9 Arrow Puzzle Tips to Solve Levels in Fewer Moves
Arrow puzzles look simple: turn the arrows, drop the ball, reach the exit. But once a board has twenty arrows, a few holes and a locked arrow in the middle, it is easy to waste moves. These are the habits that help us most when we test BallRoute levels.
1. Start at the exit, not at the ball
Most people trace the path forwards from the start. Try the opposite. Look at the exit and ask which neighbouring cells could send the ball into it. Then ask which cells could feed those. Working backwards shrinks the board to a few useful lanes.
2. Find the first wrong arrow
Follow the current path from the start until it goes wrong. Everything before that point is already correct, so leave it alone. Your first move is almost always at the first mistake, or just before it.
3. Count turns before you tap
Each tap is a quarter turn clockwise. An arrow pointing up needs one tap to point right, two to point down and three to point left. Before you touch an arrow, decide which way it should face and count the taps.
4. Long-press saves moves
Turning an arrow back counter-clockwise takes one long-press instead of three taps. Whenever an arrow needs a quarter turn to the left, long-press it. On many levels, this single habit is the difference between two stars and three.
5. Drop to test, then undo
Dropping costs nothing. When you are unsure, drop the ball and watch. If the drop fails, the trail turns red and stops exactly where it went wrong. Undo is free too, so step back and try the next idea.
6. Fewest turns, not fewest cells
The perfect solution is the route that needs the fewest turns, and that is not always the shortest path. A long route through arrows that already point the right way can beat a short one that needs six turns. Count both before you commit.
7. Plan around what you can't change
Locked arrows can't be turned and holes can't be filled. Treat them as walls and fixed signposts. Many levels are built around a single locked arrow: once you see where it forces the ball, the rest falls into place.
8. Decide whether the gold is worth it
Golden arrows give bonus coins when the ball rolls over them, but a detour costs moves. If the gold is on the perfect route, take it. If not, decide what you want more today: coins or three stars. You can always replay the level for the other one later.
9. Keys first, exit last
On levels with keys, the exit stays locked until the ball has collected every one. Plan the route through all the keys first, then find the way from the last key to the exit.
When you are really stuck
Take a break. Puzzles have a way of solving themselves when you look again ten minutes later. If you still want help, a hint turns the next arrow to the right direction for you, and it doesn't count as a move. Hints cost a few coins or a short video.
Want the details on each mechanic? Read every BallRoute mechanic explained.