In a non-crossing connection puzzle, a one-cell passage can be more important than the shortest route. Reserve it for a pair that cannot connect by another path.
A convenient line can cut the board in two
Imagine an unfinished pair with one endpoint on each side of a narrow opening. If every remaining route between those endpoints uses that opening, another pair cannot occupy it permanently. Draw the constrained connection first or keep that cell available. A nearby pair may have a longer route around the edge that preserves access. This is a deduction about the current board, not a rule that every edge pair must be solved first.
Try the steps
- Locate endpoints with only one usable exit and passages that separate unfinished pairs.
- Before confirming a line, check whether each remaining pair still has a possible route without crossing it.
- If a route traps another pair, redraw the blocking line instead of repeatedly forcing the trapped one.
Is the shortest connection always correct?
No. It can occupy space another pair needs. Some connection games also require every usable cell to be covered; others only require matching endpoints. Read the level's completion condition before treating unused cells as an error. Emoji Flow's publisher describes matching pairs without crossing; follow the game for any additional level rules.
