How to play Number Path
Draw one path from 1 that passes through every square once, reaching the numbers in order and ending on the highest number. Also known as One-stroke path, Number trail.
The rules
- Move from a square to a neighbour above, below, left or right — never diagonally.
- Visit every square exactly once.
- Start on 1, reach 2, then 3, and so on; finish on the highest number.
- Don’t cross a thick wall.
Playing Number Path on Puzzle Solvers
- Choose walls or no walls, a size and a difficulty, then press New Puzzle.
- Drag from the 1 through neighbouring squares. Drag back over your path to undo, or tap any square on the path to cut it there.
- The next number to reach glows. Your trail turns green when every square is covered in order.
- Hint trims any wrong turn and shows where the path must go next — and why.
Using the Number Path solver
- Choose the size, enter the numbers and walls (or press Sample).
- Press Solve and follow the path from 1: forced moves, cut-off areas, dead ends, and look-aheads.
A worked example
1 is in a corner with a wall on one side, so the path has only one way out — take it.
Two squares later, turning left would trap the corner square behind you with only one way in. So the path turns right.
Strategies
- Corners and pockets. A square with only two open neighbours must be passed straight through them — unless it’s the start or finish.
- Don’t cut the board. If a move would split the unvisited squares into two separate areas, it can’t be right: the path could never come back.
- Dead ends. Leaving a square with only one way in is fine only if it’s the finish.
- Count to the next number. Between two numbers, the path needs exactly enough room to cover the squares it must pass on the way.
- Hug the edges. Paths often run along the edge of the grid or a wall; sweeping in rows avoids stranded squares.
Common mistakes
- Leaving a single square stranded in a corner.
- Reaching a number out of order.
- Ending on the last number before the grid is full.
Where it comes from
One-stroke path puzzles are an old idea — related to the knight’s tour and to Hamiltonian paths in mathematics. Number Path is a modern take popularised by daily puzzle apps.
Frequently asked questions
Is this like the daily path puzzles?
Yes — one path, every square, numbers in order, and walls, just like the popular daily versions.
What do the walls do?
A thick line between two squares means the path can’t step directly between them.
Is there always one answer?
Yes — every puzzle here is checked to have exactly one path.
How do I solve one from an app or book?
Open the Number Path Solver, type the numbers, add any walls and press Solve.
Keep going
- Play Number Patha fresh puzzle every time
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All guides: How to play every puzzle and game.