Bridges techniques

7 techniques, all of which the solver can spot for you as a Smart Hint. Each one has a worked example.

Easy

Blocked Crossing

Bridges can never cross — a connection that would cross an existing bridge is impossible.

Full Capacity

This island's number equals everything its remaining connections could possibly carry — every one of them must be filled to its maximum.

Saturated Island

This island already has all the bridges its number allows — no other connection can touch it.

Remaining-Count Cap

No single connection can carry more bridges than this island still needs.

Medium

Forced Bridge

Even maxing out every other connection would leave this island short — so this connection must carry the difference.

Hard

Filling this connection all the way would leave both its islands full, and with them full nothing else could ever leave their group — so it would strand the highlighted islands from the rest of the board. It can't carry that many.

Expert

Contradiction

Suppose a connection carried its lowest (or highest) possible count and follow the consequences — if an island overflows, bridges cross, or a finished group gets sealed off, that count is ruled out.