How Hints and Let It Be Work (and Which Achievements They Affect)
A Little to the Left gives stuck players two ways out: hints, which show the answer gradually, and Let It Be, which skips a level completely. Both are harmless for enjoying the game, but both affect achievements, and using them at the wrong time can force you to replay the whole campaign. Here is how each system works and when to use it.
In this guide
How hints work
Hints are illustrations of the solved level, revealed bit by bit rather than all at once. You can stop after the first reveal, look at a corner of the picture or uncover the whole page. Since June 2024, every possible solution in the base game has its own hint, not only the main one, which makes collecting stars much less frustrating. Seeing Stars also has hints for all of its solutions.
- Partial reveals count as taking a hint. For achievement purposes, opening a hint at all is what matters, not how much you uncover.
- Hints show the result, not the rule. You see the finished arrangement, so you still have to work out which detail it is sorted by if you want to understand it.
How Let It Be works
Pause during a level and choose Let It Be to skip it. The game moves on as if you had finished. If the option does not appear immediately, move a few pieces and open the pause menu again. Skipped levels can be replayed from the level select at any time.
The achievements involved
| Achievement | Requirement | Effect of hints and skips |
|---|---|---|
| Helpful Hints | Take a hint | Needs a hint |
| Hint Hunter | Reveal 10 hints | Needs hints |
| One Clean Page | Fully reveal a hint | Needs a complete reveal |
| Let It Be | Skip a level with Let It Be | Needs a skip |
| What Is Will Be | Skip 10 levels with Let It Be | Needs ten skips |
| No Squint Hint | Finish the game without taking any hints | Any hint breaks it |
| No Mess Left Behind | Finish the campaign without skipping a level | Any skip breaks it |
The conflict is clear: five achievements want hints and skips, two forbid them. The two clean ones are marked in the achievement list as requiring a clean playthrough, which means a save without any hint or skip on record.
The safe order
- Play the full campaign without hints and without Let It Be. Use our walkthroughs instead when you are stuck; reading a guide does not affect the game.
- Collect No Squint Hint and No Mess Left Behind when the campaign ends.
- Open any level from the level select and take hints until you have revealed ten, fully revealing at least one.
- Use Let It Be ten times on any levels to finish the skip achievements.
Already used a hint?Players who used hints or skips in their first run report needing to reset their progress and play through again for the clean achievements. Starting the campaign again from Level 1 without a reset is not enough on its own, according to the community. If you plan to go for 100%, do the reset early rather than after collecting all your stars. Our clean playthrough guide covers the full process.
Using hints without spoiling the puzzle
- Reveal one area only. Often seeing the position of one object tells you the whole rule.
- Ask what changed. Compare the hint with your current arrangement and find the single detail that differs, such as the order of two items or the rotation of one.
- Use it for stars, not the main path. The main solution of most levels is intuitive. Hints earn their keep on the third or fourth star of a level.
- Try the rule elsewhere. Once a hint shows you a criterion, such as counting holes, test it on other levels where you are missing stars.
Hints FAQ
Does reading an online guide count as a hint? No. The game only tracks its own hint system. Walkthroughs on this site do not affect any achievement.
Do hints show every solution? Yes, since the June 2024 update each solution of every level has its own hint.
Is Let It Be the same as finishing a level? For progress, yes; the next level unlocks. For achievements, no; a skipped level breaks No Mess Left Behind and does not give you its stars.
For a way to work out answers without hints at all, see our 12 rules for solving any puzzle.
