---
title: "Slitherlink for beginners: free printable with answers"
description: "Free printable Slitherlink for beginners with answers. Learn the loop rule on a small board, with the answer on page two."
source: "https://www.oncebooks.com/slitherlink/for-beginners"
---

1. [Home](https://www.oncebooks.com/)
2. [Slitherlink](https://www.oncebooks.com/slitherlink)
3. For beginners

Free printable

# For beginners Slitherlink

New to Slitherlink? The whole rule is this: draw one closed loop along the grid lines, and each number says how many of its own four sides the loop uses. Start with the 0s, which cross off four edges at once.

PuzzleDesign

Difficulty

Bigger boards with fewer numbers are harder. Every puzzle has one loop.

5×5 board. Join the dots into one closed loop so each number has exactly that many of its four sides on it.

Theme

ClassicBoldSoftShadedNavyIndigoSkyTealEmeraldForestPlumBerryCrimsonEmberAmberCocoa

**Customise colours**

Numbers

Cell lines

Box lines

Page background

Style

StandardClean

Clean drops the title band and footer, leaving the grid.

Generate puzzlePrint / save PDF

Two pages: the puzzle and its answer. Every puzzle is proved to have exactly one loop by the same engine as our KDP studio.

## Want the whole book?

This makes one puzzle. Sign up to turn it into a full Slitherlink book for Amazon KDP: hundreds of graded puzzles at any trim, as print-ready PDFs.

[Build the full book](https://app.oncebooks.com/publisher-studio/slitherlink/edit?from=slitherlink&v=2&s=eyJkaWZmaWN1bHR5IjoiRUFTWSIsImNvbG9yVGhlbWUiOnsidGhlbWVJZCI6ImNsYXNzaWMiLCJvdmVycmlkZXMiOnt9fX0)

Free to build · pay once to export

Preview

The puzzle and its answer, as they print.

Hide the preview

- Slitherlink Easy

  1

  Puzzle
- Slitherlink Easy · Solution

  2

  Solution

Generate puzzlePrint / save PDF

## How to solve a slitherlink

Join the dots into one closed loop so every numbered cell has exactly that many of its four sides on the loop. Unnumbered cells can use any number of sides.

### The method

1. Start with the 0s and the 3s. A 0 means none of its four sides are used, so cross all four off. A 3 means three are, which is nearly as strong. Two 3s side by side always share their touching edge.
2. Work the corners. A 1 in a corner cannot use either of the two sides on the board edge, so both are out. A 3 in a corner must use both of them.
3. Remember every dot has 0 or 2 ends. The loop never stops and never branches, so a dot with one line coming in must have exactly one going out, and a dot with two is finished.
4. Refuse the early loop. If closing a line would make a small ring while any other line is still loose, that closure is wrong. There is only one loop in the finished puzzle.

**The one rule**

One closed loop, no branches, no crossings, and every number counts the sides used around its own cell.

**What the answer page shows**

The finished loop is printed at the back.

**How the grades differ**

Harder grades are bigger boards with fewer numbers, so more of the loop comes from the degree rule than from the clues.

**Good for**

Solvers who like drawing a line more than filling a grid.

## Making a whole Slitherlink book?

This page makes one puzzle. To publish a book on Amazon KDP, the [KDP Slitherlink maker](https://www.oncebooks.com/kdp-slitherlink-maker) generates hundreds of graded puzzles at any trim, as a print-ready 300 DPI interior and solutions PDF.

## More printable Slitherlink

- [Slitherlink for kids](https://www.oncebooks.com/slitherlink/for-kids)
- [Large print Slitherlink](https://www.oncebooks.com/slitherlink/large-print)
- [Easy Slitherlink](https://www.oncebooks.com/slitherlink/easy)
- [Medium Slitherlink](https://www.oncebooks.com/slitherlink/medium)
- [Hard Slitherlink](https://www.oncebooks.com/slitherlink/hard)
- [Extreme Slitherlink](https://www.oncebooks.com/slitherlink/extreme)

[See every printable Slitherlink](https://www.oncebooks.com/slitherlink)

## Questions

**Are these slitherlink for beginners free to print?**

Yes. Generate the puzzle above and print it with its answer, at no cost and with no sign-up.

**Does every puzzle have one solution?**

Yes. Every puzzle is generated and checked so the clues fix exactly one solution, verified before it prints. The answer is on the second page.

**Can I make a Slitherlink book to sell on KDP?**

Yes. The free tool makes one puzzle. The KDP Slitherlink maker generates hundreds of graded puzzles at any KDP trim, as a print-ready 300 DPI interior and solutions PDF.