Logic Masters Deutschland e.V.

Lupin's Loop 2

Space Invasion

Backstory

For years, NASA had been hiding a secret expedition: a mission to explore newly discovered ringed planets, each believed to hold traces of alien life. The ships were ready, the technology was tested, and the crew had been chosen. Only one problem remained: finding the route. It could not be just any path - it had to obey strict constraints and close perfectly into a loop. NASA’s best scientists had failed, and the expedition was days away from being cancelled.

Then they heard about Professor Lupin’s impossible road system in the city. NASA’s scientists laughed when his name came up. They doubted the stories from the city, and doubted even more that Professor Lupin could solve an expedition their own calculations had failed to plan. But with the mission nearly abandoned, even a ridiculous rumor was worth testing.

With nothing left to lose, NASA prepared a final test. A sealed envelope arrived at Lupin’s door, holding a star map, a list of black holes, and one mocking message: “Loop it, Lupin.” Now NASA was about to discover whether Professor Lupin was truly a genius… or only a very convincing rumor.

Rules

Normal Sudoku rules apply.

White Kropki Dots: Digits separated by a white Kropki dot are consecutive.

Route: Draw a single route that travels orthogonally from cell to cell, never branching, crossing, or overlapping, and eventually closes into a loop. The loop must pass through every planet.

Black Holes: Thick black borders represent black holes that the route cannot cross.

Satellites: A digit in a satellite equals the number of loop cells in the 3×3 box centered on that cell.

Parity: Along the loop, one parity forces the route to turn, making a 90° angle, while the other forces it to continue straight, making a 180° angle. It is up to the solver to determine which parity corresponds to which behavior.

Non-consecutive Along the Loop: Any two cells that are adjacent along the loop must contain non-consecutive digits. The only case where consecutive digits may appear along the loop is if the loop passes through a white Kropki dot.

Solve Online

This is the second puzzle in the Lupin’s Loop series, and I truly hope you enjoy solving it. I would be very happy to hear any feedback, thoughts, or comments you may have.