How to play

Introduction

Each Hidato puzzle starts with a grid partially filled with numbers, two of which are circled:

The goal is to finish filling the grid by creating a path of adjacent consecutive numbers that lead from one circled number to the other:

Hidato tips

•Each puzzle has only one solution.

•Hidato puzzles can be solved with pure logic. No guesswork is needed.

•It’s not necessary to start with the first number – sometimes it’s better to start somewhere else.

•Working backwards (counting down) can reveal key clues to solving the puzzle.

A sample Hidato

The circled numbers in the example below indicate that the lowest number on the grid is 1 and the highest is 19. Start by trying to make a chain from 1 to 5:

There are four possible places to put the 2, but it isn’t yet clear which is correct. So look for other connections that will give you clues:

You’ll see that there’s not enough information to solve chains 1 to 5 or 5 to 9. However, there’s only one way to connect 11 to 17. Working backwards shows you the only possible position for the 16, because the 17 has only one empty box touching it:

Placing the 16 on the grid reveals the location for the 15 and the 14:

Now the 11 has only one empty box touching it, which means that the 12 must be there:

The 13 must be next to both 12 and 14. There’s only one such place, so that’s where you must put the 13:

There are still three possible places to put the 2, but if you don’t put it above the 1, this space will never be filled:

You can now place the final numbers to complete the puzzle:

These simple strategies can solve all levels of Hidato puzzles!