Best daily path puzzle games like LinkedIn Zip in 2026
Researched and drafted with our AI agents, then checked and edited by Vidit. Every claim about another app links to its source, listed at the end.
For most people, LinkedIn Zip is the best daily path puzzle: one new grid a day, in a browser or the LinkedIn app. Flow Free suits players who want thousands of levels plus daily puzzles. Simon Tatham's Puzzles is the free, offline, no-ads choice. Pick PathGlyph if you would rather deduce one hidden route than draw your own.
Which daily path puzzle app is best for what?
- Best for one quick daily path: LinkedIn Zip — a new grid every day, playable on the web without installing anything.
- Best for lots of levels: Flow Free — over 2,500 free levels plus Daily Puzzles, according to its App Store listing.
- Best free, offline and ad-free: Simon Tatham's Puzzles — an open-source collection that includes track, arrow-path and loop puzzles.
- Best for deducing a hidden route: PathGlyph — one exact path per puzzle, found from dot and turn counts and feedback.
- Best daily puzzle bundle: NYT Games — Wordle, Connections, Pips, Sudoku and more, though no route puzzle.
How do these path puzzle apps compare?
| App | Price | Platforms | How you solve | Daily puzzle | Ads | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Zip | No fee listed | Web, LinkedIn app | Draw one path through numbers in order, filling every cell | Yes, one a day | LinkedIn app lists ads | Only one Zip per day |
| Flow Free | Free; ₹499 removes ads (App Store, India) | Android, iOS | Join matching colours with pipes and fill the board | Yes, plus 2,500+ levels | Yes, plus in-app purchases | Ads unless you pay |
| Simon Tatham's Puzzles | Free, open source | Android, iOS, web, Windows, Unix | Generated puzzles, including Tracks, Signpost and Pearl | None mentioned | None (Android listing) | iOS version last updated 2020 |
| PathGlyph | Free | Android, iOS | Deduce one hidden route from dot and turn counts plus feedback | Yes, plus 1,000 campaign levels | Yes, including optional rewarded videos | Account needed after the trial; campaign uses lives |
| NYT Games | Free tier; subscription ₹179–₹249 a month (App Store, India) | Web, Android, iOS | Mostly word games, plus Pips, Sudoku and Tiles | Yes | No ads label on Google Play | No Zip-style route puzzle |
LinkedIn Zip: is it still the best daily path puzzle for most people?
Yes. LinkedIn Zip is the quickest daily path puzzle to try: it runs in a browser with nothing to install. LinkedIn's help centre describes it as a game where you "draw a path through the grid, connecting numbers sequentially and filling every cell", and a new one arrives every day.
LinkedIn announced Zip in March 2025 as its fifth game, and on 19 October 2026 the Zip page showed puzzle No. 581. New puzzles go live at midnight Pacific Time, which is 12:30 pm in India while US daylight saving is on and 1:30 pm after it ends.
The same Games hub carries Queens (one queen per row, column and coloured region), Tango, Mini Sudoku, Patches, Wend, Pinpoint and Crossclimb, with streaks for daily wins. LinkedIn's help page says members and non-members can play, on the web or in the LinkedIn mobile app.
The limits: there is only one Zip a day, and on a phone it lives inside the LinkedIn app, whose Google Play listing says it contains ads.
Choose LinkedIn Zip if you want one short, well-made path puzzle a day and like comparing results with your network.
Flow Free: is it better than Zip if you want more puzzles?
Yes, if volume matters. Flow Free, from Big Duck Games, asks you to connect matching colours with pipe and cover the entire board, and its App Store listing promises "over 2,500 free levels" and "new Daily Puzzles every day".
It is on Android and iOS, with Free Play and Time Trial modes and 10 board sizes. Big Duck also makes variants, including Flow Free: Bridges, Hexes, Warps and Shapes, for when the square grid gets familiar.
The limits: the Google Play listing shows ads and in-app purchases. On the Indian App Store, a ₹499 purchase removes ads and opens all level packs, and hint packs start at ₹99. Like Zip, Flow shows you every rule up front, so the challenge is finding a line that fits rather than uncovering a hidden one.
