Slitherlink
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Slitherlink (also known as Sli-Lin,[1] Fences, Takegaki, Loop the Loop, Loopy, Ouroboros, Suriza, Rundweg and Dotty Dilemma) is a logic puzzle developed by publisher Nikoli.[2]
Rules
[edit]Slitherlink is played on a rectangular lattice of dots. Some of the squares formed by the dots have numbers inside them. The objective is to connect horizontally and vertically adjacent dots so that the lines form a simple loop with no loose ends. In addition, the number inside a square represents how many of its four sides are segments in the loop.[3]
Other types of planar graphs can be used in lieu of the standard grid, with varying numbers of edges per vertex or vertices per polygon. These patterns include snowflake, Penrose, Laves and Altair tilings. These add complexity by varying the number of possible paths from an intersection, and/or the number of sides to each polygon; but similar rules apply to their solution.
History
[edit]Slitherlink is an original puzzle of Nikoli; it first appeared in Puzzle Communication Nikoli #26 (June 1989). The editor combined two original puzzles contributed there. At first, every square contained a number and the edges did not have to form a loop.
Conceptis Puzzles, a puzzle publisher, has been providing updates and news about Slitherlink as well as its distribution in digital formats.[4]
Video games
[edit]Slitherlink puzzles have been featured in video games on several platforms. A game titled Slither Link was published in Japan by Bandai for the Wonderswan portable console in 2000.[5][6] Slitherlink puzzles were included alongside Sudoku and Nonogram puzzles in the Loppi Puzzle Magazine: Kangaeru Puzzle series of games from Success for the Game Boy Nintendo Power cartridge in 2001.[7][8][9] Slitherlink games were also featured for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, with Hudson Soft releasing Puzzle Series Vol. 5: Slitherlink in Japan on November 16, 2006, and Agetec including Slitherlink in its Nikoli puzzle compilation, Brain Buster Puzzle Pak, released in North America on June 17, 2007.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ “Our fans call it Sli-Lin in Japan.” Nikoli. "Slitherlink". Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ Yahoo Finance (2007-06-14). "Father of Sudoku says Slitherlink is the next big thing". Retrieved 2025-11-03.
- ^ The New York Times (2023-12-19). "Making Sense of Logic Puzzles". Retrieved 2025-11-03.
- ^ "Logic puzzle news". 2017-11-26. Retrieved 2025-11-03.
- ^ "スリザーリンク (ワンダースワン)の関連情報 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ^ Slither Link for WonderSwan - GameFAQs
- ^ "ゲームボーイ用の新作ソフト：1". Archived from the original on 18 December 2006.
- ^ "ゲームボーイ用の新作ソフト：2". Archived from the original on 18 January 2003.
- ^ Loppi Puzzle Magazine: Kangaeru Puzzle Soukangou for Game Boy Color - GameFAQs
- ^ Puzzle - Brain Buster Puzzle Pak - Agetec, Inc
External links
[edit]- Nikoli's English page on Slitherlink Archived 2013-05-22 at the Wayback Machine
- On the NP-completeness of the Slitherlink Puzzle Archived 2013-01-20 at the Wayback Machine - Slitherlink is NP-complete
- Site discussing non-grid forms of Slitherlink including snowflake, penrose, laves, and altair
- KwontomLoop - A free site with daily slitherlink puzzles varying in difficulty. Also includes a ranking system with other players.
- Conceptis puzzles: Slitherlink techniques - This site shows some advanced solving techniques.
- games.softpedia.com - Slitherlink downloadable game. This generates puzzle at various levels and dimensions. Also you can upload a puzzle (external to the site) to solve it.
- [1] - A suggested notational system to document slitherlink puzzles.
- Loopy - One of the many simple desktop puzzle games for Windows/Unix by Simon Tatham.