1. Re-trace the perimeter first
Free arrows cluster at the edges of the board. Before anything else, check every arrow whose head points outward near a border. On stuck boards, players routinely miss a corner arrow whose path cleared three moves ago.
2. Suspect the tails, not the heads
The classic misread: an arrow's head has a clear run, but its own tail or body curls into another arrow's path. When a path looks free but the game refuses the tap, look for curved arrows near the route. In OutTheyGo, curved U and staircase arrows appear from the mid game onward, and their bodies block exactly like heads do.
3. Find the innermost arrow and work backwards
Every board has an arrow that leaves last: the one everything else shields. Find it, then ask "what frees it?" and then "what frees that?" You are walking the dependency chain backwards, which turns a chaotic board into a checklist. This is the single biggest skill jump in the genre.
4. Play chains, not singles
When you spot a run of arrows where each frees the next, execute it fully before re-planning. Chains are where boards collapse quickly, and executing a chain you have already verified costs no thinking time. Break only when the chain ends.
5. Turn on direction lines (or draw your own)
If the game offers any path overlay, use it while learning. OutTheyGo's direction lines draw every arrow's escape route and color it green when free, coral when blocked, which converts the whole "is it clear?" question into a glance. On paper puzzles or apps without lines, trace routes with your finger; the physical trace catches misreads your eyes skip.
6. Count before you tap on heart-based games
In games where a blocked tap costs something (hearts, in OutTheyGo), never tap to test. Testing is how runs die. Trace once, tap once. If you are genuinely torn between two arrows, tap the one that frees more arrows afterwards; it keeps the board flexible.
7. Know when a hint is the efficient move
Hints are not an admission of failure; they are a pace tool. In OutTheyGo a hint highlights one arrow whose path is clear right now, and re-checking the same hint is free until that arrow leaves. Since finish time feeds your score, a 10-second hint that saves 3 minutes of scanning is simply correct play. (Hints cost stars, not levels: a 3-star solve must be unassisted.)
Putting it together in OutTheyGo
OutTheyGo gives you the full toolkit for these habits: direction lines, a hint system that never plays for you, restart for free any time, and revives that keep your board when hearts run out. Since every board is solver-validated, the seven tricks above will genuinely finish any level you meet. For the base rules first, read how to play arrow puzzles.
Put the tricks to work.
OutTheyGo is free on the App Store. Direction lines included.
FAQ
Why does nothing look free on my board?
Almost always because a curved or long arrow's tail is blocking a path you read as clear. Re-trace every path from the arrowhead to the edge, including cells occupied by arrow bodies. Direction lines make this instant.
Is it cheating to use hints?
No. A good hint points at a free arrow without playing the move, so you still make the deduction. Hints only affect star ratings, never your ability to finish a level.
Do these tips work for 3D tap away games too?
The chain-reading and perimeter habits transfer directly. The main difference is that 3D versions add camera rotation; see our rules comparison for how the two styles differ.