How to play Number March

Walk from Start to Finish through a number grid, every step following one hidden repeating pattern of operations. Also known as Pattern path.

▶ Play Number March

Number March puzzle board — Walk from Start to Finish through a number grid, every step following one hidden repeating pattern of operations. — A fresh Number March puzzle, as the game makes it. Play this kind of puzzle →

The rules

Begin on the Start square and end on the Finish square (both marked with arrows).
Each step goes to a touching square — across, down or diagonally.
Every step follows a hidden pattern that repeats: for example +1, +3, +1, +3… The pattern has 1 to 3 steps.
You may not use a square twice or cross your own path. Exactly one path works.

Playing Number March on Puzzle Solvers

Choose a level — from a 5×5 grid with one simple step to a 9×9 grid with special operations — and press New Puzzle.
Start on the square with the arrow. Tap or drag to step to a touching square — across, down or diagonally.
Every step follows the same hidden pattern, repeating over and over (for example +1, then +3). Work it out from the numbers and march to Finish.
Never use a square twice or cross your own path. Each step shows the operation you used, and turns red if it breaks the pattern. 🔍 Pattern clue reveals the pattern bit by bit; Hint explains the next step.

Open the Number March game →

A worked example

Start is 0. Its neighbours are 1, 6 and 2. Try 1 (+1). From 1, a +1 would need a 2, a +3 would need a 4 — and there is a 4 just above.

From 4, +1 gives 5 (diagonally up), then +3 gives 8. The pattern +1, +3 keeps going all the way to Finish.

Strategies

Try the neighbours of Start. Each neighbour gives a different first step. A real pattern can keep going; most guesses stop after a step or two.
Look for the repeat. Once you think you know the pattern, check it repeats: after +1, +3 you should see +1 again.
Beware the decoys. Some squares fit the pattern for one step from the path, then lead nowhere. If you get stuck, step back.
Work from Finish too. Undo the pattern backwards from Finish: if the pattern ends with +3, the square before Finish is 3 less.
Use the clues. 🔍 Pattern clue tells you how long the pattern is, then its first step, then the whole thing.

Common mistakes

Changing the pattern halfway — every step must follow the same repeating rule.
Forgetting diagonal moves.

Where it comes from

Pattern-path puzzles like this have appeared in children’s puzzle magazines for decades. Number March was made for this site, with five levels, special operations and puzzles that always have exactly one path.

Frequently asked questions

What operations can appear?

Adding and taking away at every level from Easy; multiplying and dividing from Medium; and at Expert, squaring, square roots, adding or taking away a number’s digits, multiplying its digits, adding its last digit and reversing its digits.

Is there always one answer?

Yes — exactly one path from Start to Finish fits any pattern the level allows, not just the hidden one.

What does the number on each step mean?

It shows the operation your step used, so you can check your pattern. Turn it off in the settings if you prefer to work it out in your head.