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Drag across cells to draw the loop · Tap a cell to clear its lines · ⚫ black turns · ⚪ white goes straight
Masyu is a Japanese pearl-loop puzzle with two short rules and a deep well of logic. Draw one single loop through the grid. Every pearl must sit on the loop, and each pearl tells the loop how to behave as it passes. No guessing is ever needed. Every puzzle here has exactly one solution, proven by computer before it reaches you, and this page gives you 40 set puzzles in three sizes plus a fresh Daily Masyu every day.
New to loop puzzles? Start on the 6×6 Starter tier. The first puzzles teach you the whole game in a few minutes. Then climb to 8×8 and the full 9×9 Expert grid.
🧩 Logic📅 Daily Puzzle🆓 Free📱 Mobile Friendly⚫⚪ Pearl Loop
⚫ Black Means Turn
The loop turns inside a black pearl, then runs straight through both neighbouring cells along the turn. No bending right after a black pearl.
⚪ White Means Straight
The loop runs straight through a white pearl, and it must turn in at least one of the two neighbouring cells along that straight line.
➰ One Loop Only
Every line you draw belongs to one single loop. Two separate rings are never a solution, and every pearl must end up on the loop.
✔ Check and Hints
A free Check button counts broken rules by type without marking the cells, and 3 hints per puzzle fix one wrong line. Clean solves earn 3 stars.
In this guide
- How to play Masyu
- The two pearl rules, one by one
- The sizes on GameOLL
- Solving strategies that actually work
- The Daily Masyu and your streak
- Stars, Check and hints
- 7 tips for faster solves
- Frequently asked questions
How to play Masyu
Drag across cells to draw the loop. The line follows your finger or mouse from cell to cell, and dragging back along the line rubs out the last step. Tap any cell to clear every line touching it, which is the fastest way to undo a wrong turn. Tap a pearl and the game reminds you of its rule.
The loop may pass through empty cells or leave them empty, as long as it stays one single ring and obeys every pearl. A puzzle is solved the moment your loop obeys both pearl rules everywhere, passes through every pearl, and forms exactly one ring. Because every puzzle here has exactly one solution, a loop that obeys all the rules is the solution.
The two pearl rules, one by one
Masyu has only two rules, but they pull in opposite directions, and that tension is the whole game.
| Pearl | In the pearl cell | In the neighbouring cells |
|---|---|---|
| ⚫ Black | The loop turns | It runs straight through both neighbours along the turn, on both sides |
| ⚪ White | The loop runs straight | It turns in at least one of the two neighbours along the straight line |
Read the black rule carefully, because it reaches two cells away. If the loop turns down and right at a black pearl, then the cell below the pearl must carry the line straight down, and the cell to the right must carry it straight right. A black pearl near a wall is even stronger: the turn is often forced before you draw a single line.
The white rule is a promise about the neighbourhood. The line through a white pearl never bends inside the pearl, but it cannot run straight for three cells in a row either. At least one end of that straight run bends right next to the pearl.
The sizes on GameOLL
| Tier | Grid | Puzzles | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 6×6 | 14 | Learning the pearl rules and your first clean loops |
| Classic | 8×8 | 13 | The full Masyu workout, and the size of the Daily |
| Expert | 9×9 | 13 | Long chains of forced turns for experienced solvers |
Solve a puzzle to unlock the next one in its tier, and earn up to 3 stars on each. That is 120 stars across the set puzzles. The Daily uses the 8×8 Classic size and pays a streak instead of stars.
Solving strategies that actually work
Start at the walls. A black pearl on the edge can only turn one way, and a white pearl on the edge forces its bend immediately. Edge pearls give you free line segments before you make a single decision.
Extend the black arms. When a black pearl turns, draw both straight arms right away, and mark the cells beside those arms as places where the loop cannot bend into the arm line. Each black pearl you fully process removes a whole family of wrong loops.
Watch white pairs. Two white pearls side by side on the same line are powerful. The loop runs straight through both, and the bend demanded by each pearl has to happen at the shared ends. Solvers who spot white pairs early finish puzzles minutes faster.
Never close a small ring. If a line would complete a little loop that does not include every pearl, it is wrong, full stop. The real loop is one ring. Keeping the ring open until every pearl is threaded is the single habit that separates fast solvers from stuck ones.
Count the loose ends. Every open end of your line must eventually meet another open end. If an open end can only reach one neighbour cell, that segment is forced. Scanning for trapped ends is the best mid-game habit in every loop puzzle.
The Daily Masyu and your streak
A new 8×8 puzzle is generated from the date every day, the same for every player. It is built and proven unique on your own device the moment you open it, so it works the same online or off. Solve it to extend your streak. Miss a day and the streak restarts, but your stars and best times stay saved in your browser.
Stars, Check and hints
| Stars | How you earn them |
|---|---|
| ★★★ | Solve with no hints and no failed Checks |
| ★★☆ | Solve with at most 1 hint and at most 1 failed Check |
| ★☆☆ | Any other solve — it still counts, and the next puzzle unlocks |
The Check button is free and unlimited. It counts your broken rules by type — loose ends, junctions, pearl rules and extra loops — but it never marks which cells are wrong. Finding them is the game. A Check that finds a problem costs you a star grade, so strong solvers Check late, or not at all. Each hint fixes exactly one line: it removes a line that does not belong, or draws a line of the true loop. You get 3 hints per puzzle.
7 tips for faster solves
- Do every edge pearl first; walls make their decisions for you.
- When a black pearl turns, draw both straight arms in the same breath.
- A white pearl with straight line on both sides for two cells is a contradiction — one side must bend next to it.
- Two black pearls two cells apart on one line lock the segment between them straight.
- Keep exactly two loose ends in a healthy position; more ends means more open questions.
- If a segment would seal a ring early, erase it and try the other way.
- Stuck? Tap any pearl to hear its rule again, then follow where it points.
Frequently asked questions
What is Masyu?
Masyu is a Japanese logic puzzle played on a grid of black and white pearls. You draw one loop through the grid that passes through every pearl, and each pearl controls how the loop behaves as it passes through that cell.
What are the rules of Masyu?
Two rules: at a black pearl the loop turns and then runs straight through both neighbouring cells along the turn; at a white pearl the loop runs straight and turns in at least one neighbouring cell along its line. The loop must be a single ring through every pearl.
Does every puzzle have exactly one solution?
Yes. Every puzzle on this page, set and Daily alike, was generated and then proven by two independent solvers to have exactly one solution. If your loop obeys both pearl rules and threads every pearl, it is the solution.
How do I erase a line?
Tap a cell to clear every line touching it, or drag back along the line you just drew to rub out the last steps one at a time.
How does the Daily Masyu work?
A new 8×8 puzzle is generated from the date every day, the same for every player, and proven unique on your device when you open it. Solve it to build your daily streak. Your streak, stars and best times are saved in your browser.
Can I play Masyu on my phone?
Yes. The game runs in your browser with no download and no sign-up. Drag across cells to draw the loop with touch, and every grid size is laid out to fit your screen.
🏆 Final Verdict
Masyu is the purest loop workout on GameOLL. Two rules, zero luck, and every puzzle proven to have exactly one answer. Start with the 6×6 tier, earn your stars, keep the Daily streak alive, and take on the 9×9 Expert boards when the turns start reading themselves.
