Zip · No. 494 · Friday edition
LinkedIn Zip #494 Answer (Jul 24, 2026)
Hint: Corners and cells boxed in by walls have only one or two exits — route the path through them first.
Show Zip #494 answer as text
- 1→2: ←
- 2→3: ←×2 ↑×2
- 3→4: ← ↓×6 →×3
- 4→5: →
- 5→6: ↑ ←×3 ↑
- 6→7: ↑ →×4 ↑
- 7→8: ↑ ←×3 ↑
- 8→9: →
- 9→10: →×3 ↓×6 ←
- 10→11: ↑×2 ←×2
- 11→12: ←
About Zip #494
- Zip #494 is a 7×7 grid with 12 numbered checkpoints and 0 walls.
- The path runs from 1 to 12 and must cover all 49 squares.
- It has 12 checkpoints, more than the average of 9.6 across the previous 5 puzzles.
- Each square is entered once and left once, so it needs two path links; only the two ends, checkpoints 1 and 12, need just one.
- The corners R1C1, R1C7, R7C1, and R7C7 have just two neighbors each, so all their links are forced: R1C1 links to R2C1 and R1C2; R1C7 links to R1C6 and R2C7; R7C1 links to R6C1 and R7C2; R7C7 links to R6C7 and R7C6.
- Checkpoints 3 and 8 are not consecutive, so they cannot be linked directly, which leaves checkpoint 3 at R1C2 and checkpoint 8 at R1C3 with only two exits each: R1C2 links to R1C1 and R2C2; R1C3 links to R2C3 and R1C4.
- Joining R2C1 to R2C2 would close a loop, because the forced links already connect them, which leaves R2C1 with only two exits: R2C1 links to R1C1 and R3C1.