The zip puzzle, unlimited
Zip is a quick path puzzle: one line has to start at 1, pass through every numbered checkpoint in order and fill every single cell of the grid. It looks simple and turns tricky fast, because every shortcut leaves a gap you have to come back for.
Play zip puzzles unlimited and free on 5×5, 6×6 and 7×7 grids. Every puzzle has one solution.
What is Zip?
Zip is a path puzzle. You draw one continuous line that starts at 1, visits every cell of the grid exactly once and reaches the numbered cells in order. In mathematics, a path that visits every point once is called a Hamiltonian path, and puzzles built on the idea have appeared in magazines for decades. Zip became popular as a quick daily game in 2025.
How to play here
Start on the 1 and drag through the cells. The line follows your finger or mouse and can be pulled back to undo part of it. Use Clear to start again. When the path covers every cell and meets every number in order, the puzzle is solved.
A step-by-step way to solve
- Fill corners early. A corner cell has only two neighbors, so the path must enter through one and leave through the other. That often forces the route through the corner.
- Don’t cut off a pocket. If the path leaves a small group of cells it can no longer reach, the puzzle cannot be finished. Before each move, check you are not sealing an area off.
- Look ahead to the next number. Plan a route toward the next number that still leaves room to come back for the cells you skip.
- Hug the walls. Paths that follow the edge of the grid or the edge of the filled area rarely leave pockets behind.
- Save the middle for last. Open areas are the easiest to fill at the end.
Why play Zip?
Zip is fast and tactile: each puzzle takes about a minute, and drawing the path feels great on a phone. It trains planning and spatial thinking. For longer path puzzles, try Masyu or Slitherlink.
How to play Zip
- Start at 1 and draw a path by dragging from cell to cell (up, down, left or right).
- The path must reach the numbers in order (1, then 2, then 3, and so on).
- It must pass through every cell of the grid exactly once and end on the highest number.
- Drag back along the path to undo, or tap a cell on the path to cut it back to there.
Zip tips
Fill corners early
A corner cell has only two neighbors, so the path must enter and leave it through those two. Corners and edges show the route before the middle does.
Don't cut off a pocket
If your path walls off a group of empty cells with no number to reach them, you will get stuck. Check that the empty cells stay connected.
Look ahead to the next number
The stretch between two numbers must use the right amount of space. If the path gets there too fast, the cells it skipped have to be filled later.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as LinkedIn Zip?
It uses the same idea, so if you play Zip on LinkedIn you already know it. Here you get unlimited puzzles. MindedGames is not affiliated with LinkedIn.
Does every puzzle have one solution?
Yes. Every grid is checked so that exactly one path fits all the numbers.
Can the path cross itself?
No. Each cell is visited once, so the path never crosses or touches back on itself.
