Untangle Lines
Untangle Lines starts with a knot of crossing lines strung between blue dots. Your only move is to drag dots wherever you like, and you win when no two lines cross. It is a hands-on puzzle where you can see your progress take shape.
Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection lists it simply as Untangle. There is no timer and no move limit, and it plays in your browser on a laptop, a Chromebook or a phone with a finger.
How to play Untangle Lines
At the start, every dot sits on a circle, so the lines slash across the middle in a tangled web. Press on any dot, drag it to a new place and release. Each line tied to that dot stretches along with it.
Connections never change. If two dots were joined at the start, they stay joined, so the whole puzzle is about finding a layout that works. Once nothing crosses, the board flashes.
You never lose work by trying an idea. You can take back any drag with Undo, return every dot to the circle with Restart, or reveal a finished layout with Solve. The Type menu sets the number of dots, and Custom lets you pick any count.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move a dot | — | Click and drag it | Drag it with a finger |
| Move a dot by keyboard | Arrows or Tab/Space to choose, Enter to lift, arrows to move, Enter to drop | — | — |
| Undo, redo, new puzzle | U, R, N | Menu bar buttons | Menu bar buttons |
| Change the number of dots | — | Type menu | Type menu |
Tips
- Look for three dots all joined to each other. That triangle makes a solid frame to build the rest around.
- Dots with only two or three lines are easy to tuck into place, so settle them before the busy ones.
- The circle leaves plenty of open space. Pull finished sections out toward the edges to give yourself room.
- Work on one crossing at a time. Choose a pair of crossed lines and move one end around the other.
- Turn on the preference that highlights crossed lines so you can see which ones still need fixing.
- Grid snapping in the preferences can keep your layout neat, which makes small crossings easier to spot.
If you like Untangle Lines, try these
TangramMoving pieces around until a shape works is the shared feeling, with seven flat pieces and a silhouette.
Dots and BoxesDots and lines take a competitive turn, joining neighbors to close squares before your opponent does.
Questions
Is there always a way to untangle the lines?
Yes. Every puzzle is built so a layout with no crossings exists. The Solve button will show one if you want to check.
Can I make Untangle Lines harder?
Pick a larger point count from the Type menu, or set your own under Custom. More dots means more lines and a denser tangle.
Does Untangle Lines work on a touchscreen?
Yes. Drag dots with your finger just as you would with a mouse. Undo and the other menu buttons are tappable too.
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