Yajilin
Yajilin is a logic puzzle first published in Nikoli Volume 86 (1999) and invented by 天歩 (Tenpo). The name ヤジリン (Yajilin) is a contraction of two Japanese words: 矢印 (yajirushi, “arrow”) and リング (ring), reflecting the puzzle’s core elements.
The puzzle concept, which combines arrows and numbers, is derived from an earlier Nikoli puzzle, Yajisan Kazusan. While some sources incorrectly cite its first Nikoli appearance as Volume 115 (2006), historical records show that Yajilin was already used in international competitions, including the US Puzzle Championship in 2005.
In Yajilin, solvers must shade cells and draw a single loop around the grid while obeying the constraints indicated by numbered arrows, creating a unique combination of path-drawing and logical deduction that has made it a classic in Nikoli’s puzzle repertoire.
The puzzle concept, which combines arrows and numbers, is derived from an earlier Nikoli puzzle, Yajisan Kazusan. While some sources incorrectly cite its first Nikoli appearance as Volume 115 (2006), historical records show that Yajilin was already used in international competitions, including the US Puzzle Championship in 2005.
In Yajilin, solvers must shade cells and draw a single loop around the grid while obeying the constraints indicated by numbered arrows, creating a unique combination of path-drawing and logical deduction that has made it a classic in Nikoli’s puzzle repertoire.
Rules
Shade some cells black and then draw a single non-intersecting loop through all white cells. Black cells cannot share an edge with each other, but can touch grey and arrow cells. Cells that contain clues or shaded grey are not part of the loop. Numbered arrows in such cells indicate the number of cells shaded black in that direction in the grid.
Click to see the answer.