What is Hidato?
Hidato (also called Hidoku or a number snake puzzle) was invented by mathematician Gyora Benedek. The grid hides a single continuous path of numbers from 1 up to the final number, where each number touches the next one horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Some numbers are shown as clues; your job is to reconstruct the rest of the path.
How to play:
- Choose a grid size and how many puzzles you want to solve, then click Start Puzzle
- Tap or click an empty cell to select it, then type the number on the pad below
- Press ✓ to confirm your entry — numbers that can't grow another digit confirm automatically
- On desktop, you can type numbers directly, press Enter to confirm, and Backspace to erase
- Press the ✕ button (or Backspace on an empty entry) to clear a cell
- Blue cells are given clues and cannot be changed — 1 and the final number are always shown
- The puzzle completes automatically the moment the path is filled correctly
Solving tips:
- Start next to the givens: if 5 and 7 are placed diagonally near each other, 6 must sit in a cell touching both
- Count the gap between two clues and compare it to the distance between them — if 12 and 15 are three cells apart, the path between them is forced
- Corner and edge cells have fewer neighbors, so numbers there lock in their surroundings quickly
- Watch for cells with only one empty neighbor — the path can only pass through them one way
- Every puzzle here is generated with exactly one solution
Scoring:
- Total Time: How long the full session took
- Avg per Puzzle: Total time divided by puzzles solved
- Hints Used: Each hint fills one correct cell — fewer is better