How to play Pipe Link
Turn the pipe pieces so they all join into one network, with no leaks, no loops and nothing pointing off the board. Also known as Pipe network puzzle, Plumber puzzle.
The rules
- Every square holds a pipe piece that can be turned in steps of a quarter turn.
- Where a pipe leaves a square, the next square must have a pipe coming in to meet it — and where there is no pipe, the neighbour must not point in either.
- No pipe may point off the edge of the board.
- All the pieces join into a single network with no loops.
Playing Pipe Link on Puzzle Solvers
- Choose a board and a difficulty, then press New Puzzle.
- Tap a piece to turn it clockwise; right-click turns it back. Water flows from the yellow centre through every joined pipe.
- Use Lock (or shift-click) to pin pieces you are sure of so they can’t be turned by accident.
- Hint explains the next deduction — edges, matching neighbours, and turns that would close a loop or seal a group off.
Using the Pipe Link solver
- Choose the board size and enter every piece (or press Sample).
- Press Solve and step through: edges, matching neighbours, and avoiding loops and sealed-off groups.
A worked example
In the top-left corner, a corner piece can only point right and down — anything else would leak off the board.
A T-piece on the top edge can’t point up, so it must point left, right and down.
Strategies
- Edges and corners. A piece on the edge can’t point outwards. In a corner, a straight is impossible, and a corner piece fits only one way.
- Straights on the edge. A straight piece along an edge must run along it.
- Ends never meet. Two end pieces side by side can’t point at each other — they would make a little closed network on their own.
- No loops. If turning a piece would join up a circle of pipes, it must face another way.
- Lock as you go. Lock pieces you have proved, so the remaining choices stand out.
Common mistakes
- Leaving a pipe pointing at a blank side of its neighbour.
- Making a closed loop of pipes.
- Joining two ends together, sealing off a tiny network.
Where it comes from
Pipe-connecting puzzles have been around in puzzle books and computer games since the 1980s; the turning-pieces version became a favourite in puzzle collections because it combines spatial thinking with simple logic.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to start from the centre?
No — the water from the centre just shows which pieces are joined so far.
Why can’t pieces form a loop?
The finished network is a tree: every piece is reached in exactly one way. A loop means some pieces are turned wrongly.
Is there always one answer?
Yes — every puzzle here is checked to have exactly one solution.
How do I solve one from a book?
Open the Pipe Link Solver, enter the pieces and press Solve.
Keep going
- Play Pipe Linka fresh puzzle every time
- Pipe Link Solverstep by step, every move explained
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