How to play Pair Paths

Join each pair of matching numbers with a path across or down; paths never cross and together fill the grid. Also known as Join the pairs.

▶ Play Pair Paths

The rules

Each number appears exactly twice. Join the two with one path.
A path moves from square to square across or down — never diagonally.
Paths never cross and never share a square.
Every square in the grid is used by some path.

Playing Pair Paths on Puzzle Solvers

Choose a grid size and difficulty, then press New Puzzle.
Drag from square to square to draw a path. Drag back over a link to rub it out; right-click a square to clear its links.
A path takes the colour of the number it starts from, so you can see which pair each square belongs to.
Join every pair and use every square. Hint shows the next link you can be sure of — and why.

Open the Pair Paths game →

A worked example

The top-left corner is a plain square. It has only two neighbours: the square to its right and the square below. Every plain square has two links, so both of those are links — the path turns the corner here.

Now the square to its right has one link already. If its only other free neighbour is the square further right, that is its second link. Following forced links like this, paths grow out of the corners and edges.

Strategies

Corners turn. A corner square that is not a number has only two neighbours — both must be on its path, so the path turns there.
Two ways in, two ways out. Every plain square has exactly two links. If only two of its neighbours are still possible, both are links.
Numbers have one link. A number is the end of its path, so it joins exactly one neighbour. When only one neighbour is free, that is the link.
Don’t trap a square. If a path would leave a square with fewer than two free neighbours, it cannot go that way.
No loops. A path never doubles back to meet itself — joining two squares that are already connected would make a loop.

Common mistakes

Drawing the shortest route between two numbers — the shortest route often leaves squares nobody can reach.
Forgetting that every square must be used.

Where it comes from

Puzzles that join pairs of numbers with non-crossing paths have been published since the early twentieth century and became popular in puzzle magazines and phone games. This version fills the whole grid and always has one answer.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to fill every square?

Yes — the puzzle is only solved when every square is on a path. That rule is what makes the logic work.

Why are some links already drawn?

On harder grids a few links are given so that the puzzle has exactly one answer that logic can reach.

Is there always one answer?

Yes — every puzzle is checked so that one answer fits, and the hints can reach it step by step.

Keep going

All guides: How to play every puzzle and game.