Quick start in 3 steps
- Look at the arrow at the end of each line. That is where the line will go.
- Tap a line whose arrow has a free way to the edge. It slides out and leaves the board.
- Clear every line. The hidden picture under the lines shows up in full color.
What is Line Escape?
Line Escape is a calm puzzle game for one player. The board is full of lines. Each line has an arrow at one end. When you tap a line, it slides forward along its own path, like a little train, and leaves the board in the direction of its arrow. But only if nothing is in the way. Your job is to find the right line to tap next, again and again, until the board is empty.
Under the lines hides a picture made of colored squares, like a heart, a house, a tree or a rocket. Each line you remove uncovers a few squares. When the last line is gone, the full picture is there and goes into your gallery. You play it free in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with no download and no account.
The rules
The lines
- Every line runs over the squares of the picture. Lines can bend many times.
- One end of the line has an arrow. This is the head.
- The head always moves straight in the direction of its arrow. The rest of the line follows the same path behind it.
When can a line leave?
Look straight ahead from the arrow to the edge of the board. If no other line crosses that straight path, the line can leave. If any line, even a small piece of one, is in the way, the line is blocked.
A blocked tap
If you tap a blocked line, it moves forward until it bumps into the line in its way and slides back. The blocking line flashes red, so you see what to clear first. Nothing is broken. In Relaxed mode this costs nothing. In Hearts mode it costs one heart.
Winning
You win when no line is left on the board. The full picture appears, and you get stars.
You cannot ruin a level
This is the nice part. Removing a line only ever makes room. It never blocks anything new. So a line that is free now will still be free later. That means there is no wrong order and no dead end. The only skill is to spot which lines are free, without wasting taps.
Every button explained
- Tap a line: sends it out, or bumps if it is blocked. You can tap fast. Several lines can fly out at the same time.
- Press and hold a line: shows its way out as a dotted path. Green means free. Red means blocked, up to the line in the way. It never costs a heart.
- 💡 Hint: one free line glows blue. Any free line is a safe move. A hint costs one star on this level.
- 🧭 Guide: shows the arrow paths of all lines at once, from each arrow to the edge. It shows directions only, not which lines are free. It is free to use.
- ⟲ Restart: puts all lines back. Hearts come back too.
- 🖼 Levels: pick any level you reached and see your gallery of painted pictures.
- 🎨 Color lines: gives every line its own color. This makes long, crossing lines much easier to follow.
- 🌙 Night: light lines on a dark board. Easier on the eyes in the evening.
- 🔊 Sound: soft sounds on or off. There are no voice lines.
At the top you see the level, how many lines are left, and your hearts (Hearts mode) or bumps (Relaxed mode).
The three modes
- 🌿 Relaxed: no lives, no pressure. Wrong taps are only counted for your stars.
- ❤️ Hearts: you have three hearts. Each wrong tap costs one. With no hearts left, the level starts again, free. This is for players who like a real challenge and want to be allowed to fail.
- 📅 Daily: one big picture puzzle per day, the same for everyone. A new one comes at midnight.
Relaxed and Hearts share the same levels, so you can switch at any time.
Levels and pictures
There are nine pictures: Heart, Star, House, Tree, Fish, Mushroom, Cup, Rocket and Cat. Levels 1 to 9 use them in small size with short lines. After that the same pictures come back bigger, with more squares and longer, twistier lines. Each level is built new from its number, so you never get the same layout twice, and there is no last level.
Stars
- Hearts mode: one star for every heart you still have at the end.
- Relaxed mode: ★★★ with no bump, ★★ with one or two bumps, ★ with more.
- A hint takes away one star. Press-and-hold and Guide are free.
Why every level can be solved
Before you see a level, the game plays it through itself. It keeps taking any line that is free until none is left. If some lines stay stuck, for example two lines that point at each other, the game turns one of them around or removes it, and checks again. Only a level that can be fully cleared reaches your screen.
Tips
1. Start at the edges
Lines near the edge with an arrow pointing outward are often free right away. Clear them first to open the inside.
2. Follow one arrow with your eyes
Pick an arrow and look straight ahead to the edge. If your eyes meet another line, it is blocked. If not, tap it.
3. Find the line that blocks many
Some lines lie across the path of three or four others. Clear those and many lines open at once.
4. Use Color lines on big boards
On large pictures, lines twist and cross. Colors help you see where one line ends and the next starts.
5. Press and hold when unsure
In Hearts mode, a long press shows the path for free. It is better than losing a heart.
6. Watch the arrows, not the bends
Only the straight path in front of the arrow matters. The bends behind it just follow.
Where does this kind of puzzle come from?
Puzzles about moving pieces out of a crowded space are old. Sliding block puzzles were popular toys in the late 1800s. In 1996 the board game Rush Hour made the "get one piece out of a traffic jam" idea famous. Arrow and line escape games are a newer, phone-friendly form of the same idea. They became very popular as calm "brain break" games in the last few years. Line Escape is our own version. We added the hidden pictures, a gallery, a free path preview, a real hearts mode and a night mode.
Is it good for the brain?
No game is medicine, and no game makes you smarter overnight. But this kind of puzzle trains some useful skills in a gentle way:
- Visual scanning: you follow lines and spot crossings fast.
- Order and sequence: you work out what must go first.
- Patience: in Hearts mode, careful looking beats fast tapping.
- Calm: there is no timer, and the quiet sliding is nice to watch. Many people play a level or two to unwind.
It is good for kids from about 7 years, for adults on a short break, and for older players. Night mode and Color lines help if lines are hard to see.
What the game can and cannot do
- It can promise that every level can be cleared and that you can never get stuck for good.
- It does not clear lines for you. Every line leaves because you tapped it.
- On a small phone, big levels have small squares. If a tap is hard to hit, tap the middle of the line, or turn the phone sideways.
- Your levels, stars, gallery and settings are saved only in this browser on this device. If you clear your browser data or change phone, they are gone. Nothing is sent to us.
- There are no leaderboards. Your only rival is your last score.
Words you will see
- Head: the arrow end of a line.
- Path: the straight way from the head to the edge.
- Blocked: another line lies on that path.
- Bump: a tap on a blocked line.
- Gallery: the pictures you have revealed.
FAQ
Is Line Escape free?
Yes. No download, no account and no ads between levels.
Can every level be solved?
Yes. The game checks each level first. And a free line never gets stuck later, so you can't ruin a level.
Why does a line not move?
Another line is in the way of its arrow. That line flashes red. Clear it first.
How do I see where a line will go?
Press and hold the line. Green dots mean free, red means blocked. The Guide button shows all arrow paths.
What is the difference between Relaxed and Hearts?
In Relaxed, wrong taps cost nothing. In Hearts, you have three hearts. With none left you try again for free.
Do levels repeat?
No. Each level is built new, and pictures get bigger and lines longer as you go up.
Is there a dark mode?
Yes, tap 🌙 Night. Color lines gives each line its own color.
Where is my progress saved?
Only in your browser on this device.
More calm brain games: Arrow Puzzle (short straight arrows), Ball Sort, Mahjong Garden, Block Escape.