How to play Pipes

Turn the pipe pieces until water flows through every one.

The goal

Turn the pipe pieces so they all join into one network fed from the source in the middle, with no loose ends and no loops.

Playing

Tap a piece to turn it a quarter turn clockwise. Every turn counts as a move.
Water flows from the source (the ringed piece in the middle) into every piece joined to it, so you can see how far your network reaches.
Hold a piece to lock it once you are sure it is right; locked pieces are shaded and won’t turn. Hold again to unlock.
Undo takes back your last turn or lock.
On a keyboard: arrow keys move, Space or Enter turns, Shift+Space or Q turns back, L locks, Ctrl+Z undoes.

Winning

You win when water fills every piece: each pipe end meets another pipe end, none points at the edge of the board or a blank side, and there are no loops.
Pieces are ends, straights, corners and T-junctions.

Tips

Start at the edges and corners: a piece there can only face a few ways.
An end piece never points at another end piece, because those two would be cut off from the rest.
A straight on the edge must run along it.

Boards

Easy is 5×5, Normal 7×7 and Hard 9×9. Your best time is kept separately for each.

Questions

How do you win Pipes?

Turn the pipe pieces so they all join into one network fed from the source in the middle, with no loose ends and no loops.

Is Pipes free to play?

Yes. Pipes on Everyday Games is free and plays in your web browser on phones, tablets and computers, with nothing to download.

Do I need an account to play?

No. You can play without signing in, and your stats and games in progress are saved in your browser. Sign in with Google or Apple to keep them in your account and pick up where you left off on any device.

What modes does Pipes have?

You can play Easy, Normal or Hard. Your record (games played, wins and best results) is kept separately for each.

Strategy guides