How to play Arukone

Arukone (also known as Numberlink) is about drawing paths. The board has pairs of equal numbers scattered around, and the task is to join each pair with one unbroken line — without any lines crossing, and so that every single cell ends up part of a line. It is easier than it looks: start with the pairs that have almost no choice.

The rules

  1. Connect each pair of equal numbers with one continuous line.
  2. Lines follow neighbouring cells horizontally or vertically and cannot cross.
  3. The whole board must be filled — every cell has to be part of a line.
  4. Drag your finger from one number to its partner.
Example board

Getting started: Pairs sitting next to each other connect directly, and a pair in a corner usually has just one possible route.

Step by step

  1. 12431423

    1Connect the pairs of equal numbers with lines that never cross.

  2. 1214131423

    2Start here: the 1-path has only one legal next step at a time.

  3. 12141314423

    3The 4-path has only one legal next step — follow it on.

  4. 121241231244223

    4The 2-path is forced cell by cell — and the ends meet.

3 more steps in this walkthrough — the full step-by-step solve is a Pluss feature. About Pluss →

Real puzzle no. 722, solved step by step by the logic solver.

Common questions

Does the whole board have to be filled?

Yes. A solution is only correct when every single cell is part of a line — connecting the pairs by the shortest route is not enough.

Can I play right in the browser?

Yes. Pick a Arukone puzzle and solve it on screen — press “Check” to see if you are on track, and “Hint” if you get stuck. You can also print it.

Can I link to a specific puzzle?

Of course. Every puzzle has a number, and you can link straight to it: puzzles.flogvit.com/eng/arukone?nr=100. Replace 100 with the puzzle number — handy for challenging a friend with the very same puzzle.

Can I print the puzzles?

Yes. Each type has a print sheet for one or four puzzles with the answers on a separate page.

Are the puzzles free to use?

Yes, this is a free service. If you want to publish the puzzles elsewhere you must arrange it first — see copyright.