How to solve Hashi
Connect the islands with bridges
Hashi — Hashiwokakero, the "build bridges" puzzle from Japan's Nikoli — asks you to connect numbered islands with bridges so each island has the right number of connections, no bridges cross, and everything links into one network. Play unlimited free Hashi boards here, always uniquely solvable.
How to play Hashi
- Join the numbered islands with horizontal and vertical bridges.
- An island's number is how many bridge ends must touch it.
- At most two bridges may link the same pair, and bridges can never cross.
- Drag from one island to another to draw a bridge; drag again for a double bridge. Tap a bridge to remove it. Every island must end up connected into one network.
How to solve Hashi: techniques that work
Count neighbours before anything else. An island's number is spread across at most two bridges per neighbour, so an island showing 2k with exactly k neighbours must run a double bridge to every one of them: a corner 4 with two neighbours is fully forced, as is an edge 6 with three. These "saturated" islands are free moves — play them all first.
One step weaker but just as useful: an island whose number is 2k−1 with k neighbours must connect at least once to every neighbour. That single guaranteed bridge is often enough to block a crossing elsewhere and cascade into the next deduction.
Keep the network connected. All islands must end up in one web, so a bridge that would seal off a finished sub-network — say, a 1—1 pair on the edge linking only to each other — is illegal even if the numbers allow it. Late in a board, connectivity is usually the argument that decides the last few bridges.
Common mistakes
Forgetting that bridges block each other: a bridge is a wall for every perpendicular route. Players plan two bridges that cross and only notice when the second refuses to draw.
Overloading a pair. However large the numbers, two islands can share at most two bridges — an 8 next to an 8 still exchanges only a double bridge and needs other neighbours for the rest.
From easy to hard
More islands mean longer chains between forced moves. On hard boards alternate systematically: saturate the full islands, then run the connectivity check, then look for almost-saturated ones. Hashi (Hashiwokakero, "build bridges") rarely needs more than these three ideas.
FAQ
- Is Hashi free and unlimited on LinkMyPzzl?
- Yes. Every Hashi board is generated on demand in your browser — play as many as you want, for free, with no account.
- How is this different from the daily Hashi puzzle?
- The daily version made popular by LinkedIn offers one grid per day. LinkMyPzzl generates unlimited boards and lets you choose the difficulty, so you can actually train.
- Does every Hashi board have a unique solution?
- Yes. A solver verifies every generated board before you see it: there is always exactly one solution.
- Can bridges cross each other?
- Never. Bridges run straight horizontally or vertically and act as walls for perpendicular bridges — planning around crossings is the heart of the puzzle.
- How do I delete a bridge I've drawn?
- Just tap or click the bridge itself and it disappears. Drawing works by dragging from one island to an aligned neighbour; a second drag makes the bridge double.