Thursday, 20 June 2024

bakpao

No space and no time for an intro today - enjoy the GAPP!

Today's puzzle is a Snake Wall! This is a new puzzle type, from Nikoli's newest Puzzle Communication (vol. 187).

Rules: Place numbers into some cells such that all numbered cells form several one-cell wide paths with a length of at least two cells, which do not touch themselves orthogonally. Each number is equal to the length of the path containing it. Paths cannot pass through walls and cannot touch other paths orthogonally, except if they are separated by a wall. If a wall has a white dot on it, exactly one of the two cells it separates is used by a path. Not all dots are necessarily given.

Rules and interface note: While Nikoli presents the genre as number placement, it is arguably easier to solve as a shading genre. The rules may also be easier to parse this way. Below is an alternate version of the rules, written as a shading genre. Answer check accepts both numbers and shading. If you opt for shading, shade the cells that contain paths.

Shade some cells such that the shaded cells form several one-cell wide paths with a length of at least two cells, which do not touch themselves orthogonally. Clues must be shaded and indicate the length of the path containing the clue. Paths cannot pass through walls and cannot touch other paths orthogonally, except if they are separated by a wall. If a wall has a white dot on it, exactly one of the two cells it separates is used by a path. Not all dots are necessarily given.

Acquire a Speedy Sloth 🦥 by solving the puzzle in 2:15 or less!
Obtain a Quick Crab 🦀 by solving the puzzle in 4:30 or less!
And all solvers who complete the puzzle will be rewarded with a Nikoli Needletail 🐦!

Example (Penpa+): https://tinyurl.com/276xrlqy
Main puzzle (Penpa+): https://tinyurl.com/22938c9d