[This is a repost from our archives with new notes at the top (original post here): This puzzle was perhaps easier than the Wednesday Slitherlink; by time standards it is about the same, but this grid is larger. However that was partially by design as this TIME puzzle would be on a weekend many readers of that magazine might click over to the site due to a world puzzle championship article. This is a puzzle that isn’t too hard if you try to intuit how the loop goes, but it is not using as many common patterns to get started.]

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in edgex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Theme: Just in TIME? A hard Slitherlink puzzle from US Puzzle Team member Thomas Snyder, one of the “Answer Men” profiled in this week’s issue (subscription required).

Rules: Standard Slitherlink rules.

Estimated Difficulty*: 3 stars

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Note: Advice on solving this puzzle has now been posted in “Ask Dr. Sudoku #9”

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for classic Slitherlink and this link for Slitherlink variations. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Slitherlink puzzles to get started on. More Slitherlink puzzles can be found in The Art of Puzzles, Slitherlink and Variations, and our beginner-friendly book Logic Puzzles 101.