Questions
Yajilin — ヤジリン — or Arrow Ring is a loop puzzle.
- What is Yajilin?
- Yajilin is a Nikoli loop puzzle. You shade some cells black, then draw a single closed loop through every cell that is neither black nor an arrow. Each arrow tells you how many black cells lie in that direction.
- What does the number on an arrow mean?
- It is how many black cells lie in that direction from the arrow, all the way to the edge of the grid. Other arrow cells in that line neither block the count nor add to it.
- Can two black cells touch?
- Not side by side. Two black cells may meet at a corner, but never share an edge.
- Can the loop pass through an arrow cell?
- No. An arrow cell is never on the loop and is never black.
- Does the loop have to visit every cell?
- It visits every cell that is neither black nor an arrow, exactly once.
- Are all the black cells shown by arrows?
- No. Some black cells are counted by no arrow, and are worked out from the loop instead.
- Is Yajilin the same as Arrow Ring?
- Yes. ヤジリン is a contraction of 矢印 (arrow) and リンク (link), and English-language collections have published it as Arrow Ring.
- Does every puzzle have exactly one answer?
- Yes. Every puzzle here is proved unique by an independent solver before it is banked, so you never have to guess.
- What is the difference between Easy and Hard?
- The grid size. Easy is 6×6 and settles quickly. Hard is 9×9, where the shading and the route of the loop have to be worked out together.
- When does a new puzzle appear?
- At midnight where you are. Both sizes change at once, and every past puzzle stays playable in the archive.
- Is it free? Do I need an account?
- It is free and there is no account. Your progress is kept in your own browser, so it survives a closed tab but does not follow you to another device.