How to Play Bridges

What is Bridges?

Bridges (also known as Hashiwokakero or Hashi) is a logic puzzle played on a grid of numbered islands. Your goal is to connect all islands with horizontal and vertical bridges so that each island has exactly the number of bridges shown on it.

Rules

• Each island shows a number indicating how many bridges must connect to it.
• Bridges run horizontally or vertically between islands — never diagonally.
• At most two bridges can connect any pair of islands.
• Bridges cannot cross each other.
• All islands must be connected in a single network — you should be able to travel from any island to any other island via bridges.

Controls

• Click/tap between two islands to cycle bridges: none → single → double → none.
• Right-click (or long-press on mobile) to remove a bridge directly.
• Arrow keys to navigate between islands.
• Tab to cycle through adjacent islands, then Enter to place a bridge.
• Z to undo the last move.

Difficulty Levels

• Easy (7x7) — 6-10 islands. Great for learning the rules.
• Medium (9x9) — 12-18 islands. More connections to reason about.
• Hard (13x13) — 20-30 islands. Complex networks requiring advanced deduction.

Tips

• Start with islands that have only one possible neighbour — they must connect there.
• An island showing its maximum possible bridges (e.g., a “4” with only 2 neighbours) must use double bridges to each.
• Watch the island colours: green means satisfied, default means more bridges needed.
• Remember the connectivity rule — avoid creating isolated groups of islands.
• Use Undo freely to explore possibilities without commitment.