Choose Flow Free if you want hundreds of quick, colourful path puzzles on demand and don't mind ads or a one-off payment to remove them.
Simon Tatham's Puzzles: is there a free path puzzle app with no ads?
Yes. Simon Tatham's Puzzles is a free, MIT-licensed collection, and its Android port by Chris Boyle says it "will always be free, with no ads, and playable offline".
Path fans should look at Tracks ("fill in the railway track according to the clues"), Signpost ("connect the squares into a path following the arrows") and Pearl and Loopy, which each ask for a single closed loop. Puzzles are generated on demand with adjustable size and difficulty, so you won't run out.
The limits: the Android version lists 40 games, while the iPhone and iPad port by Greg Hewgill lists 38 and was last updated in September 2020. Neither listing mentions a daily puzzle, streaks or sharing.
Choose Simon Tatham's Puzzles if you want deep, endless logic puzzles offline with no ads, and don't need a daily ritual.
PathGlyph: how is a hidden-path puzzle different from Zip?
PathGlyph hides one exact route from S to E, and you work it out from dot and turn counts plus feedback on each line you check. In LinkedIn Zip and Flow Free the rules are on screen and any line that satisfies them wins; in PathGlyph you are deducing the specific line the puzzle has in mind.
On Google Play and the App Store, PathGlyph offers:
- A fresh daily glyph, then 1,000 campaign levels with larger grids and tougher routes.
- Correct opening dots that stay confirmed for your next try, so each attempt narrows the search.
- Three hint types: the next correct dot, a random dot on the answer, or the path through the next turn.
- Challenge links: draw your own hidden path and send it to friends to solve.
The limits are real. PathGlyph is new, and after a guided tutorial and a trial puzzle it needs an account. Campaign play uses lives (up to three, with one refilling every 30 minutes), hint charges are limited, it contains ads, and sign-in needs internet. More about PathGlyph.
Choose PathGlyph if you enjoy narrowing down one answer over several tries, as in Wordle, but with routes on a grid instead of words.
NYT Games: does it have a path puzzle like Zip?
Not really. NYT Games is a strong daily bundle, but as of October 2026 none of its games asks you to draw a route through a numbered grid the way LinkedIn Zip does.
The New York Times help centre lists Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee (limited), Crossplay (a separate app), Pips, Strands and Sudoku as playable without a subscription. Pips, the closest logic cousin, has you place dominoes to meet conditions, with three puzzles a day: easy, medium and hard.
A Games subscription adds the full line-up and an archive of over 10,000 past puzzles; the Indian App Store lists monthly plans at ₹179, ₹199 and ₹249. The Google Play listing shows in-app purchases but no ads label.
Choose NYT Games if you want several daily word and logic puzzles in one place and don't specifically need a path game.
When should you choose another app instead of PathGlyph?
Choose another app instead of PathGlyph when its account, lives, ads or hidden-answer format don't suit how you play. Four common cases:
- You don't want to sign up. LinkedIn says non-members can play Zip, and the App Store privacy label for Simon Tatham's Puzzles says the developer collects no data. PathGlyph needs an account after the trial.
- You play offline, on a flight or the metro. Simon Tatham's Puzzles is listed as playable offline, and Flow Free's Google Play listing carries an "Offline" tag. PathGlyph needs internet for sign-in and online features.
- You want long sessions with no waiting. PathGlyph's campaign caps you at three lives, refilling one every 30 minutes. Flow Free lists over 2,500 free levels, and Simon Tatham's Puzzles generates new ones on demand.
- You like seeing every rule up front. If guessing at a hidden answer frustrates you, the visible-rule puzzles in LinkedIn Zip and Flow Free will feel fairer.
How did we compare these apps?
We compared official store listings, websites and help pages, checked on 19 October 2026. We did not run hands-on tests of the rival apps. Prices come from the Indian App Store where shown and can change. Features for PathGlyph come only from its own store listings. We left out anything we could not confirm from an official source, such as whether Flow Free needs an account or whether its Daily Puzzles work offline.
