Hidato Puzzle Online Free
Fill the grid with one long chain of numbers: 1, 2, 3 and on to the last square. Each number must touch the next one across, down or diagonally.
Drag from any number into a touching square to write the next number, and keep going. Drag back to undo, or tap a number you wrote to clear it.
What is Hidato?
Hidato is a number-path puzzle. Every square of the grid gets one number, from 1 up to the number of squares, so that consecutive numbers sit in touching squares: across, down or diagonally. The first and last numbers and some in between are given, and you fill in the rest.
Hidato was invented by Israeli mathematician Gyora Benedek, and the name comes from the Hebrew word for riddle. It’s a great puzzle for children who can count, and the bigger grids need real planning. Here you can play Hidato online on a phone, tablet or computer, with a fresh puzzle every time. For another puzzle about drawing a path, try Masyu.
How to play Hidato Puzzle
- Fill every square with a number so that the numbers run from 1 to the total number of squares, each used once.
- Each number must touch the next number across, down or diagonally, so the numbers form one unbroken chain.
- The first and last numbers are always shown, highlighted in their squares, along with some numbers in between.
- Drag from any number into an empty touching square to write the next number, and keep dragging to carry on the chain. Drag back over the last square to take a number off.
- Every puzzle is made fresh and checked to have exactly one solution, so it can always be solved by logic without guessing. Use Hint if you’re stuck, and pick a size at the top of the board.
Hidato Puzzle skills
- Counting and number order
- Planning a path
- Spatial reasoning
Level: Ages 7 and up
Tips for Hidato
Look for gaps between given numbers. If 12 and 14 are given, 13 must be in a square touching both, and often there’s only one.
Count the distance. If 20 and 25 are three squares apart, the four numbers in between have room to spare; if they’re five apart, the path between them must be perfectly straight.
Corners and edges have fewer neighbours, so the numbers next to them are easier to pin down.
Don’t leave a square stranded: every empty square needs a way into and out of the chain.
Hidato Puzzle questions and answers
How do you play Hidato?
Fill the grid with numbers from 1 to the last square so that each number touches the next one horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Some numbers are given to start you off.
Where can I play Hidato puzzles online free?
Right here. Every Hidato puzzle on this page is free, with no sign-up or download, and pressing New makes another one, so there’s no limit. Your puzzle is saved if you leave and come back.
Who invented Hidato?
Hidato was created by Dr Gyora Benedek, an Israeli mathematician. Its name comes from the Hebrew word “hida”, meaning riddle.
Is Hidato good for kids?
Yes. It only needs counting, so children from about 7 can solve the 5 × 5 grids, and it builds planning and spatial skills along the way.
Does every Hidato puzzle have one solution?
Yes. Every puzzle here is checked by a solver when it’s made, so there is exactly one way to complete the chain.