Tips for Playing Slitherlink on Mobile

Gaming on the Go

Slitherlink is perfect for mobile play, but touch screens lack the precision of a mouse cursor. Here is how to master the mobile interface.

The Controls

Here's how tap zones work on a typical cell — the system detects which edge you meant:

  Tap zones on a cell:

  ┌─────────────────┐
  │   top-edge zone │
  │  ┌───────────┐  │
  │  │           │  │
  │ L│  center   │R │
  │  │  (number) │  │
  │  └───────────┘  │
  │  bottom-edge    │
  └─────────────────┘
  Tap near an edge → draws line
  Tap center → no action
  Long-press edge → toggles ×

• Tap to Draw: Tap near an edge to draw a line. The system is smart—it finds the nearest valid edge to your finger. You don't need pixel-perfect precision.
• Tap Again to Remove: Tapping a line removes it.
• Marking Xs: Usually, a long-press (press and hold) toggles the X mark. Or, use the dedicated "X Mode" button if the interface has one.
  Pro Tip: Use Xs liberally on mobile to prevent accidental mis-taps in empty areas.

Zoom and Pan

Pinch to Zoom: On grids larger than 10x10, the squares get small. Use two fingers to pinch and zoom in. This makes tapping specific edges much easier.
Drag to Pan: Use one finger to drag the grid around when zoomed in.

  Zoom levels for different grids:

  5×5 (no zoom needed)     10×10 (zoom to 150%)
  ┌───┬───┬───┐            ┌──┬──┬──┬──┬──┐
  │ 3 │   │ 2 │            │3 │  │2 │  │1 │
  ├───┼───┼───┤            ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤
  │   │ 1 │   │            │  │  │  │3 │  │
  └───┴───┴───┘            └──┴──┴──┴──┴──┘
  Cells are large,          Zoom in so each cell
  easy to tap.              is finger-sized!

Screen Management

• Landscape Mode: Rotate your phone! Landscape mode gives you more horizontal width, which is perfect for rectangular grids or keeping the menu accessible.
• Auto-Fit: Our game auto-scales the grid to fit your screen width. No manual resizing is needed.

Play Style

• Start Small: 5x5 puzzles are perfect for "thumb play" while standing in line or on the bus.
  Save the 20x20 Hard puzzles for when you can sit down with a tablet or use Zoom extensively.
• The Pause Button: Life happens. Hit the Pause button to hide the puzzle board. This prevents accidental cheating (or giving away the solution) if you have to put the phone down.