Single Cell
Click or tap a cell to select it. Selecting a blank area clears the selection.
Pahzzles Guide
How to select cells, enter answers, paint grids, draw loops, find words, use marks and items, and play faster from a keyboard.
Play Basics
- Choose a puzzle from the Library, Daily page, or a contest. Sign in when prompted so progress and solves can be saved.
- Read RULES before starting. The controls change to fit the puzzle: some puzzles use selected cells, while others let you paint cells, draw loop segments, or drag across words directly.
- For selection-based puzzles, select a cell with a click or tap, then choose DIGIT, ENTRY, LETTER, CORNER, CENTER, COLOR, or ITEMS when available and use the pad.
- For paint, loop, and word-search puzzles, choose the shown tool when needed and click or drag directly on the grid.
- Use candidate marks, dots, X marks, colors, and puzzle items to record deductions before placing final answers.
- Complete the puzzle according to its rules. The server records the solve when the completed answer is accepted.
Selecting Cells
These controls apply when the puzzle asks you to select cells before entering digits, letters, colors, or items. Paint, loop, and word-search puzzles use direct dragging instead.
Multiple Cells
Drag across the board to add cells to the selection. Digits, marks, colors, and item marks apply to all selected cells that can use them.
Range Select
On a computer, hold Shift while selecting another cell to select a rectangular range from the anchor cell.
Toggle Cells
On a computer, hold Ctrl or Command while selecting cells to add or remove them from the selection.
Entries, Marks, Colors, And Items
Digit Mode
DIGIT mode places final numeric answers. Entering the same final digit again clears it. Entering a final digit also removes any center or corner marks in those editable cells.
Letter And Symbol Entry
ENTRY or LETTER mode works like DIGIT mode but shows the puzzle's letters or symbols on the pad. The displayed value, rather than its internal number, is the answer you are entering.
Corner Marks
CORNER mode toggles small candidate digits around the corners of each selected blank editable cell.
Center Marks
CENTER mode toggles candidate digits in the middle of each selected blank editable cell.
Cell Colors
On normal puzzles, COLOR mode changes the pad into color swatches for note coloring. Pick a swatch to color selected cells, or pick the slashed white swatch to remove color.
Color Answers
Some puzzles use colors as the final answer. On selection-based color puzzles, the pad shows the answer colors plus the clear swatch. When a color-answer puzzle also offers CENTER mode, the same swatches toggle possible colors as small center marks instead of filling the cell.
Direct Paint Tools
Shade, Star, Body, Dot, and Eraser tools apply directly to cells without a selection. Click or tap a cell, or drag when the chosen tool supports painting. On a computer, right-click or right-drag places dots.
Puzzle Items
Some puzzles add an ITEMS tab. Select cells, open ITEMS, and use the shown item button to toggle its marks. Items may need to be earned before they can be used, and their marks can be part of the checked final answer.
Puzzle Input Styles
The RULES overlay explains each puzzle's logic. The controls automatically provide the input style that puzzle needs.
