Arrow Puzzle Tips & Strategy: 9 Ways to Clear Any Board
Arrow puzzles look simple – and the first few boards are – but a crowded 13 × 13 or 18 × 18 grid can leave you staring at the screen. These are the habits that make bigger boards feel manageable. They come from how the boards in Arrow Puzzle Hub are built and from playing a lot of them.
1. Start with the arrowheads, not the tails
The head decides everything. Train your eye to ignore the body and follow the point of the arrow straight ahead. If you read the tail by mistake, you will tap arrows that are not actually free – especially bent ones.
2. Clear the obvious edge arrows first
Arrows pointing straight out from the border have no lane at all, so they can always leave. Removing them costs nothing and opens space for the arrows behind them. It also shrinks the board, which makes the remaining structure easier to see.
3. Think in chains: "who blocks whom?"
Every blocked arrow has a blocker, and that blocker may itself be blocked. Follow the chain until you reach an arrow that is free. That last arrow is your next move. When you tap a blocked arrow, the game flashes the blocker red – use that as a free lesson in how the board is wired.
4. Look for arrows that unlock the most
When several arrows are free, prefer the one that sits in the lane of many others. Removing it will open several new moves at once. Arrows that only point at empty space and block nothing can wait until the end.
5. Remember that removing an arrow never hurts
In this kind of puzzle, taking an arrow off the board can only create space. You can never make a board unsolvable by removing a free arrow, so there is no wrong free move – only faster and slower orders. That means you can relax and play greedily when you are not racing the clock.
6. Scan in sweeps
On large boards, scan one row or column at a time instead of letting your eyes jump around. Sweep left to right, then top to bottom. After each wave of removals, sweep again – new free arrows tend to appear near the squares you just emptied.
7. Watch out for bends
A bent arrow occupies more squares than it seems to. Its body can sit in the lane of a neighbour even when its head is nowhere near. When an arrow looks free but the game says it is blocked, check whether another arrow's tail is crossing the path.
8. Use Hint as a teacher, not a crutch
If you are stuck, press Hint once and look at why that arrow was free. Most of the time you simply misread a bend or missed a gap. Using hints sparingly keeps the puzzle satisfying, and the results screen tells you how many you used.
9. Pick the right mode for your goal
- Learning: Relaxed mode, Easy or Medium – tap boldly and read the red flashes.
- Speed: Relaxed mode on Medium. Beat your best time by sweeping and not hesitating over obvious moves.
- Precision: Classic mode with three hearts. Plan the whole chain before you tap.
- Daily habit: the Daily puzzle is a medium board that is the same for everyone, so you can compare notes with friends.
Frequently asked strategy questions
Is there a trick to solving every board?
Yes: there is always at least one free arrow. If you cannot see it, look at the border first, then at arrows pointing across short gaps. Removing any free arrow keeps the board solvable.
Why does my arrow bump instead of sliding off?
Something is between its head and the edge. Look straight ahead of the arrowhead – the red flash shows you the exact blocker.
Are bigger boards just more of the same?
Mostly, but the chains get longer. On Expert you may need six or seven waves of removals, so scanning methodically beats guessing.
Put it into practice – play now
Related: how to play · difficulty levels compared · glossary · daily puzzle