Masyu Puzzles
Draw one perfect loop through every pearl. Play the classic Japanese pearl puzzle online — from friendly 6×6 boards to marathon 25×25 grids, all with verified unique solutions.
Masyu easy
What is Masyu?
Masyu (ましゅ, also called the pearl puzzle) is a logic puzzle from the Japanese publisher Nikoli. You draw a single closed loop through cell centres that passes through every pearl: the loop must turn on black pearls and go straight on both sides of them, and go straight through white pearls while turning in a cell next to them.
There are no numbers, letters or arithmetic — just two kinds of circles and a loop. That simplicity is what makes Masyu so elegant: each pearl is a tiny constraint, and the fun is in seeing how they push and pull on each other until only one loop is possible.
New here? Read the illustrated rules, then learn the 15 most useful Masyu solving techniques. Curious where it came from? See the history of Masyu.
The three rules of Masyu
That’s really all there is to it.
1 · One closed loop
Connect cell centres horizontally or vertically into a single loop. It never branches, crosses itself or visits a cell twice.
2 · Black pearls turn
The loop makes a 90° turn on a black pearl, then travels straight through the next cell in both directions.
3 · White pearls go straight
The loop passes straight through a white pearl and must turn in the cell just before it, just after it, or both.
Choose your Masyu size
Every size comes in Easy, Medium and Hard.
Built for people who love logic
Everything you need to learn, practise and master Masyu — in one place.
Guaranteed unique solutions
Every puzzle is machine-verified to have exactly one answer reachable by pure logic. No guessing, ever.
Smart hints & checking
Hints fix your mistakes first, then reveal the next logical segment. Live rule checking flags branches and wrong turns.
Daily, weekly & monthly
A fresh 10×10 daily, a 15×15 weekly and a 20×20 monthly challenge — with streak tracking.
Made for touch & keyboard
Smooth drag-to-draw on phones and tablets, right-click ✕ marks on desktop, and full keyboard play.
Masyu solver
Enter any Masyu from a book or app and get the solution — plus a uniqueness check for puzzle setters.
Printable sheets
Generate print-ready Masyu worksheets with answer keys for classrooms, clubs and commutes.
Learn Masyu step by step
How to play Masyu →
Rules with diagrams, legal and illegal examples, and a full worked example.
Masyu strategy guide →
15 illustrated techniques from edge pearls to parity — the patterns experts spot instantly.
Masyu vs. other loop puzzles →
How Masyu compares with Slitherlink, Yajilin, Country Road and more.
Masyu FAQ
What is a Masyu puzzle?
Masyu is a Japanese logic puzzle played on a grid with white and black circles (pearls). You draw one closed loop through cell centres that passes through every pearl, turning on black pearls and going straight through white ones.
Is Masyu hard?
It’s easy to learn and scales well: a 6×6 Easy takes a couple of minutes, a 25×25 Hard can take well over an hour. All our puzzles are solvable by logic alone.
What does “Masyu” mean?
It comes from a misreading of shinju (真珠, “pearl”) that became an office joke at Nikoli. “Masyu” is the Kunrei-style spelling of ましゅ (mashu). Read the full story.
Do I need an account?
No. Your progress, best times and streaks are saved automatically in your browser.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes — the board is built for touch. Drag to draw, tap an edge to cycle line / ✕ / empty, or switch on ✕ mode.
Today’s Daily Masyu is waiting
One fresh 10×10 puzzle every day. Keep your streak alive.