How to Solve Hidato: Rules, Tips and Strategies for Beginners
Hidato is the number-path puzzle: fill the grid with consecutive numbers so each number sits next to the previous one — including diagonally — and every cell is used exactly once. The start (1) and the end (N) are always given, and the whole puzzle is one continuous snake of numbers winding through the grid. It's a lovely mix of counting and spatial logic, and the solving strategies are easy to pick up. Here's how it works.
The rules in one minute
Fill every blank cell with a number from 1 to N, where N is the total number of cells. Every number from 1 to N is used exactly once. Each number must sit in a cell next to the previous number — along a side or diagonally, so all eight surrounding cells count. The start (1) and the end (N) are always given as clues. Every hidato puzzle has exactly one solution.
How the path works
Think of the numbers as a single snake: 1 is the head, N is the tail, and each number must be within one step of the next — up, down, left, right, or any diagonal. The diagonal freedom is what makes hidato special: a path can weave through the grid far more freely than a plain maze. On our hidato generator the grids run from 7×7 to 11×11, and you can type numbers directly into the blanks with instant checking. If you just want the plain rules without the strategies, our rules page has them all in one place.
1. Work from both ends
You know where 1 sits and where N sits, so the path can grow from either end — and the two ends meet in the middle. Start by asking which of the eight cells around 1 can hold the 2, and which of the eight around N can hold N − 1. When only one cell is possible, the path is forced; fill it and repeat. Growing from both ends at once is the single most powerful hidato technique.
2. Count the gap between two given numbers
This is the hidden arithmetic of hidato. If the numbers 14 and 21 are given, the path must travel through 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 on its way between them — six numbers that all have to fit into the cells between 14 and 21. If only six cells lie in that region, the route is fully determined. Whenever two givens are close in value, count how many steps separate them and check whether the space between them matches exactly.
3. Watch the edges and corners
Cells on the edge of the grid have fewer neighbours, and corner cells have only three (or even two). That makes them precious: if a number near the edge has only one legal next step, the path is forced along it. Long stretches along the border often get pinned down first, and a corner cell that must hold a specific number can lock a whole section of the path into place.
4. Pencil in the candidate numbers
For each blank, the candidates are the numbers that are one step away from a number you've already placed — and within one step of the number that comes after. Jot the small set of candidates in the corner of each cell. Hidato blanks rarely have more than a handful of options, and most of those get struck out by the neighbours. Clean pencil marks keep the whole snake visible at a glance.
5. Avoid the classic mistakes
Three errors trip up beginners. First, forgetting the diagonals — a path that "looks" blocked usually has a diagonal escape. Second, skipping a number: every number from 1 to N must appear, so the sequence is always strictly consecutive with no gaps. Third, leaving a cell unreachable — if a section of the grid gets walled off before the path reaches it, backtrack. Check that every placed number is exactly one step from its neighbours, and if you're stuck, the answer key shows how the snake was meant to wind.
Practice with a printable hidato
Hidato improves fast with practice, and a fresh puzzle is one click away on the hidato generator — choose a difficulty and grid size, then print the blank grid or solve on screen with instant checking. Start on a small 7×7 easy, where the path is short and the ends meet quickly, then step up to 9×9 and 11×11 as the gaps between givens stretch out. If you enjoy the spatial logic, sudoku is a natural companion — and if you like number hunts, our word search strategies translate surprisingly well.