Bridges Strategy: 7 Techniques
1. Full islands
An island can have at most two bridges to each neighbour. A 4 with only two neighbours (a corner) needs two bridges to each. So does a 6 with three neighbours, or an 8 with four.
2. One short of full
A 3 with two neighbours needs at least one bridge to each. A 5 with three neighbours, or a 7 with four, needs at least one to every neighbour.
3. Islands with one neighbour
An island that can only see one other island takes all its bridges from it.
4. Neighbours that are already full
When a neighbour has all its bridges, it no longer counts. That often turns an island into one of the cases above.
5. Don't cut off a group
Two 1s can't join only each other: they'd form a closed pair. Two 2s can't share a double bridge for the same reason. Any group that would be complete but cut off from the rest is wrong.
6. Watch the crossings
A bridge you've built blocks every bridge that would cross it. That can leave an island with fewer neighbours than it seemed to have.
7. Finish with connectivity
Near the end, if you have a choice, pick the bridge that keeps everything joined into one group.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you start a Hashi puzzle?
With islands whose number equals twice their number of neighbours: a 4 in a corner, a 6 on an edge, an 8 in the middle. They need double bridges to every neighbour.
Last updated 2026-10-19