Our last category for the Best of 2022 posts is “Loop / Path” puzzles, where we had 59 posts during the year. All of the best puzzles are gathered in this PDF file.

Our first puzzle to earn best of ratings is a Slitherlink (Liar) puzzle by Thomas Snyder with a Bull’s-Eye theme. This puzzle hit the mark with its solvers by highlighting several different uses of the “lying” clues during the solve.

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to switch between edgex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s, and a shading and number entry mode to mark/update the liar clues.)

Next up on the favorites list was an Equality puzzle by Murat Can Tonta, a loop variation featured in our Loop Variety Collection 2. This Equality puzzle has several different quadrants to work through and very interesting logic.

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to shift between the default linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s and a shading mode to help mark cells.)

Two Castle Wall puzzles earned top marks in 2022 but neither was “typical” in that they only used black clues. The first was a “Black Box” Castle Wall puzzle by JinHoo Ahn, another masterpiece from this talented puzzle designer.

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

Second best in category was another uncommon variation, this time an “unequal lengths” variation that we had seen in other loop styles but that shone through in this Slitherlink (Unequal Lengths) puzzle by Murat Can Tonta.

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)

The best loop and best overall puzzle of 2022 was this Castle Wall gem that also uses just black clues in an interesting layout to reveal the one forced solution by an interesting logical path.

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in linex mode where left click+drag draws lines and right click marks X’s)

What did you think of these “best of 2022” puzzles? Add your comments to the posts and send your thanks to the authors for these great constructions.