Board sizes: 5×5 to 10×10

Every 8flowy size plays by identical rules, but the experience changes character as the grid grows. Here's the field guide.

5×5 — the espresso

25 squares, usually 3–5 pairs. Small enough to hold entirely in your head, which makes it the best size for learning to read: you can see the whole consequence of a route before drawing it. Don't dismiss expert 5×5s — with only three pairs, every pipe is a sponge, and they can be surprisingly nasty for their size.

6×6 — the standard

The default, and the daily puzzle's early-week size. Enough room for one genuine sponge pipe plus a supporting cast. Most technique practice happens here; if you can consistently clear hard 6×6s without guessing, your fundamentals are set.

7×7 — the pivot

Around 49 squares the board stops fitting in working memory and the game becomes about order — you can no longer verify everything at once, so the attack order from the strategy guide starts to matter. Midweek dailies live here.

8×8 — the weekend board

The daily's weekend size, and the sweet spot for players who want a real think without committing an evening. Expect multiple sponge candidates and border chains long enough that pocket counting becomes essential rather than optional.

9×9 — the deep end

81 squares invite compound plans: regions within regions, sponges that hand off to each other. Sketching becomes the primary tool — nobody reads a hard 9×9 straight. This is also where the timer starts to feel generous rather than tight; a clean solve is worth savoring.

10×10 — the summit

A hundred squares, and on expert boards sometimes only seven or eight pairs to cover them — pipes twenty squares long that snake through half the board. A 10×10 expert is a genuine project: plan in regions, commit in stages, and expect at least one full ripple-repair. Solving one unlocks the Grand Network achievement, and under three minutes earns Giant Slayer.

Which size should you play?