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Pattern Hacker

Nine dots. One secret.

Attempt 1Draw a path through all 9 dots

Draw your guess on the nine-dot pattern lock

Drag to connect · release to checkKeyboard: 1–9 left to right · Enter check · Esc clear

Crack the pattern.

There’s a secret path through all 9 dots. Draw your guess in one stroke, then let go to check its 8 connections.

  • Green: right connection, right step.
    The direction and its place in the path match.
  • Yellow: right connection, wrong step.
    This directed line belongs somewhere else.
  • Gray: not in the pattern.
    A line in the opposite direction also counts as gray.

Green connections lock in and connect automatically on your next attempt. Small numbers show their place in the path.

Use each dot once. Skipping over an unused middle dot adds it to your path. No timer. No attempt limit.

THE IDEA

About Pattern Hacker

A familiar nine-dot grid is hiding an unfamiliar route. Pattern Hacker turns the gesture of unlocking a phone into a small deduction puzzle: connect every dot exactly once, submit your route, and use the colored clues to work out the secret pattern. Each clue describes a connection and its direction, rather than an individual dot. Correct connections gradually lock into place, so every attempt gives you something to build on. There is no guess limit, and every new game creates a fresh pattern.

How to Play

Connect all nine dots exactly once to make a route with eight directed connections, then submit your guess. Green means that connection travels between the correct dots in the correct direction and occupies the correct position in the route. Yellow means the same directed connection belongs elsewhere in the answer. Gray means that directed connection is absent. Reversing a connection makes it a different connection. Green connections automatically join up in later attempts. Use the feedback to revise the remaining route, and keep guessing until all eight connections are green.

GOOD TO KNOW

FAQ

What do the three clue colors mean?
Green is the correct directed connection in the correct position. Yellow is the correct directed connection in another position. Gray is a directed connection that does not appear in the hidden pattern.
Does the direction of a connection matter?
Yes. Going from one dot to another is different from going back the other way. The pair of dots, the direction, and the position all matter for a green clue.
Do I have to use every dot?
Yes. Every guess visits all nine dots exactly once, creating eight connections. The goal is to find the complete hidden order.
Why do some dots connect automatically?
A green connection is already solved. Later attempts keep that connection and automatically follow it when you reach its starting dot, so you can focus on the pieces that remain.
Is there a limit on guesses or a daily puzzle?
You have unlimited guesses. Each new game generates a fresh random pattern, so you can play another puzzle whenever you like.

An independent adaptation inspired by Pattern Hacker (opens in a new tab).