
– Neelix
This one was tough and tricky. I have to guess to solve this puzzle.