Node Link

How to play

How to Play Node Link

Drag through neighboring nodes of one color, release completed paths to clear them, and use full loops when available to reach the level target within 60 seconds.

1. 01

   Read the target and timer, then scan the board for obvious same-color neighbors. Begin with a route you can see clearly rather than searching the entire grid for a perfect chain.

2. 02

   On desktop, press and hold the mouse on a node, drag across neighboring nodes of the same color, and release when the path is complete.

3. 03

   On mobile, swipe through neighboring nodes of one color. Keep the gesture controlled so the path follows the nodes you intended to include.

4. 04

   After release, watch the linked nodes disappear and the nodes above fall. Rescan the changed columns because the new arrangement may create a longer connection or the beginning of a loop.

5. 05

   When one color forms a route that can close back on itself, complete the full loop to clear that matching color across the board and earn the loop bonus.

6. 06

   Keep checking the remaining target against the remaining seconds. Favor a ready path when time is short, and pursue a loop when its closing route is already clear.

About the game

Connect same-color nodes before the one-minute clock expires

Node Link is a timed connect-the-dots puzzle played on a grid of brightly colored nodes. Press a node and drag across neighboring nodes of the same color to build one continuous path. Release to clear the linked group, add to the target progress, and let the nodes above fall into the empty spaces.

Each level gives you 60 seconds and a score target. Level 1 begins with a 7-column by 9-row board and a target of 120, making the opening challenge easy to read but quick enough that every drag matters. A useful move should earn progress while also leaving a board with several visible same-color neighbors for the next path.

Full loops add another layer of strategy. When a same-color route bends around and closes into a loop, the game clears that matching color across the board for a larger bonus. Straight paths are reliable and fast; loops can transform the grid. The central decision is whether the current loop is close enough to finish without wasting the time needed for several certain connections.

Controls

Controls for Node Link

Mouse press and drag

Link neighboring nodes of the same color on desktop.

Release the mouse button

Submit the completed path and clear its linked nodes.

Touch swipe

Link neighboring same-color nodes on a mobile or tablet screen.

Useful strategy

Clear certain paths quickly and build loops from visible shapes

Scan the grid in a repeatable order

A 7-by-9 board contains enough nodes that random searching can consume a meaningful part of a 60-second round. Use a consistent scan: check the lower rows, move through the center, then inspect the upper area. You are looking for adjacent copies of one color, especially clusters with more than one possible direction.

Separate ready paths from possible paths. A ready path consists of neighbors you can trace immediately. A possible path depends on pieces falling into place after another clear. Take the ready score first when the target needs progress, then return to the changed area to see whether the possible route has formed.

Do not count nodes that the drag cannot actually connect. Similar colors elsewhere on the board may look like part of one large group, but the path must travel through neighboring same-color nodes. Follow the continuous route with your eyes and ignore matching pieces separated by another color.

Build clean paths without hesitating mid-drag

Once you choose a color, identify a clear starting end and the order of the nodes. Press the first node, hold the input, and move steadily through the route. A horizontal row of same-color neighbors can be collected in one continuous motion, but bent and branching groups require you to choose the order before the drag begins.

Prefer a path your hand can trace comfortably. A longer connection is useful only when you can complete it without losing the route or spending too many seconds correcting the pointer. Several confident paths can advance the target more reliably than one ambitious gesture that never reaches a clean endpoint.

Release deliberately after the final intended node. The disappearance, floating score feedback, and target change confirm that the path registered. Then move your attention away from the old route; the falling nodes have already changed the most relevant part of the board.

Create full loops from compact same-color routes

A loop needs a same-color path that can travel around a shape and close back into itself. Start with clusters that already bend instead of trying to force a loop from a straight line. Trace the outward side, the turn, and the return connection before pressing so the gesture has a clear closing point.

The reward is broader than an ordinary path: the official rule states that a completed loop clears the whole matching color from the board and awards a large bonus. That can remove nodes far from the drawn route and cause several columns to fall at once, so expect to rebuild your reading of the grid after the clear.

Balance loop value against time. If the closing node is obvious, the color-wide clear can make strong target progress and refresh much of the board. If the route needs uncertain detours, take a simpler path and use the resulting fall to search again. A loop opportunity should emerge from the layout rather than consume the entire round.

Use the target and timer to choose the next move

The target tells you how much progress the current level still requires; the timer tells you how selective you can afford to be. Early in the minute, take quick visible paths while learning which colors are clustering. This both adds score and creates falling movement that may form a later loop.

Around the middle of the round, compare the remaining target with the board quality. If several useful paths are visible, continue clearing at a steady pace. If the grid is fragmented, choose the connection that changes the most crowded columns and immediately inspect the new neighbors created by the fall.

In the final seconds, shorten the decision cycle. Stop scanning for a perfect color-wide move and clear the best certain path already visible. Check the target after each release and begin the next route from the area you were already watching. Fast recognition and clean input are more valuable than a complicated plan that the clock will not allow you to finish.