Puzzle #1
First Light
5 × 5Beginner4 colorsPublished October 8, 2026
A gentle 5 by 5 board where every move is a forced move. Orange is the long color. It starts near the top, runs down the whole right edge and comes back along the bottom row, while Green and Red stack up as two straight bands across the middle.
New to these puzzles? Read how to play first. Connect each pair of dots with a path, fill every cell, and don't let paths cross. This board has exactly one solution.
Hints
Hint 1: where to look
Start in the top-left corner, where Blue's two dots sit diagonally apart.
Hint 2: the first idea
Blue's top dot can only step right, which joins it to its partner. Green's left dot is wedged between the two Blue dots, so it can only head down.
Hint 3: the key step
Orange takes the long way round. From its bottom dot it runs right along row 5, up the whole right edge and back left to its top dot.
Techniques used: Forced moves.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Every step below follows from the rules alone, with no guessing. Try the puzzle first and use the walkthrough when you get stuck.
Step 1 of 5
Blue's top dot has only one open side, so it steps right and drops straight into its partner below. Green's left dot is wedged between the two Blue dots, so its only move is down one.
Step 2 of 5
Down in the bottom-left corner, Red's dot can only go up. Green blocks the way above, so Red turns right one. Orange's bottom dot now has only one open side and steps right.
Step 3 of 5
Green and Red now run side by side. Each has only one open side, so Green moves right two along row 3 and Red moves right two along row 4.
Step 4 of 5
Orange has only one open side at every step. It runs right along the bottom row, climbs the whole right edge and turns left into its top dot. Green steps up from row 3, column 3 into the last cell beside its right-hand dot, and the pair connects.
Step 5 of 5
Red's path now ends right under its upper dot at row 3, column 4, so the two ends join and the board is full.