Pearls Techniques: Thread the Loop Without Guessing

Every Pearls puzzle on kawu has one answer and can be solved by reasoning alone. These patterns do most of the work. New here? Read the rules first.

1. Black pearls at the border

A black pearl needs two straight squares on each side of its turn. On an edge, one direction is blocked, so the loop goes inward two squares from the pearl, and along the edge two squares the other way. In a corner, both directions are fixed.

2. White pearls at the border

A white pearl on an edge goes straight along the edge (it can't go through the wall). It then needs a turn next door: at least one neighbour turns inward.

3. Three white pearls in a row

The loop can't run straight through all three (the middle one would have no turn next door). So it crosses them sideways: each is passed perpendicular to the row.

4. Two black pearls side by side

Each must run straight two squares away from the other, so they turn in opposite directions along the shared line.

5. Two in, two out

Every square on the loop has exactly two lines. A square with two lines gets crosses on the rest; a square with one line and one open gap gets a line. Use crosses freely: they are what make the next step visible.

6. Don't close early

A loop is wrong if it leaves any pearl out, even when every pearl on it is satisfied. Before closing, count the pearls on your line.

Last updated 2026-10-20