How to play
Zipgame is a number-path puzzle: draw one continuous path that connects the numbered cells in ascending order and visits every cell in the grid exactly once.
Objective
Create one continuous path that starts at 1, visits every cell in the grid exactly once, passes through all numbered cells in ascending order, never crosses a Wall, and ends on the highest number.
Path rules
Start at 1.
The first cell in the path must be the cell numbered 1.
Move orthogonally.
Each move goes to a cell directly above, below, to the left, or to the right. Diagonal moves are not allowed.
Follow the numbers in ascending order.
Visit numbered cells as 1 → 2 → 3 and so on. The path may pass through unnumbered cells between numbers, but it must not reach a later number before the next required one.
Visit every cell exactly once.
The completed path includes every cell in the grid. A cell cannot be revisited.
Do not cross Walls.
A thick border between two adjacent cells is a Wall. The path cannot move directly between those cells. The outer edge of the grid is also impassable.
End at the highest number.
The last cell in the path must be the highest-numbered cell in the puzzle.
Drawing a path
Mouse and touch: Click, tap, or drag through adjacent cells to extend the path. Select the previous cell in your path to step back one cell.
Keyboard: The board is a single Tab stop. Arrow keys move focus one cell at a time, Home and End jump to the start or end of the row, and Ctrl + Home or Ctrl + End jump to the first or last cell. Press Enter or Space to select the focused cell.
Controls
- Undo removes the last cell of your path, one cell per press, the same as selecting the previous cell. It never removes the cell marked 1, and the gameplay clock keeps running.
- Reset clears the current path so you can begin again. The gameplay clock keeps running across Reset.
- Show solution displays the published answer path and locks the board. Hide solution hides the overlay; Reset unlocks the board.
Solving tips
- Corners first. A corner cell has only two neighbours, so unless it holds 1 or the highest number, the path must enter through one and leave through the other.
- Follow the Walls. A cell boxed in by Walls on two sides has only two ways in or out, which often fixes part of the path.
- Avoid dead ends. Before each move, check that it does not cut off a group of unvisited cells the path can no longer reach and leave.
Common questions
Do I have to start at 1?
Yes. The first cell in the path must be the cell numbered 1. You cannot begin on any other cell.
Can I move diagonally?
No. Each move must go to a cell directly above, below, to the left, or to the right. Diagonal moves are not allowed.
What are Walls?
A thick border between two adjacent cells is a Wall. The path cannot move directly between those cells. The outer edge of the grid is also impassable.
Do I have to visit every cell?
Yes. The completed path visits every cell exactly once. A cell cannot be revisited.
What does Show solution do?
Show solution overlays the published answer path and locks the board so you cannot keep drawing. Hide solution only hides that overlay; Reset clears the lock so you can play again. The gameplay clock does not reset.
Play Zipgame
Play the Daily number path puzzle, try Unlimited puzzles, or browse the Puzzle Archive.