🔀 Playing this one solo
Or start a round — 10 puzzles, each a different randomly-rotating game.
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Objective
Connect every cell in the grid in strict numeric order using the given clue numbers. The clue numbers anchor the path — the goal is connecting every cell in one unbroken line running strictly from the lowest number to the highest.
How to play
- Some cells already show their number — these are fixed anchors.
- Tap an adjacent cell to extend the chain to the next number.
- Connect every cell from 1 to the highest number without skipping any.
Number Chain Top 5
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Number Chain
Connect every cell in order from 1 to 16. Given numbers are fixed anchors.
⏱ 00:00
🎉 Full chain connected!
🎉 Solved! Moving to the next puzzle…
About Number Chain
Number Chain asks you to draw one unbroken path through a four-by-four grid, visiting the squares in order from 1 up to 16. A few numbers are already printed on the board as fixed anchors, and your chain must pass through each of them at exactly the right moment. You move one square at a time, up, down, left or right, so every step has to be weighed against the anchors waiting ahead. It is part counting game, part route planner.
Tips and strategy
- Check the distance between anchors. If two printed numbers are far apart on the board but close in value, the route between them is almost forced, so work those stretches out first.
- Remember you can only move up, down, left or right, never diagonally, so each step changes your row or column by exactly one.
- Anchor squares only accept their own number. You cannot step on a printed square early, so plan to arrive at it exactly when its turn comes.
- Avoid leaving a lone square behind. If a square would have no way to join your chain later, back up and take a different path.
- Highlight Next Cell marks the squares you may legally step on. Use it when a position looks confusing, and Restart to begin the chain again.
What it exercises
Number Chain exercises sequencing, route planning and counting under constraints. You hold the whole board in mind, estimate how many steps lie between anchors, and adjust early so the path can still fill every square. It also rewards patience, because a single careless step can close off the rest of the grid.
Frequently asked questions
- Where does the chain start in Number Chain?
- The chain begins on the square printed with 1, and that square is already part of your path. From there you extend it one number at a time.
- Can I move diagonally?
- No. Each step must go to a square directly above, below, left or right of your current position. Only squares you are allowed to enter are clickable.
- What if I get stuck halfway?
- There is no penalty. Press Restart to return to the starting square and try again with a different route, perhaps using Highlight Next Cell to check your options.
Try next
Target 24
Combine four numbers with +, −, ×, ÷ to reach exactly 24. There's always at least one way to reach 24 with the given numbers — the challenge is spotting the right order of operations.
Prime Hunt
Tap every prime number in the grid while avoiding composite numbers. Sharpen basic number sense — the grid mixes primes and composites together, and speed and accuracy both count.
Equation Scramble
Arrange number and operator tiles into an equation that hits the target value. All the tiles you need are given — the challenge is finding the one arrangement of numbers and operators that actually reaches the target.
Today's Riddles
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I grow in rows with silky hair and golden kernels at harvest. What am I?
I fall from the trees in autumn and crunch under your feet. What am I?
I hold the whole dinner but I have four legs and cannot walk. What am I?
I heat the feast while the family waits, and I have a door but no knob on the front of the house. What am I?
We cross the sea in a ship and arrive for the first harvest feast. Who are we?