Click or tap between two islands to place a bridge. Click again to make it a double bridge. Click a third time to remove the bridge. Each island's number shows how many bridges must connect to it (1-8). Bridges run in straight horizontal or vertical lines and cannot cross each other.

What is the best strategy for Hashi?

Start with islands whose number equals the maximum possible connections (e.g., a corner island with value 4 must have double bridges in both directions). Look for islands with only one possible neighbour for their remaining bridges. Work from the edges inward.

Can Hashi puzzles be solved without guessing?

Yes. Every puzzle on this site has a unique solution that can be reached through pure logical deduction.

What grid sizes are available?

This version offers 7×7, 10×10, and 13×13 grids, each with Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty levels that vary island density and constraint tightness.

Play Hashi (Bridges) Online

Q: What is Hashi (Hashiwokakero)?

Hashi (also called Hashiwokakero or Bridges) is a logic puzzle. You are given islands (circles with numbers) on a grid. Connect islands with horizontal or vertical bridges so that: each island's number equals its total bridge count, bridges don't cross, and all islands form one connected group.

Connect numbered islands with horizontal or vertical bridges. Each island’s number shows how many bridges connect to it. All islands must link into one group.

Time

0:00

Bridges

0 / 0

Wins

Click between islands to place bridges

What Is Hashi?

Hashiwokakero (Japanese for “bridge building”), commonly shortened to Hashi or called Bridges, is a logic puzzle invented by the Japanese puzzle company Nikoli. It first appeared in their magazine in 1990 and has since become one of the most popular pen-and-paper logic puzzles worldwide.

The puzzle presents a grid of numbered circles (“islands”) that must be connected by horizontal or vertical lines (“bridges”). The rules are elegantly simple, but the puzzles can become delightfully challenging at larger sizes.

Rules

Islands are circles containing a number from 1 to 8.
Bridges connect two islands horizontally or vertically in a straight line.
Between any two islands, you may place 0, 1, or 2 bridges.
Bridges cannot cross other bridges or pass through islands.
The number on each island equals the total number of bridges connected to it.
All islands must be connected into a single group — you must be able to travel from any island to any other via bridges.

How to Play

Click or tap between two adjacent islands to place a single bridge.
Click the same connection again to upgrade to a double bridge.
Click once more to remove the bridge entirely (cycles: 0 → 1 → 2 → 0).
Watch the island numbers — they turn green when satisfied and red when over-connected.
Use Check to validate your solution or click New for a fresh puzzle.

Strategy Tips

1. Forced Bridges

Start with islands whose number is high relative to their neighbours. A “4” in a corner (only 2 neighbours) must have double bridges in both directions. An “8” anywhere must have double bridges to all 4 neighbours. These are guaranteed moves.

2. Isolation Prevention

If removing a potential bridge would isolate a group of islands from the rest, that bridge must exist. Watch for bottleneck connections that are the only link between regions.

3. Counting Remaining Capacity

Track how many more bridges each island needs. If an island needs exactly as many bridges as its remaining available connections, fill them all in. This “forced fill” technique cascades across the grid.

4. One-Neighbour Rule

If an island has only one possible neighbour for its remaining bridges (others are already satisfied or blocked), all remaining bridges go to that neighbour.

5. Parity Arguments

An island with an odd number that has exactly two unsatisfied neighbours must give at least one bridge to each. This powerful constraint often unlocks chains of deductions.

Hashi vs Other Puzzles

vs Sudoku: Both are pure logic, but Hashi involves spatial/graph reasoning rather than number placement.
vs Masyu: Both create paths on a grid, but Masyu draws a single loop while Hashi builds a connected network of bridges.
vs Nonograms: Nonograms reveal pictures; Hashi reveals a network. Both use number clues to constrain the solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

A logic puzzle where you connect numbered islands with bridges. Each number shows how many bridges touch that island. Bridges are straight, can’t cross, and all islands must link into one connected group.

Click between two adjacent islands. First click places a single bridge, second click makes it double, third click removes it. The cycle is: none → single → double → none.

Start with forced bridges (high numbers with few neighbours). A 4 in a corner always has double bridges both ways. Then prevent isolation and count remaining capacity.

Yes. Every puzzle here has exactly one solution reachable by pure logic.

7×7, 10×10, and 13×13, each with Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty levels.

More Puzzle & Strategy Games

If you enjoy Hashi, try these other free games on our site:

Masyu

Draw a single loop through circles on a grid — another classic Nikoli puzzle.

Nonograms

Reveal hidden pictures using row and column number clues.