Dr. Sudoku Prescribes #53 – Slitherlink
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.
Answer String: Enter the length in cells of each of the internal loop segments from left to right for the marked rows, starting at the top. Separate each row’s entry with a comma.
Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:15, Master = 4:30, Expert = 9:00
Note: Advice on solving this puzzle has now been posted in “Ask Dr. Sudoku #9”
Solution: PDF
Great puzzle (6:59) Used almost all the tricks, with very few standard patterns to fill the board. Very enjoyable experience.
Thanks.
TheSubro
Thanks. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. This puzzle is the most noteworthy one so far in my underestimating the ability of my test-solvers. With so few common patterns, I thought it would take a much longer time to get through, but my testers know how to visualize loops and deduce new rules no problem. I’ll be curious to see how broad the solvers’ spread ends up though.
Nice, smooth solve. Some nice loop reasoning mixed in there. And Xs all over the place. I didn’t time myself, but I never got stuck anywhere.
Only one place that tripped me up a bit, at the 2 at the bottom middle of the M, and how the 1 above it interacts (or how it can’t interact). Other than that, a pretty smooth solve.
Wait, this is a reference to Time magazine? I was hoping it was a reference to Time Warp Tickers from Action 52. But then it would have to be “Time?” instead of just “TIME”. 🙂
23:59 s !
Best of the slitherlink lot that have come up this week.Again highlighting the importance of Xs .Other than the 3 3 s successively in a row or column pattern i did not use any other pattern other than keeping track of the Xs .
Beautiful construction again .So far i have learnt a lot especially in these puzzle genres because of you—> Masyu ,starbattle and slitherlink puzzle types.Very impressive and instructive motris!
Difficulty Level on a scale of 10 : 8.5
Fun level : 10!!!
Thanks for your comments skynet, and that is a really good time on this puzzle. You can’t solve it from memorizing a bunch of patterns, so you’re definitely learning a lot of the key steps in solving this type in general.
I didn’t time myself, but I spent quite some time picking away at this one. A very nice Slitherlink!