All the pairs are connected, but the result shows one star. That can be a valid ColorFlow finish. Connecting the matching endpoints clears a level; filling more of the board improves coverage and the reward. The distinction matters because the game finishes as soon as all pairs are connected. You cannot connect the last pair first and then keep extending routes in that finished attempt.
Two goals to check separately
Draw between matching numbered endpoints using horizontally or vertically adjacent cells. A route cannot use diagonal jumps or pass through another pair’s endpoint. Different routes cannot share a cell in the finished board. Drawing through another color’s existing route cuts that route, so recheck the connected-pair count after changing a busy area.
Coverage counts both endpoint cells and drawn path cells. For stars, 100% gives three, at least 80% gives two, and a completed board below 80% gives one. Therefore, a legal short route and a useful high-coverage route are not always the same thing. Choose which goal you are pursuing before finishing the last pair.
A 5×5 board with two different finishes
This teaching board has three pairs. Pair 1 occupies the two ends of row 1. Pair 2 occupies the two ends of row 2. Pair 3 starts at row 3, column 1 and ends at row 5, column 5. Coordinates start at 1 in the upper-left corner. This is a constructed explanation board, not a screenshot, a pack level, or today’s challenge.
Connect pair 1 straight across row 1 and pair 2 straight across row 2. Each route occupies five cells, including its endpoints. Pair 3 can now travel down the left edge to row 5 and then right across the bottom row. That third route occupies seven cells. All pairs connect, but only 5 + 5 + 7 = 17 of the 25 cells are occupied: 68% coverage and one star. The eight unused cells lie in rows 3 and 4, columns 2–5.
Use a longer route with a purpose
- Plan pair 3 before closing the final connection. From row 3, column 1, travel right across all of row 3.
- Move down one cell to row 4, column 5, then travel left across all of row 4.
- Move down to row 5, column 1, then travel right across row 5 to the matching endpoint.
- Keep pair 1 across row 1 and pair 2 across row 2. No routes overlap. Pair 3 uses fifteen cells, so the total is 5 + 5 + 15 = 25: 100% coverage and three stars.
Show the full-coverage route
Pair 3 follows a snake through the bottom three rows. Every step shares an edge with the next cell; no diagonal connection is needed. You can draw this route before the other pairs, or reserve it mentally and finish it last.
Compare the scores under the same conditions
The current score is 200 base points, plus five times the coverage percentage, plus a speed bonus. The speed bonus is twice the positive difference between three times the board’s cell count and elapsed seconds, with elapsed time rounded to seconds. At exactly 20 seconds on this 25-cell board, that bonus is (75 − 20) × 2 = 110.
The short finish therefore scores 200 + 340 + 110 = 650. The full-coverage finish first totals 200 + 500 + 110 = 810, then receives the 100%-coverage doubling bonus, giving 1,620. Equal times make the comparison clear; your real score changes with elapsed time. This example proves that these two routes work on this board, not that every published level has a 100% solution.
Look for stranded space before the last connection
An empty corner or a narrow pocket can become impossible to enter and leave without crossing a finished route. Before joining the final endpoints, scan for those pockets. If you see one, identify which neighboring route could detour through it. Change that route while the round is still active, then check both the coverage and connected-pair counters again.
For practice, replay a small level with one modest goal: improve its coverage while keeping every connection valid. Sketch the detour before drawing it. If a new route cuts an old one, repair the affected pair rather than assuming it stayed connected. Comparing two clear finishes teaches more than rushing every pair along the shortest visible path.