How long can the sequence be?

From 3 to 8 moves. Five is a good default: long enough not to be guessed, short enough to remember from a clue.

Is a directional lock the same as an arrow lock?

Yes, the two names are used for the same thing: a lock opened by a sequence of directions rather than by digits.

Can players open it on a phone?

Yes. Each direction is a large button, and the lock works on any phone or computer without an app or an account.

Free · No login

Directional lock simulator

Set a sequence of arrows, write the clue, and push the moves as a player would. Four directions or eight, up to eight moves. Publish it as a shareable lock when it works.

What this tool does: A directional lock opens with a sequence of moves instead of digits: up, down, left and right, and on some locks the four diagonals. This simulator lets you set that sequence and try it on the same pad players get. Directional locks are a favourite of escape rooms because the answer can be drawn: a map, footprints, a maze, the path of a dance.

1. Pick a lock format

Length5

2. Set the answer

Enter it once on the pad, the way a player would.

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Choose a sequence of 5 directions

Answer set: not yet

3. Try it as a player

Set an answer first.

Wet footprints cross the floor. Follow them, one step at a time.

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Choose a sequence of 5 directions

4. What players read, and the hint

The same two fields the builder asks for. The question is the clue; the hint is what saves a player who is stuck.

Question (what players read)

Hint (optional)💡 Show the hint by itself after 3 wrong answers

5. What should it reveal?

Opens the builder on this exact lock: format, answer, question, hint and reveal already in place. You get a link and a QR code; players need no account.

How a directional lock works

On a physical directional lock, the shackle is pushed up, down, left or right, and it opens after the right sequence. The online version keeps the idea and drops the mechanism: one arrow per move, a refusal on a wrong sequence, and nothing to jam. Five moves on four directions already make 1,024 combinations; eight directions and eight moves make more than sixteen million.

Clues that point to a sequence

Footprints, arrows or chalk marks along a path.
A maze printed on a card: the way out is the answer.
A compass rose, with north as up.
The moves of a dance, a game controller cheat code, a route on a map.

Want the lock that takes numbers instead? The 4 digit lock simulator starts there, and the lock formats page compares all of them.

Other lock simulators

Frequently asked questions

Four directions or eight?: Four (up, down, left, right) is easier to read on a printed clue and faster on a phone. Eight adds the diagonals, for a harder lock or a compass-based puzzle. Switch between them with the format buttons above the pads.
How long can the sequence be?: From 3 to 8 moves. Five is a good default: long enough not to be guessed, short enough to remember from a clue.
Is a directional lock the same as an arrow lock?: Yes, the two names are used for the same thing: a lock opened by a sequence of directions rather than by digits.
Can players open it on a phone?: Yes. Each direction is a large button, and the lock works on any phone or computer without an app or an account.

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