Zip Puzzle Rules, Path Strategy, and How to Play Online
Zip is a path puzzle with a single, satisfying goal: draw one line that fills the whole
board. A few numbered cells mark checkpoints. Your line starts on 1, touches 2, then 3, and
keeps counting until it ends on the highest number, after passing through every other cell
exactly once. Thick walls block some steps, and that is all the rules there are.
Each board has exactly one solution, so every puzzle can be solved by reasoning instead of
guessing. Play Zip online for free with five board sizes from 6x6 to 12x12, easy, medium
and hard puzzles, a new daily puzzle, hints, undo and redo, and saved progress. This page
covers the rules, the controls, and the strategy that turns a blank grid into one clean
line.
How to Play Zip
Choose a board size and a difficulty. The path already starts on the cell numbered 1. Drag
from the end of the path into a neighboring cell to extend it, and keep dragging to draw
through as many cells as you like. The line moves up, down, left or right, never
diagonally, and it can't enter a cell it has already filled.
- Numbers in order: the path can only enter a numbered cell when it is the
next number. It can't skip ahead from 2 to 4.
- Walls: a thick line between two cells is a wall. The path must go around
it.
- Fill everything: the puzzle is solved when the line covers every cell and
ends on the last number.
Changed your mind? Drag the path back over itself to erase the cells behind you, or press
any cell of the path to cut it right there and continue from that point. Undo and redo step
through your actions, and the eraser clears the whole path back to 1.
The keyboard works too. The arrow keys or WASD extend the path from its end, moving back
onto the previous cell steps back, and H shows a hint. Backspace clears the last cell,
Shift+Backspace clears the segment back to the last number you reached, and Ctrl+Backspace
(Cmd+Backspace on a Mac) clears the whole path. The controls list in How to play shows your configured shortcuts.
Zip Strategy: Find the Forced Moves
A Zip board looks open at first, but most cells have far fewer choices than it seems. The
path enters and leaves every cell except the two ends, so each ordinary cell uses exactly
two of its sides. Once you see a cell with only two usable sides, both are part of the
path. That single idea solves most easy puzzles.
Corners and walls
A corner cell has only two neighbors. Unless it holds 1 or the last number, the path must
come in through one neighbor and leave through the other. Walls create new corners: a cell
against the border with a wall on one side also has only two ways out. Start every puzzle
by marking these cells in your head, then follow the chains they create.
Dead ends and pockets
Watch the cells next to your line. If a free cell is about to lose all but one free
neighbor, it can only be the final cell, and only if the last number sits there. Otherwise
you are about to trap it. The same goes for groups of cells: if your line would split the
empty area into two pockets, it can never fill both. Before a long drag, check that the
cells behind and beside you can still be reached.
Follow the numbers
Numbers act like a timetable. Count the free cells between two numbers: a short distance
with a long detour around it means the path must wander, and the walls usually tell you
where. When two consecutive numbers sit next to each other, the path almost always connects
them directly. When a number touches a later one, the path can't use that shared side.
Edges first, middle last
The border is the most constrained part of the board, so the path tends to hug it in long
runs. Sweep the edges early and leave the open middle for last, where the remaining shape
is easier to read. On larger boards, think in snakes: rows or columns the path covers back
and forth, turning only where a wall or a number forces it.
Zip Difficulty Levels
Every puzzle has a unique solution, checked by a solver before it reaches the site.
Difficulty depends on the kind of reasoning you need, not only on the board size.
- Easy: the forced moves alone solve the board. Cells with two open sides,
finished cells, and numbers that must connect lead from one step to the next.
- Medium: fewer numbers. Sometimes you must imagine a step and notice that
it would trap a cell or split the board, which proves the other choice.
- Hard: the fewest clues the puzzle can keep and still have one answer.
Expect to look further ahead and compare a couple of routes before committing.
Board size changes the length of the journey: a 6x6 board is a quick break, while 10x10 and
12x12 boards can take a while even on easy. Each size and difficulty keeps its own stats
and leaderboard.
Hints, Scoring, and the Daily Zip
A hint keeps the correct start of your path, cuts any wrong steps, and draws the solution
up to the next number (or one board side, on boards with sparse numbers). The new cells
glow for a few seconds so you can see what changed. Each hint adds 60 seconds to your score,
which is your solving time in tenths of a second. Lower scores rank higher on the leaderboard.
The daily Zip is the same board for every player, and the size and difficulty change from
day to day. Your progress is saved automatically, so you can close the page and continue
the same puzzle later.
Common Zip Mistakes
- Racing to the next number. The shortest route between two numbers is
rarely right. The path has to fill everything, so detours are the point.
- Leaving a single cell behind. A free cell with one free neighbor is a
dead end. Fix it before it becomes three more mistakes.
- Ignoring walls. Walls are clues. A wall next to the border often decides
which way the path turns.
- Reaching the last number early. The last number must be the last cell.
If there are still empty cells, the route needs to bend away from it.
History of Zip and Path Puzzles
Zip became popular as one of the daily puzzles LinkedIn launched in 2025, but its roots are
much older. Mathematicians call a route that visits every point exactly once a Hamiltonian
path, after William Rowan Hamilton, whose 1857 Icosian game asked players to travel along
the edges of a dodecahedron through every corner. Finding such routes in general is famously
hard for computers, which is part of what makes small, carefully built boards so enjoyable
by hand.
Grid versions of the idea appear in many pencil puzzles. Number-path puzzles such as Hidato
fill a grid with consecutive numbers, and line puzzles ask you to draw a single loop or
snake through cells. Zip keeps only the essentials of that family: a few numbers to pass in
order, walls to steer around, and one line to fill the board.
Zip FAQ
What are the rules of Zip?
Draw one path from 1 that passes through the numbers in order, visits every cell once,
moves only horizontally or vertically, never crosses a wall, and ends on the highest number.
Can the path go diagonally?
No. Each step goes to the cell directly above, below, left or right.
Is there always only one solution?
Yes. Every board on Lofi and Games is checked by a solver and has exactly one path that
follows the rules.
How do I erase part of my path?
Drag back over the path, press a cell of the path to cut it there, or use undo. Backspace
clears the last cell, Shift+Backspace clears back to the last number, and the eraser button
or Ctrl+Backspace (Cmd+Backspace on a Mac) clears the whole path.
Which board should I start with?
Start with easy 6x6 to learn the forced moves around corners and walls, then try 7x7 or 8x8
and the medium puzzles.
Ready to draw? Pick a size, start on 1 and look for the cell with only two ways out. One
forced step leads to the next, until a single line fills the board.
Sound Effects Credits
The sound effects used on the game come from multiple parties. The credits and
respective licenses are listed below:
Disclaimer
This game is a property of Lofi and Games. All code and assets are protected and must
not be redistributed or used without prior permission.