How to play Lines: five in a row and open paths

Keep space on the 9×9 Lines board: build rows of five matching balls, check movement paths and prepare a second line before the board fills up.

A line must be continuous

Five or more balls of one colour disappear when arranged consecutively in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line. Four red balls with an empty space beside them are a useful start; mixed colours in one row do not clear. Select a ball and an empty destination on the 9×9 board. A path through empty cells must connect them: moving cannot jump across an occupied section.

Check the route before the combination

If the only route to four red balls passes through a narrow corridor, blocking that corridor removes your planned move. When other factors are equal, finish this vulnerable line before reorganising a distant area. A move that does not clear a line adds new balls, so an open route may not stay open. A ball near its destination is still unhelpful if it has no way out.

Prepare a fallback

Building two possible lines of different colours gives you alternatives, provided both remain accessible. Too many unfinished rows, however, consume the board. First ask which one you can actually finish soon. Keep central routes open and avoid surrounding a lone ball unnecessarily. When space runs low, look for an immediate clear before returning to a longer plan. These habits help planning but do not guarantee a particular score or colour appearing.

Check a move step by step

1. Choose a colour with several neighbouring balls. Verify that they lie on one continuous line rather than merely forming a nearby group.
2. Find the empty cell that would extend or complete it, then trace an open route from the required ball to that cell.
3. Inspect narrow corridors. If the route relies on one cell, a new ball there can undo the entire plan.
4. Compare an immediate clear with a preparation move. A non-clearing move adds new balls, so equal click counts do not imply equal risk.
5. Recheck routes after the board changes. Obstacles of another colour can affect your plan even when the target colour stays unchanged.

Example: the line is ready but the route is blocked

Four red balls stand in a row with an empty fifth cell. The needed red ball is near that area but surrounded by occupied cells. You cannot move it to the target: distance does not substitute for a free route. You must first open an exit or choose another red ball that can actually reach the destination.

Count the preparation moves before clearing a route. Each non-clearing move adds obstacles, making a multi-step plan fragile. Sometimes it is better to complete a nearer opportunity in another colour, free some board space and then return to the red row. Changing the immediate target can preserve the larger plan of space and access.

Prepare alternatives without crowding the board

Practise choosing a target

Choose one nearly finished line and identify every cell needed to deliver its final ball. Then perform the same inspection for another colour. This comparison reveals which target is genuinely closer, even when the two rows look equally promising at first glance.

After the board fills, review the moment the main routes became blocked rather than only the last forced move. Several easy rearrangements may have created too many unfinished rows. Next time, try completing available lines more often and maintaining fewer simultaneous projects. This trains space management without promising a particular score.

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