Frequently asked questions
What games are like LinkedIn Zip?
Games like LinkedIn Zip include Flow Free, where you connect matching colours with pipes and fill the board, and Simon Tatham's Puzzles, whose Tracks and Signpost puzzles are built around paths. PathGlyph takes a different approach: you deduce one hidden route from dot and turn counts. As of October 2026, Flow Free and PathGlyph both offer a daily puzzle, while Simon Tatham's Puzzles generates puzzles on demand.
Can you play LinkedIn Zip without a LinkedIn account?
Yes. LinkedIn's help centre says any LinkedIn or non-LinkedIn members can play its games, which include Zip, Queens, Tango, Mini Sudoku, Patches, Wend, Pinpoint and Crossclimb. New puzzles are released daily at midnight Pacific Time, and LinkedIn Zip can be played on the web or in the LinkedIn mobile app, as of October 2026.
Is PathGlyph free?
PathGlyph: Daily Logic Puzzle is free to download on Google Play and the App Store as of October 2026. It contains ads, including optional rewarded videos. After a guided tutorial and a trial puzzle you need an account to keep playing, and campaign play uses lives: up to three, with one refilling every 30 minutes. Hint charges are limited, with refills available during campaign play.
How is PathGlyph different from LinkedIn Zip?
LinkedIn Zip shows numbered cells and asks you to draw a path that connects them in order while filling every cell. PathGlyph hides one exact route from S to E: you drag through neighbouring dots, use dot and turn counts as clues, and get feedback on each checked line. Correct opening dots stay confirmed, so PathGlyph players narrow down the answer over several tries.
Which daily logic puzzle apps work offline?
Simon Tatham's Puzzles is the clearest offline choice: its Android listing says it is free, has no ads and is playable offline, with puzzles generated on demand. PathGlyph needs internet for sign-in and online features, and LinkedIn Zip is played on LinkedIn's website or app. Flow Free's Google Play listing carries an 'Offline' tag, though its description doesn't say whether Daily Puzzles need a connection.
Does NYT Games have a puzzle like LinkedIn Zip?
As of October 2026, NYT Games has no route-drawing puzzle like LinkedIn Zip. Its games playable without a subscription include Wordle, Connections, Strands, Pips and Sudoku. Pips is the closest logic game: you place dominoes to meet conditions across three daily puzzles, easy, medium and hard. A New York Times Games subscription adds the full line-up and an archive of over 10,000 past puzzles.
Sources
- Games on LinkedIn · LinkedIn Help · checked 19 October 2026
- Zip | LinkedIn · LinkedIn · checked 19 October 2026
- LinkedIn: Games · LinkedIn · checked 19 October 2026
- LinkedIn Announces Zip: Our 5th Thinking-Oriented Game, Plus New Feature Enhancements · LinkedIn Newsroom · checked 19 October 2026
- LinkedIn – Apps on Google Play · Google Play · checked 19 October 2026
- Big Duck Games · Big Duck Games · checked 19 October 2026
- Flow Free – Apps on Google Play · Google Play · checked 19 October 2026
- Flow Free on the App Store (India) · Apple App Store · checked 19 October 2026
- Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection · Simon Tatham · checked 19 October 2026
- Simon Tatham's Puzzles – Apps on Google Play · Google Play · checked 19 October 2026
- Simon Tatham's Puzzles on Android · Chris Boyle · checked 19 October 2026
- Simon Tatham's Puzzles on the App Store (India) · Apple App Store · checked 19 October 2026
- New York Times Games Subscription · The New York Times Help Center · checked 19 October 2026
- NYT Games: Wordle & Crossword – Apps on Google Play · Google Play · checked 19 October 2026
- NYT Games: Wordle & Crossword on the App Store (India) · Apple App Store · checked 19 October 2026
- PathGlyph: Daily Logic Puzzle – Apps on Google Play · Google Play · checked 19 October 2026
- PathGlyph: Daily Logic Puzzle on the App Store (India) · Apple App Store · checked 19 October 2026