How to Play Pyralinks: A Complete Guide
A step-by-step walkthrough of the pyramid puzzle mechanics, controls, and results.
Published January 1, 2026 · Updated February 16, 2026
Pyralinks is a daily puzzle game built around a deceptively simple idea: rearrange nodes in a pyramid so that every connected pair shares a meaningful relationship. That one sentence is easy to understand, but the interlocking constraints of the pyramid structure make each puzzle a genuine challenge. This guide walks you through everything you need to know, from your first swap to sharing your results.
The Pyramid Structure
Every Pyralinks puzzle is a tree: one node at the top (the root), branching downward through levels to the leaves at the bottom. Every connected pair of nodes is a link, and your goal is to arrange all the nodes so that every link is valid. What makes a link valid depends on the puzzle type - word pairs that form a phrase (Pyragrams), arithmetic expressions (Pyrithmetic), or word fragments that combine into a real word (Pyraphemes).
The key is that nodes do not exist in isolation. An internal node must work with its parent above and all its children below at the same time. Moving one node ripples through everything connected to it, so you need to think about the whole structure, not just individual pairs. For a deeper look at what makes this structure distinctive, see What Are Pyramid Puzzles?
Step-by-Step: Solving a Puzzle
Study the items. Before touching anything, look at all the items in the puzzle. For Pyragrams, think about which words might be related. Look for common pairings. For example, if you see "point," "check," and "blank," you might notice that "point" and "blank" combine to form "point blank," while "blank" and "check" combine to form "blank check." Spotting these pairs early gives you a foundation to build on.
Arrange the pyramid. Drag one node onto another to swap their positions. The goal is to get every parent-child pair into a valid relationship. Start with the pairs you are most confident about and work outward. Remember that each node needs to work with all of its connected nodes, so a node that pairs perfectly with one child might not pair with the other.
Mark links to organize your thinking. Click or tap on an arc between two nodes, turning it orange, to mark it as a link you believe is correct. Marking is optional but powerful. It externalizes your reasoning - you can see at a glance which connections you are confident about and which you are still working out. Marked nodes also move together when you swap, so you can manipulate groups of nodes as a unit rather than rearranging everything one by one.
Submit a guess. When you are confident in your arrangement, submit a guess. The game reveals which links are correct (shown in green) and which are wrong (indicated with a broken link when not in Expert Mode). You have a limited number of guesses, so use the feedback wisely. Green links stay locked, giving you anchors to work from on your next attempt. Focus your remaining swaps on the incorrect links.
Refine and solve. Use the feedback from each guess to narrow down the remaining possibilities. With each round, more links lock into place and the puzzle gets progressively easier. The puzzle is complete when every link in the pyramid is correct.
Controls Reference
- Swap nodes: Drag one node onto another to swap their positions in the pyramid. Works with mouse on desktop or touch on mobile.
- Mark links: Click or tap on an arc between two nodes, turning it orange. A marked link means you believe those two nodes are correctly paired. Marked nodes move together during swaps.
- Unmark links: Click or tap an orange link again to remove the visual connection if you change your mind.
- Submit guess: Tap the guess button to submit your current arrangement. The game reveals which links are correct by turning them green. You have a limited number of guesses per puzzle.
- Zoom and pan: On larger puzzles, pinch to zoom or scroll to see the full pyramid. The interface adapts to your screen size.
Understanding Results
When you complete a puzzle, Pyralinks shows your results: the number of guesses it took, how many swaps you made, and the total time to solve. There is no single "score" - instead, each metric tells a different story. Fewer guesses means you were more strategic about when to commit. Fewer swaps means you identified the solution more directly. Faster times mean you recognized patterns quickly.
You can compare these metrics across puzzles and track how your skills improve over time. Many regular players find that their guess count drops as they develop better strategies for reading the pyramid structure.
Sharing Your Results
After completing a puzzle, you can share a spoiler-free summary with friends or on social media. The shared summary includes a color-indicated guess history, and optionally swap count and solve time, but never reveals the puzzle solution. This lets everyone solve the same daily puzzle and compare their approach afterward - a format popularized by games like Wordle that works especially well with the richer metrics Pyralinks tracks.
Tips for Your First Puzzle
If you are brand new, here is the simplest way to start: look at the items and find two that you are sure belong together. Swap them into a parent-child position and mark the link. Then find another confident pair and do the same. Build outward from your strongest pairs. When you have marked as many links as you can, submit your guess and use the feedback to fix the rest. Do not worry about being perfect on your first guess - the feedback loop is part of the game.
