{"id":34591,"date":"2025-12-01T00:00:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T08:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gmpuzzles.com\/blog\/?p=34591"},"modified":"2025-12-06T16:36:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T00:36:42","slug":"loopdoku-by-clover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gmpuzzles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/loopdoku-by-clover\/","title":{"rendered":"Loopdoku by clover!"},"content":{"rendered":"

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS)<\/a> series.)
\nSometimes the first workday after a long holiday (like the recent Thanksgiving in the US) can throw you for a loop. We don’t know if that is clover’s motivation today, but this combination of a Loop puzzle and a Sudoku will make you think more creatively than usual.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Loopdoku<\/p>\n

PDF<\/a><\/p>\n

or solve online<\/a> (using SudokuPad; this should now default to loading with the Pen tool on (people who already clicked may need to clear their browser cache for the short url). The pen tool looks like a square icon containing a circle and a bent line, next to the big 9 used to select the main number entry. Hitting those adjacent icons should let you alternate between entering numbers and loop segments. It is also at the top of the Settings menu (gear symbol) to turn on. Thanks to Michael in the comments for helping us get this on by default.)<\/p>\n

Theme:<\/b> Tangled Up in Loop<\/p>\n

Author\/Opus:<\/b> This is the 81st puzzle from Clover, part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS<\/a>) team.<\/p>\n

Rules:<\/b> Insert a number from 1 to 9 into each cell so that no number repeats in any row, column, or bold region. Also, draw a single, non-intersecting loop that passes through all cells except for the gray central cell, moving only up, down, left, or right between cells. The loop must travel straight through every cell with an odd number and turn in every cell with an even number.<\/p>\n

GAS Time Standards (highlight to view):<\/b> Two party hats (\ud83c\udfa9\ud83e\udd73): 10:00<\/span>; One party hat (\ud83e\udd73): 20:00<\/span>. All other solvers earn a \ud83e\udd95: knotty Nodosaurus<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Thomas Hits the GAS (highlight to view): <\/b> 3:00<\/span>, with SudokuPad replay file<\/a> shared as a download for now (requires loading via settings menu with improvements expected before people should use this regularly).<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/b> PDF<\/a> and solving video<\/a> with explanation from GAS team.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/b> Follow this link for other less common variations of Sudoku<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Note 2:<\/b>\u00a0Comments on the blog are great! For a more interactive discussion, please also consider using our\u00a0Daily GAS discussion<\/a>\u00a0post\u00a0on the GMPuzzles Discord. Not a member of the Discord? Click\u00a0this link<\/a>\u00a0for basic access.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(This post is part of the Genuinely Approachable Sudoku (GAS) series.) Sometimes the first workday after a long holiday (like the recent Thanksgiving in the US) can throw you for a loop. We don’t know if that is clover’s motivation today, but this combination of a Loop puzzle and a Sudoku will make you think […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":444,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,126],"tags":[8,15,56,237],"class_list":["post-34591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-puzzle","category-othersudoku","tag-sudoku-3","tag-wednesdaythursday","tag-variation-2","tag-gas"],"yoast_head":"\nLoopdoku by clover! - The Art of Puzzles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sometimes the first Monday after a long holiday can throw you for a loop; will this Loop puzzle and Sudoku GAS combo today do that to you?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gmpuzzles.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/loopdoku-by-clover\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Loopdoku by clover! 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