The rules
The board is covered in arrows. Tap one and it flies straight in the direction it points, off the board. It can only go if nothing stands in its way; a blocked arrow bounces back, and in Nockwick that costs a life. Clear every arrow to finish the board.
Find the free arrows
Follow each arrow's line to the edge of the board. If nothing lies on that line, the arrow is free: it can go now. On a fresh board these are usually near the edges, pointing outwards.
Free arrows are safe to take, but not all of them are urgent. Take the ones whose leaving opens a path for another arrow.
Trace what blocks what
For a blocked arrow, find the first arrow in its way. That one must leave first. Follow the chain: what blocks the blocker? You end at a free arrow, and the chain is your order.
Long arrows that bend across the board block many lines at once. Freeing one of them often opens a whole region.
Watch for loops
Two arrows pointing at each other's tails can never both leave unless a third move changes things. On a fair board there is always a way out, so if you find a loop, the key is an arrow outside it.
Habits that help
- Never tap an arrow you have not traced to the edge.
- Clear the edges first; the middle opens up by itself.
- When a board feels stuck, look at walls and frozen arrows: they decide which lines can ever open.
- A board cleared without a mistake earns the most; slow and sure is faster in the end.
Questions
- What happens if I tap a blocked arrow?
- It bounces back and stays on the board. In Nockwick it costs a life, and too many end the level.
- Is there always a solution?
- Yes. Every Nockwick board is checked to be clearable, so there is always an order that frees every arrow.
- Is it the same as arrow maze puzzles?
- They share the idea of reading paths. In an arrows escape puzzle, the arrows themselves are what you clear.
