Data study
The Hardest LinkedIn Zip Puzzles Ever, Measured
We hold the full solved archive of every daily Zip: all 541 puzzles, from #1 (March 18, 2025) to #541 (September 9, 2026). We scored each one with a structural difficulty index (0 to 100) built from grid size, walls, path turns, and checkpoint density. The results: the hardest Zip ever is puzzle #210, and LinkedIn runs a hidden weekly difficulty schedule that peaks on Sunday.
New: the same measurement across all six LinkedIn games, in the difficulty schedule study. And if a Sunday board still fell fast for you, that is what LinkedIn's "smarter than 99% of CEOs" badge actually measures.
LinkedIn's hidden weekly difficulty schedule
Like the NYT crossword, Zip ramps up through the week, and the mechanism is grid size. Across all 541 puzzles, 8×8 boards are overwhelmingly a weekend event. By Sunday, 39% of boards are 8×8 and median difficulty reaches 37, about 2.5× the midweek level.
| Day | Median difficulty | 8×8 boards | Puzzles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 22 | 0% | 77 |
| Tuesday | 16.5 | 1% | 78 |
| Wednesday | 14 | 3% | 78 |
| Thursday | 21 | 4% | 77 |
| Friday | 24 | 12% | 77 |
| Saturday | 29 | 25% | 77 |
| Sunday | 37 | 39% | 77 |
The 10 hardest Zip puzzles ever
Top of the list is #210 (October 13, 2025): a 7x7 with just 2 checkpoints and a 47-cell blind stretch. Every puzzle links to its full step-by-step answer.
| # | Date | Grid | Difficulty | Why it's brutal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #210 | October 13, 2025 | 7x7 | 100 | 22 walls · 27 turns · 2 checkpoints · 47-cell blind stretch |
| #98 | June 23, 2025 | 7x7 | 93 | 34 walls · 12 turns · 2 checkpoints · 47-cell blind stretch |
| #352 | March 4, 2026 | 8x8 | 88 | 36 walls · 28 turns · 6 checkpoints · 31-cell blind stretch |
| #15 | April 1, 2025 | 7x7 | 87 | 24 walls · 28 turns · 3 checkpoints · 44-cell blind stretch |
| #157 | August 21, 2025 | 8x8 | 82 | 14 walls · 40 turns · 6 checkpoints · 25-cell blind stretch |
| #526 | August 25, 2026 | 8x8 | 81 | 32 walls · 31 turns · 6 checkpoints · 19-cell blind stretch |
| #366 | March 18, 2026 | 8x8 | 77 | 24 walls · 33 turns · 6 checkpoints · 18-cell blind stretch |
| #424 | May 15, 2026 | 8x8 | 72 | 24 walls · 32 turns · 8 checkpoints · 18-cell blind stretch |
| #536 | September 4, 2026 | 8x8 | 71 | 17 walls · 20 turns · 10 checkpoints · 46-cell blind stretch |
| #162 | August 26, 2025 | 7x7 | 68 | 13 walls · 38 turns · 7 checkpoints · 33-cell blind stretch |
Zip records
Grid sizes: 6×6, 7×7 and 8×8 eras
Grid size is the single biggest difficulty driver: median difficulty steps 14 (6x6) → 33 (7x7) → 56.5 (8x8).
How long does a LinkedIn Zip take to solve?
LinkedIn does not publish an official average solve time, but observed play clusters right around a minute. In one enthusiast's timed run of 50 puzzles, solves averaged about 57 seconds, most finished in under a minute, and anything under 30 seconds counted as fairly good. Treat that as a typical, observed figure and not an official LinkedIn number. It also tracks the structure this page measures: the harder boards, with bigger grids, more walls, and longer blind stretches between checkpoints, take noticeably longer, which is why the hardest puzzles and the weekend spike in grid size push solve times up. New to the mechanics? Read how to solve LinkedIn Zip to trim your time.
And the easiest ever?
All small boards with zero walls and checkpoints so dense the path almost draws itself: #204 (6x6, 0 walls, difficulty 0) · #345 (6x6, 0 walls, difficulty 1) · #315 (6x6, 0 walls, difficulty 1) · #262 (6x6, 0 walls, difficulty 2) · #184 (6x6, 0 walls, difficulty 2).
Methodology
Every daily Zip board since #1 is archived and solved on this site. For each puzzle we extract five structural signals: grid size (cells to fill), wall count (blocked edges), turns in the solved path, the longest unguided stretch between numbered checkpoints, and cells per checkpoint. Each signal is standardized across the full archive and combined (weights: 25% grid, 25% turns, 20% walls, 15% stretch, 15% density), then rescaled to 0-100. The index measures board structure, not solve time, which depends on the solver. Data updates automatically as each new daily puzzle is added; cite this page freely with a link (CC BY 4.0). Want to test yourself against the monsters above? Each links to its archived step-by-step answer, or read how to solve LinkedIn Zip first.
Frequently asked
What is the hardest LinkedIn Zip puzzle ever?
Measured across all 541 daily puzzles, the hardest LinkedIn Zip so far is puzzle #210 from October 13, 2025: a 7x7 board with only 2 numbered checkpoints, 22 wall segments, and a 47-cell stretch you must route without passing a single checkpoint.
Is LinkedIn Zip harder on weekends?
Yes, and the data proves it. LinkedIn schedules larger grids toward the weekend: Saturdays and Sundays are 25% and 39% 8×8 boards, while Mondays and Tuesdays have never had one. Median structural difficulty roughly doubles from midweek to Sunday.
What makes a Zip puzzle hard?
Four things, measurably: a bigger grid (more cells to fill), more walls (fewer legal routes), more forced turns in the solution path, and fewer numbered checkpoints, especially long stretches between them, where you must commit to a route with no confirmation you're right.
How is Zip difficulty measured here?
We compute a structural difficulty index (0 to 100) from each puzzle's board data: grid size, wall count, turns in the solved path, the longest unguided stretch between checkpoints, and cells-per-checkpoint density. It measures the structure of the board, not solver skill. Human solve times will vary, but structure is what LinkedIn actually dials up and down.
Is there a hard mode in LinkedIn Zip?
No. LinkedIn Zip has no selectable hard mode or difficulty setting. Difficulty is set by the day of the week: the week bottoms out midweek (Wednesday has the lowest median on our index), then ramps to a Sunday peak, which is exactly the schedule this page measures through grid size and board structure.
How long does it take to solve a LinkedIn Zip puzzle?
There is no official average from LinkedIn, but observed play sits around a minute: one timed run of 50 puzzles averaged about 57 seconds, with most solved in under a minute and anything under 30 seconds counting as fairly good. Treat that as a typical figure rather than an official number. Harder boards, with bigger grids and longer blind stretches, take noticeably longer.
Is there a hard mode in LinkedIn Zip?
No. LinkedIn ships one board per day for everyone, so difficulty varies with the board rather than with a setting. The hardest ones tend to be larger grids with more walls and checkpoints far apart.
What is a good solve time for LinkedIn Zip?
Regular players land between about 30 and 90 seconds on a typical board. Under 20 seconds usually means a small grid with an obvious corridor, and several minutes is normal on the larger, wall-heavy puzzles.
Why do some Zip puzzles take so much longer than others?
Grid size matters less than wall density and checkpoint spacing. A 7x7 with few walls solves almost by itself, while the same size with checkpoints in opposite corners forces you to plan the whole route before committing to the first move.