Puzzle #11
Undertow
8 × 8Advanced7 colorsPublished October 8, 2026
Brown takes the long way on this board. From its dot near the middle it climbs to the top row, runs down the entire left edge and comes back along the bottom row to its partner. The key moment comes early, when Blue must pick a direction from its top dot and the wrong choice only fails several moves later.
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 with the two right-hand corners, then look at Blue's dot in the top row.
Hint 2: the first idea
Both right-hand corners are squeezes, which sends Orange and Pink along the right edge. Pink's upper dot then has to go left, because going right seals a one-cell pocket.
Hint 3: the key step
Blue's top dot must go down. If Blue heads left along the top row, a few forced moves later Red's dot at row 2, column 4 has no move that works.
Techniques used: Forced moves, Edges and corners, Dead ends, Thinking ahead.
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 6
Both right-hand corners are squeezes. The top-right corner has only two usable neighbors, so Orange passes through it and starts down the right edge. The bottom-right corner works the same way for Pink, which turns the corner and climbs the edge to row 6.
Step 2 of 6
Pink's upper dot at row 5, column 3 can go left or right. Going right would seal off a one-cell pocket that no color can finish, so Pink steps left.
Step 3 of 6
Blue's top dot at row 1, column 6 could head left along the top row. Thinking ahead, after a few forced moves Red's dot at row 2, column 4 would have no good move. Going up or right would each seal a one-cell pocket, and going left would cut Pink off from its partner. So Blue goes down instead.
Step 4 of 6
From row 2, column 6, turning left would seal a one-cell pocket, so Blue goes right and down column 7, with Orange running down the right edge beside it and turning left into row 5. Blue joins its lower dot, which boxes in Brown's upper dot. Brown escapes left, up column 5 and along the top row to column 3. Red then steps left to meet its partner, Purple drops two cells down column 4, and Orange's lower dot steps down into row 5.
Step 5 of 6
Now the left side fills in by forced moves. Green steps left and joins its upper dot through column 2, while Brown wraps the top-left corner, runs down the whole left edge and turns along the bottom row to column 3. Pink's two ends advance, one down column 2 and the other left along row 6. Orange closes its gap in row 5, Purple drops into row 6, and Brown's lower dot steps left.
Step 6 of 6
The last cells close up. Pink's left end runs right along row 7 while its right end turns down into the same row, and the two meet. Purple joins its lower dot at row 6, column 3, and Brown runs along the bottom row to reach its partner.