Play Numberlink Online

Numberlink gives you matching endpoints and an empty grid. Draw orthogonal routes between each pair without sharing a square, then cover every square on this board. Clicking a start and its neighboring cells lets you build each path one step at a time. Plan narrow corridors first: a misplaced route can seal a corner off completely.

1. Choose one numbered endpoint to start its colored path.
2. Click an adjacent empty square horizontally or vertically.
3. Keep adding neighboring squares until you reach the matching numbered endpoint.
4. Click the previous square to backtrack one step, or click a start again to redraw that color.
5. Connect all three pairs without sharing cells.
6. Fill all 25 squares to finish this full-coverage puzzle.
7. The three pairs occupy fixed numbered cells on a five by five grid. Choose either endpoint of a pair to begin and then step through neighboring empty cells. This version accepts a path drawn in either direction. A fresh click on an endpoint begins redrawing that color, which helps when a route occupies a corridor another pair needs.
8. Use the numbered endpoints as anchors while planning. A line that encloses an empty square against a board edge is suspect because no later path can enter that square. Before completing a color, glance at the remaining blank area and at the exits available to the other two colors. To undo the last segment, click the preceding square while the path is still active.

• Only orthogonally neighboring squares can join a path.
• Paths cannot cross, branch or share a square.
• Each color must connect its own two numbered endpoints.
• Every square must belong to one path in this particular puzzle.
• Every path uses edge-adjacent cells; diagonal moves do not connect. A colored path cannot revisit a square or take over a cell assigned to another pair. Completing a connection may still leave unfilled cells, so the full-coverage requirement changes how you approach the final pair. An isolated blank cannot be repaired after nearby paths close.

• Secure a tight corner before routing a long path through its only exit.
• Leave enough free cells around each unsolved endpoint for its route to begin.
• A path that reaches the correct number too early may block the full-coverage requirement.
• Count the remaining empty squares in each enclosed pocket. A trapped region is a sign to backtrack.
• Click a start to redraw a color instead of trying to work around a blocked route.

• Bridges: Compare how a related puzzle uses regions, paths or tile placement.
• Slant: Compare how a related puzzle uses regions, paths or tile placement.
• Water Sort: Compare how a related puzzle uses regions, paths or tile placement.

• A successful route creates a visible, colorful map.
• The full-grid rule makes planning the final empty corridor satisfying.
• Color makes progress easy to inspect, but a visually complete pair is not always a solution. The board asks you to account for each cell, which turns a route-planning task into a small partition puzzle. Try the shorter pair first if it occupies a tight edge; leave open space for a longer pair that must traverse the center.

Play Numberlink free in your browser. Start the interactive board above, use its on-screen controls and check the rules below when a deduction gets stuck. No download or account is needed.

Try another round of Numberlink on the board above. Start with the most constrained part of the grid, test each move against the stated rules, and use the reset control to try a new approach.

• Nikoli puzzle collection