How to Play the Arrow Game
The arrow game, also known as arrow escape or arrow out, gives you a board packed with arrows. Your job is to clear it by tapping the arrows one at a time, in an order that works. Here is everything you need to play this arrow puzzle game, from the one rule to tips for the hardest boards.
Play the arrow puzzle game in four steps
- Look where the arrows point. Every arrow can only move in the direction of its head. The body does not matter.
- Find an arrow with a clear path. Trace the straight line from the head to the edge of the board. If no other arrow is on it, the arrow is free.
- Tap it. A free arrow slides off the board. A blocked arrow bumps the arrow in its way and comes back, which counts as a miss.
- Repeat until the board is empty. Each arrow you remove can free others. Clear the last arrow to solve the level.
The rule of the arrow game
An arrow can only move in the direction its head points. When you tap it, look from the head in a straight line to the edge of the board. If that line is empty, the arrow slides off and is gone.
If another arrow sits anywhere on that line, your arrow bumps into it and returns to its place. The arrow in the way flashes red, and the tap counts as a miss.
The body never matters. However an arrow bends, its body follows the head along the same path, so only the cells in front of the head decide whether it can leave.
How to spot the first move
- An arrow on the outer ring that points out of the board is always free. Start there.
- For every other arrow, trace the line from its head to the edge. One empty line is all it needs.
- Look for long empty rows and columns. Arrows pointing into them usually have a way out.
Tips for hard levels
- Any free arrow is a safe move. Removing an arrow only opens space, so you can never make a level impossible.
- Work backwards from a stuck arrow: find the arrow blocking it, then what blocks that one, and clear the chain from the end. This matters most on maze-like boards where bent arrows wind around each other.
- Clear the edges first. Every arrow that leaves the outside of the board opens new lines into the middle.
- Misses never end a level. They are only counted and shown when you finish, so tap and learn.
More techniques in the strategy guide
Controls
- Undo puts the last arrow back on the board.
- Restart resets the level and the miss counter.
- Hint highlights one arrow that can move right now.
Keyboard: press Tab to move between arrows and Enter or Space to tap the selected one.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an arrow escape puzzle?
- A logic puzzle where a board is packed with arrows and you remove them one by one. Each arrow can only leave in the direction it points, and only when nothing blocks its way to the edge.
- Can I get stuck in a level?
- No. Removing an arrow only opens up space, so tapping any free arrow is always safe. Every level on this site is checked by our solver before it is published.
- Does the shape of an arrow matter?
- No. The body follows the head along its own path, so only the cells in front of the head decide whether an arrow can leave.
- What happens when I tap a blocked arrow?
- It bumps forward, the arrow in its way flashes red, and it returns to its place. The tap counts as a miss, but there is no limit on misses.
- Is my progress saved?
- Yes. Solved levels are stored in your browser on this device. Clearing your browser data or switching to another device starts you fresh.
- Is Arrow Puzzles free?
- Yes. Every level is free to play in your browser, with no download and no account.