Signpost Arrow Chain
Signpost Arrow Chain fills a grid with arrows and asks you to string them into one long numbered sequence. James Harvey created it as Signpost for Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection.
Everything happens in your browser, so you can play on a laptop, a Chromebook or a phone without installing anything. Small boards finish in a few minutes, while larger ones take real thought.
How to play Signpost Arrow Chain
A board with 16 squares holds the numbers 1 through 16, and the chain must pass through each square once. The first and last numbers are shown, and the final square has a star in place of an arrow.
Every arrow points toward the square that comes next. That square can be any distance away along the arrow's straight or diagonal line. When you press on a square, legal targets light up.
Drag from a square to its successor to join them, or right-drag to join it to its predecessor. Linked runs pick up numbers once they touch a numbered square; until then they get temporary letters. Drag a square off the grid to break its links. A full, ordered chain solves the board.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Link to the next square | Arrow keys, Enter on the first square, Enter on the next | Left-drag to the successor | Drag to the successor |
| Link to the previous square | Space, then Space on the predecessor | Right-drag to the predecessor | Press and hold, then drag |
| Break one square's links | — | Drag it off the grid | Drag it off the grid |
| Break a whole chain | — | Right-drag a square off the grid | Hold, then drag off the grid |
| New puzzle, undo, redo | N, U, R | Buttons in the menu bar | Buttons in the menu bar |
Tips
- Start from the star and reason backward. Only squares whose arrows aim at it can be second to last.
- Find squares that just one arrow on the board can reach. That arrow's square has to come right before them.
- Squares with a small dot still need a predecessor. If the dot is gone, stop trying to link anything into that square.
- Lettered fragments are fine. Build short chains wherever you are sure and let them join a number later.
- A tangled chain is easy to reset. Use the right button to pull any of its members off the grid, and the whole run comes apart.
- Arrows along the border can only point inward or along the edge, so their possible next squares are few. They make good early links.
If you like Signpost Arrow Chain, try these
Number PathLinking numbers in order is the shared goal, though here one line must also cover every square of the grid.
Pearl Loop PuzzlePath logic shifts to a closed loop, with black and white pearls telling you where to turn or go straight.
Questions
How do you solve Signpost Arrow Chain?
Connect all the squares into one sequence from 1 to the star, with each arrow pointing at the square that follows it. The board shows a victory effect once the chain is complete and correct.
Do the arrows only point to neighboring squares?
No. The next square can be anywhere along the arrow's line, even several squares away. That freedom is what makes the puzzle tricky.
Does it support touch screens?
Yes. Drag with a finger to link forward, or press and hold before dragging to link backward. A Tap switch also lets plain taps link backward.
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