How to Beat Today's XXI: Hints, Strategy and Where to Find Yesterday's Answer
Today's XXI is spoiler-free until midnight, so there is no "today's answer" page — but there are hints that work on every grid, and every past puzzle is revealed in full once its day is over. Here's how to get unstuck, and where to look when you just want to know.
Hint 1: you only need the three-tile answer to "win"
Every grid is generated so that a three-tile path to 21 exists. Look for a 9 or an 8 with a 7, 6 or 5 next to it, then one more tile to close. If you just want the streak, that's the whole job. The rest of this page is about doing better.
Hint 2: the best possible score is shown on the result card
When you lock in, the card tells you what the best score was ("Best today is 8"). You can also see it before locking: today's entry in the archive shows the best possible tile count without showing the path. If the best is 7 and you have 7, stop looking.
Hint 3: the long path is made of 1s, 2s and 3s
Eight tiles summing to 21 average under 3 per tile. So find every 1 and 2 on the grid, see which ones touch, and start there. The big numbers are for finishing, not starting.
Hint 4: count what's left
After each tile, ask "how far from 21?" rather than "what's my total?". If you're on 17 and your free neighbours are 6, 8 and 9, lift and reroute — no point going further. If a 4 is reachable, you're done.
Hint 5: walk the edge, finish in the middle
Corner and edge tiles have fewer neighbours, so a path that sweeps along the border stays open for longer. Keep the interior for the finish, where you'll want a mid-sized number next to your last tile.
Hint 6: reverse it
Found a 7 and sure there's an 8? Start from the tile you ended on and walk the small numbers the other way. Reversing reveals branches that were invisible from the original start. The full strategy guide goes deeper on all of these.
Yesterday's answer, and every answer before it
Once a puzzle's day is over, its page in the archive reveals the grid with the longest path highlighted and numbered, how many people played, how many found the long way, and the spread of scores. Puzzle pages live at xx1.lol/puzzle/N — #1 is the first. The date on each one is the day it was live, so if you're looking for a particular morning's grid, count forward from puzzle #1 on 10 October 2026.
Why there's no "today" answer page
Because the score only means something if everyone's finding it themselves. The share card shows the shape of your path, not the numbers, for the same reason. Tomorrow you can see exactly how today's long way went; today, you get hints and the best possible score, and the rest is yours.
Questions
Where can I find today's XXI answer?
You can't, until midnight — today's grid is deliberately spoiler-free. The archive at xx1.lol/puzzle/ shows today's best possible score without the path, and reveals the full answer the next day.
What is the best possible score in XXI?
It changes daily. Every grid is built so that a three-tile answer exists and the best path is at least seven tiles; most days it's seven, eight or nine. The result card and the archive both show the day's best.
Do I lose my streak if I only find the three-tile answer?
No. Any path to 21 counts as a solve and keeps the streak. The tile count is your score for the day, not a pass or fail.