Color Links is a path puzzle. The board has pairs of colored dots, and your job is to join each pair with a line so the lines never cross and every square ends up filled. Every puzzle is freshly made and has exactly one solution.
The rules
Join each pair of same-colored dots with a single line.
Lines move up, down, left and right between squares, never diagonally.
Lines can’t cross, share a square or pass through another dot.
You win when every pair is linked and no square is left empty.
Drawing lines
Drag from a dot to draw its line. Starting from a dot always starts that color over.
Drag from anywhere along a line to carry on from that point, or drag back over it to shorten it.
Drawing across another color’s line cuts it back. Move off again before letting go and it comes back.
Tap a dot to clear its line, and use Undo to take back your last line.
On a keyboard, press a dot’s letter to pick its color, then draw with the arrow keys. Backspace clears the line and Ctrl or ⌘+Z undoes.
Reading the board
Each dot shows a letter as well as a color, so you can match pairs without telling colors apart. Above the board, Links counts the pairs you’ve joined and Filled shows how much of the board is covered. A joined line’s squares take a stronger wash of its color.
Difficulty levels
Easy: a 5×5 board with 4 to 6 colors.
Normal: a 7×7 board with 6 to 8 colors.
Hard: a 9×9 board with 9 to 11 colors.
Your best time is kept separately for each level.
Tips for solving
Start with dots on the edges and in corners: they have the fewest ways to go.
Pairs that sit close together usually join by the shortest route. Link them early.
Lines along the edge of the board tend to hug it, so follow the edge when a line has room there.
Watch for squares that only one color could reach, and for small pockets that would be left empty.
If you get stuck, clear a line and try another route. There is always exactly one solution.