Link Link is a matching puzzle solved with right-angle lines. The three tiers are 5 columns by 8 rows, 7 by 8 and 7 by 12 — 20, 28 and 42 pairs — and the number of figures climbs from 5 to 12. Each figure has its own hue and its own outline: disc, diamond, hollow square, triangle, heart, crescent, plus, four dots, bolt, drop, cross, two bars. The outlines are the precise channel, so a greyscale screenshot still separates them and nobody has to match by colour alone. There is one rule: two figures are the same, and a line made only of empty cells runs between them with no more than 2 right-angle turns. That line may slip one cell outside the board, and the dashed band around the grid is drawn to show exactly that cell — sibling versions of this puzzle almost never state the rule, and it is the one players misjudge most. What is different here is the failure: when a pair cannot link, the game works out how many turns the shortest route would actually need, draws the line up to its breaking point in red, and names exactly one blocking sticker. When no pair on the whole board can be linked, the board reshuffles itself — free, no penalty, and only counted on the settlement. There is no timer and no fail state: clearing the board is the win, and clearing pairs in quick succession stacks a combo worth 50 more points per level up to level 8.

This is the matching puzzle that lived on the shared computers in school labs and at home: a ten-minute break is not enough for a proper game but it is enough to clear a screen of figures. What actually drove people up the wall back then was not the difficulty — it was tapping and having nothing happen at all. Two identical figures, and the game just stayed silent. Here that silence is replaced by a sentence: how many turns this route needs, and which sticker is in the way.

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【电】 School and home computers · 1993–2003 →

1. 01

   How to start Link Link: tap anywhere on the board. The run uses the tier you played last, so there is no difficulty menu in the way.

2. 02

   How to clear a pair: tap a figure to pick it up, then tap another one just like it. If the line between them holds, both clear.

3. 03

   How to deselect: tap the same one again to put it back, or tap a different figure to switch straight to that one — a mistap costs one tap.

4. 04

   Why a pair will not link: read the lane. It writes how many turns that route would need and names exactly one blocking sticker on the board.

5. 05

   How to use a hint: press the hint key on the control row and it highlights a pair that links right now. Hints are free and cost no points; they only cap this run at one star.

6. 06

   How to change difficulty in Link Link: the three keys on the right are the tiers — 5 by 8, 7 by 8 and 7 by 12 — and tapping one deals a new board immediately.

7. 07

   Link Link keyboard controls: arrows or WASD move the cursor, Enter or Space taps the current square, H hints, R starts over, Esc or P pauses, and 1 to 3 switch tier.

Which pair to clear first: take the edges. A figure on the border can route through the ring cell outside the board, so it has the most ways to link. Figures in the middle link more easily once the space around them opens up.How to stack the combo: the combo only measures the gap between two clears, so finding the next pair with your eyes before you move your hand beats hunting and tapping at the same time.What to do when a pair is blocked: a lane that reads 「needs 3 turns」 means that pair is not far at all, just blocked. The sticker it names is the first obstacle on that candidate route — clear it and the line pushes further, but it need not be the only thing in the way, so tap the pair again for a fresh verdict.Does a hint affect your score: it costs no points and never breaks the combo, but it caps the run at one star — so leave it alone if you are going for three. If you only want to finish the board, press it any number of times.How to make the board reshuffle: you cannot trigger it and you do not need to. Note that it only redistributes figures and never moves an empty square, so clearing out one region of the board still pays.How to tell the figures apart: the 12 outlines are pulled as far apart as possible on purpose — the plus is orthogonal, the cross is diagonal, the crescent has an opening, the two bars are two bars. Reading outlines is faster than reading hues.

How do you play Link Link?

Tap a figure to pick it up, then tap another one just like it. As long as a line of empty cells runs between them with no more than 2 right-angle turns, both clear. Tap the same one again to put it back, or tap a different figure to switch to it, so a mistap costs one tap. Clearing the whole board wins the run — there is no timer and no fail state.

How many turns can the line make in Link Link?

Two at most. A straight link has 0 turns, one bend is 1 and two bends is 2; three or more never holds. The route may also slip one cell outside the board, which is what the dashed band around the grid is drawing — so two figures on the border can go around the outside even when the inside is packed. Every cell the line passes through has to be empty, and already-cleared squares count as empty along with that ring. The two endpoints are never obstacles to each other, which is why two adjacent matching figures always link.

Why will two identical figures not link in Link Link?

Because the route between them is blocked, or because it would need more than 2 turns. The lane then writes how many turns the shortest route needs, the line is drawn up to its breaking point, and the first sticker blocking that line is named. Clear that one and the cell the line broke on is empty; it need not be the only obstacle, so tap the pair again for a fresh verdict.

What happens in Link Link when no move is left?

The board reshuffles itself. When no pair anywhere can be linked, the remaining figures are redistributed, not one occupied square moves, and the result is always solvable again. A reshuffle is free and costs no points; it is only counted once on the settlement, which is why there is no shuffle button.

How many difficulty levels does Link Link have?

Three tiers: Light at 5 columns by 8 rows with 20 pairs, Normal at 7 by 8 with 28 pairs, and Dense at 7 by 12 with 42 pairs, drawing on 5, 7 and 12 different figures. All three sit one tap away on the right of the control row, and tapping one deals a new board immediately — the run you were on is not kept. Par times for three stars are 70, 110 and 180 seconds. There are no levels inside a tier; each new run only changes the seed.

What are the best tips for Link Link?

Clear the edges first: a figure on the border can route through the ring cell outside the board, so it has the most ways to link, while figures in the middle get easier once the space around them opens up. For combos, find the next pair with your eyes before you move your hand — the combo only measures the gap between two clears, so that is what keeps you inside 4 seconds. And read outlines rather than colours: the 12 outlines are pulled apart on purpose, with the plus orthogonal, the cross diagonal, the crescent open on one side and the two bars simply two bars.

How do you get a high score in Link Link?

Combos, and no hints. Every pair is worth 100. Clear another within 4 seconds and the combo steps up, adding 50 more per level to a cap of level 8, so a single pair tops out at 450. Clearing the board without ever using a hint adds 1000 on top. The combo runs on time alone: more than 4 seconds without a legal clear drops it back to one, while an illegal attempt and a hint both leave it standing.

How do you get three stars in Link Link?

Clear the board, use no hints, and finish inside your tier's par time — all three at once. Clearing alone is one star, clearing with no hints is two, and the par times are 70, 110 and 180 seconds for the three tiers. Reshuffles never count against you and neither do pairs that would not link; pressing the hint key is the only thing that caps the stars.