Loop hints — Monday, July 13, 2026
Draw one closed loop that satisfies every numbered clue. Reveal as little or as much as you need — each step below gives away a bit more, and the answers stay hidden until you open them. No full solutions, ever: the last step is one concrete opening, generated from the same seed as everyone's puzzle.
Easy (5×5) — a typical day
Step 1 · A gentle nudge
This grid has 3 zero-clues and 6 threes. A 0 switches every edge around it off; a 3 uses three of its four — the extreme clues do the most work, so start your scan there.
Step 2 · A technique to look for
Somewhere on this board a 0 sits directly beside a 3 — the classic Loop opening. The 0 turns all four of its edges off, which immediately forces three edges of the neighbouring 3.
Step 3 · The concrete opening (spoiler)
Mark the 0 at row 4, column 2 first — all four of its edges are off. That forces the 3 at row 3, column 2 to use its three remaining edges: seven edges decided before your first guess.
Medium (6×6) — one of the spiciest in weeks
Step 1 · A gentle nudge
This grid has 5 zero-clues and 7 threes. A 0 switches every edge around it off; a 3 uses three of its four — the extreme clues do the most work, so start your scan there.
Step 2 · A technique to look for
Somewhere on this board a 0 sits directly beside a 3 — the classic Loop opening. The 0 turns all four of its edges off, which immediately forces three edges of the neighbouring 3.
Step 3 · The concrete opening (spoiler)
Mark the 0 at row 5, column 6 first — all four of its edges are off. That forces the 3 at row 5, column 5 to use its three remaining edges: seven edges decided before your first guess.
Hard (8×8) — a typical day
Step 1 · A gentle nudge
This grid has 25 zero-clues and 4 threes. A 0 switches every edge around it off; a 3 uses three of its four — the extreme clues do the most work, so start your scan there.
Step 2 · A technique to look for
Work from the zeros: every edge around a 0 is off, and each edge you rule out tightens the clues beside it.
Step 3 · The concrete opening (spoiler)
The 0 at row 2, column 2 clears four edges at once — start there and follow the ruled-out edges outward.
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