How to play Pipes
Pipes is a puzzle in which you turn tiles a quarter turn at a time until every pipe joins up. In the end there must be no loose ends and no pipe pointing into the edge of the grid, and everything must form one network starting at the source, the red circle. Each puzzle has exactly one solution.
Pipes rules
- Every tile holds a piece of pipe, such as a bend, a T-piece or an end piece.
- You can turn tiles, but not move them.
- Every pipe end must connect to the pipe on the neighbouring tile. No loose ends.
- No pipe may point into the edge of the grid.
- All tiles together form one network, starting at the source (the red circle).
- Each puzzle has exactly one solution.
How to solve a Pipes puzzle
T-pieces on the edge fit only one way
A T-piece has three openings and one flat side. On the edge of the grid, no opening may face outwards, so the flat side has to face the edge. That leaves only one possible position. Turn all the edge T-pieces into place first.
Connect to the neighbours
Once a tile is fixed, it tells you about the tiles next to it. If a pipe end points towards a neighbour, that neighbour must have an opening facing back. If a tile shows a closed side, the neighbour may not point towards it. Work outwards from every tile you are sure of.
Corners and end pieces on the edge first
A bend in a corner of the grid can only face inwards, so it fits just one way. End pieces along the edge also have few options, because they can't point outwards. Settle these early and the rest of the border, and then the middle, follow.
Playing Pipes in Vellara
Pipes is one of the puzzles in Vellara that are switched off by default. You will find it at the bottom of the main menu under More puzzles, and you can put it in the main menu yourself in Settings, under Puzzles in the menu.
Tap a tile to turn it a quarter turn. Everything that is already connected to the source turns blue, so you can see how far your network reaches. Undo takes back a turn, Check shows how you are doing and Clear starts again. If you are stuck, the button "Turn one tile the right way" helps you along. You can make the grid smaller or larger, or fit it to your screen.
There are five levels. The easiest is a 4×4 grid to get started; the hardest is a 10×10 grid with the largest network. Every puzzle is made for you and has exactly one solution.
A clock runs while you play, but there is no time pressure. Take as long as you like.
Pipes puzzle FAQ
Why do some pipes turn blue?
Blue pipes are connected to the source. When the whole network is blue and there are no loose ends, you have solved the puzzle.
Where can I find Pipes in Vellara?
It is off by default. Look at the bottom of the main menu under More puzzles, or switch it on in Settings under Puzzles in the menu.
Can I move tiles to a different square?
No. In Pipes you only turn tiles where they are. If you want a puzzle where you slide tiles around, try Slide Path.
Where should I start a Pipes puzzle?
Start on the edges: T-pieces, corner bends and end pieces there have very few possible positions.
Is Pipes free?
Yes. Vellara is free to download and play, and you don't need an account.
Download Vellara
Vellara is free for iOS and Android, needs no account, works offline and never sends you notifications.