Big boards: 9×9 and 10×10 without guessing

In Journey levels grow up to 10×10. At the same size, fewer threads means longer threads — and that is harder. Here is how to keep a big board under control.

On a small board you can see the whole solution at once. On 9×9 you can’t, so the trick is to turn one big puzzle into several small ones.

Step 1: work the border

Corners and edges give forced moves on any board (/guides/corners-and-edges/). On a big board they matter even more: the border is long, and a thread that runs along it often takes a whole side. Look for buttons on the edge and for pairs whose buttons sit on the same side. Lay those first.

Step 2: split the cloth

Every thread you lay is a new wall. A thread running from one side of the board to the other cuts the cloth into two parts that no other thread can connect. After such a cut, solve each part as its own puzzle: every pair must be completed on the side where its buttons are.

A thread across the whole row: the highlighted top part is now a separate small puzzle with its own buttons.

Watch for a part that holds only one button of some pair. That can’t work: the pair would have to cross the cut. If you see it, the cut is wrong — undo and try the other way.

Step 3: find narrow places

A narrow place is a gap one or two cells wide between threads, edges or other obstacles. Only one or two threads can pass through it. Ask which threads need to get through, count them, and compare with the width. When the numbers match exactly, every cell in the gap is decided.

Empty cells must never form a dead end with no button: each needs two free neighbours (/guides/dead-ends-and-pockets/).
A long thread usually goes around the outside; short threads stay inside (/guides/long-and-short-threads/).
Every level has exactly one solution. If two routes look equally good, something you haven’t used yet decides between them (/guides/one-solution-trick/).

A 9×9 level from the Medium set: nine threads.

Step 4: plan, then draw

The ★ for a flawless solve asks for each thread in one stroke and no hints. On a big board that means planning a thread fully before touching it. Trace it with your eyes first, check that it leaves no pockets behind, then draw it. If you get stuck for a while, the game offers a free hint — it lays out one thread correctly, and the board often opens from there.

The solution: the long threads take the border, the short ones fill the inside.

For practice, the sets include Medium and Hardcore with 8×8 and 9×9 levels, and Journey keeps growing the board as you go.

Play Filoop Start with the corners and edges →