In Flow Connect, draw forced paths before flexible ones

Look for endpoint pairs near corners, edges, and narrow corridors. These have fewer possible routes, so solve or reserve them first. Leave open central space for pairs that can take several paths.

Before completing a color in Flow Connect, check whether the line divides the grid into pockets that other colors cannot cross. If the final pair will not fit, the error often lies in an earlier route that looked harmless. Undo to the first avoidable bottleneck and test a different path.

A full board requires all pairs to work together, not just each pair independently.