Train Tracks guides

Everything you need to get good at Train Tracks, from the rules to the techniques that crack Hard boards. New to it? Start with the beginner's guide.

• How to solve Train Tracks, step by step

  A step-by-step method for solving Train Tracks puzzles: cross out the zeros, fill the full lines, use the border rule and grow the line from the entrance.

  6 min read

• 7 strategy techniques for Medium and Hard

  Seven solving techniques for Medium and Hard Train Tracks puzzles: the border rule, dead-end elimination, clue arithmetic, forced corners and more.

  5 min read

• Beginner's guide: your first puzzle

  New to Train Tracks? Learn the rules, the controls, how Easy, Medium and Hard differ, and the mistakes to avoid on your first puzzle.

  4 min read

• Get a faster Daily time

  How to climb the Daily Train Tracks leaderboard: read the board first, cross out in bulk, solve the whole route before you draw, and avoid wasted lives.

  4 min read

• The complete rules, in plain English

  The full rules of the Train Tracks (railway) logic puzzle: the entrance and exit, row and column clues, piece types, and what makes a board valid.

  4 min read

• How the row and column numbers work

  What the numbers beside a Train Tracks grid mean, how to use them to place track, and how the row and column totals check each other.

  4 min read

• Medium 7×7 boards, step by step

  A practical approach to Medium 7×7 Train Tracks boards: where to start, how to use the border, and when to switch from placing to crossing out.

  4 min read

• Hard 9×9 boards, step by step

  How to solve Hard 9×9 Train Tracks puzzles with only three lives: eliminating squares, splitting the board into regions and avoiding costly guesses.

  5 min read

• 8 common mistakes and fixes

  The eight mistakes that cost most players lives and time in Train Tracks, from ignoring the border rule to guessing at forks, with a fix for each.

  4 min read

• Advanced techniques for tough boards

  Advanced Train Tracks solving techniques: forced paths through bottlenecks, run-length reasoning, and how to avoid loops and closed circuits.

  5 min read

• How the Daily and leaderboard work

  How the Daily Train Tracks puzzle works: one board per difficulty for everyone, new boards at midnight UTC, no hints, and a fastest-times leaderboard.

  3 min read

• Train Tracks vs other logic puzzles

  How Train Tracks compares with Sudoku, Nonograms and other grid logic puzzles: what the rules ask of you, how long a puzzle takes, and who each suits.

  4 min read

• Using Train Tracks with kids and in class

  Why Train Tracks works for kids and classrooms: simple rules, visual logic, short puzzles, and tips for teaching it step by step.

  3 min read

Ready to play? Try an Easy puzzle or take on today's Daily.