| Input Style | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Selected cells | Select one or more cells, choose an entry or note mode, and use the pad. This style supports digits, letters, symbols, candidate marks, colors, and items as available. |
| Direct cell painting | Choose the shown positive mark, Dot, or Eraser, then click or tap cells directly. Drag to shade, mark dots, or erase when supported. On a computer, right-click or right-drag places dots. |
| Grid-edge loops | Choose Line, X, or Eraser, then click or drag along grid edges. Right-click or right-drag places X marks. Starting on an existing mark of the chosen type removes matching marks as you drag. |
| Cell-center loops | Choose Line, X, or Eraser, then click or drag on connections between neighboring cell centers. Right-click or right-drag places X marks. |
| Word paths | Drag in a straight horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line across a listed word; either reading direction works. The list checks off accepted paths. Use UNDO if you select a valid path you did not intend to keep. |
| Letter and symbol grids | Select cells, then use ENTRY or LETTER to place the values shown on the pad. Matching keyboard keys also enter supported letters or symbols. CORNER and CENTER can hold candidates when available. |
| Item-assisted grids | Select eligible cells, open ITEMS, and press the shown item button to toggle its marks. A counter may track the required total. Placing a final answer removes an incompatible item from that cell. Some items must be earned before they can be used. |
Puzzle Buttons
| Button | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Shown digits, letters, or symbols | In DIGIT, ENTRY, or LETTER mode, places that answer in each selected editable cell, or clears matching existing answers. In CORNER or CENTER mode, toggles it as a mark. |
| DIGIT / ENTRY / LETTER | Selects final-answer entry mode. The label reflects whether the puzzle uses numbers, letters, or other symbols. |
| CORNER | Selects corner-mark mode for small candidates around the cell corners. |
| CENTER | Selects center-mark mode for candidates in the middle of blank cells. On supported color-answer puzzles, CENTER toggles possible colors as small colored center marks. |
| COLOR | Selects coloring mode and changes the pad into color swatches. On color-answer puzzles, COLOR places final cell colors. |
| ITEMS | Appears on puzzles with item placement. Selects item placement mode and changes the pad into the puzzle-specific item button. |
| Shade / Star / Body / Dot / Eraser | Direct paint tools provided when a puzzle's answer is entered directly on cells. Choose a tool and work on the grid; no cell selection is needed. |
| Line / X / Eraser | Loop tools provided when a puzzle uses drawn connections. Choose a tool and drag along grid edges or between neighboring cell centers, as shown by the puzzle. |
| Color swatches | Apply the chosen color to every selected cell that can be colored. The slashed white swatch removes color. In CENTER mode on supported color-answer puzzles, color swatches toggle possible-color center marks, and the slashed white swatch clears those center marks. |
| Item button / MINES count | In ITEMS mode, toggles the item for selected cells. If every eligible selected cell already has it, pressing the button removes it. A MINES counter shows placed mines against the required total. |
| LOGIN | Appears when you are signed out. Opens the login dialog so progress and solves can be saved. |
| HOME | Saves progress and returns to the puzzle list. |
| BACK | Appears during Daily or Contest play. Saves progress and returns to the Daily or Contest page. |
| UNDO | Reverts the last grid change. |
| REDO | Reapplies the last change that was undone. |
| RULES | Opens the rules for the current puzzle. |
| CLOSE | Closes the puzzle rules overlay. |
| CLEAR | Clears answers and marks from selected editable cells. In COLOR mode, removes color from selected cells. In ITEMS mode, removes item marks from selected cells. Direct paint and loop puzzles use their Eraser tool instead. |
| RESTART | Before your first solve during an active contest, clears the puzzle back to givens after confirmation. The timer and move history are preserved, and the restart cannot be undone. |
| RESET | Outside an active contest, or after your first contest solve, clears the puzzle back to givens and clears the timer and move history after confirmation. Replaying a contest puzzle does not change its first contest solve. |
| PAUSE | Pauses the timer, hides the board, and disables puzzle input. |
| PLAY | Resumes a paused puzzle. |
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Digit keys | On selection-based puzzles, enter that digit, toggle that mark, or apply that shortcut color, depending on the active mode and available answers. Matching existing final answers are cleared. |
| Letter keys | When a puzzle shows letters or symbols on its pad, matching keyboard keys enter them. A key may also represent a puzzle-specific empty marker. |
| Shift+entry key | Toggle that digit or supported letter as a CORNER mark. CORNER mode highlights while Shift is held. |
| Ctrl+entry key | Toggle that digit or supported letter as a CENTER mark. On supported color-answer puzzles, toggles that shortcut color as a possible-color center mark. CENTER mode highlights while Ctrl is held. |
| 0 | Clears the selected entries for selection-based puzzles. On loop puzzles, clears all lines and X marks. Direct paint puzzles use the Eraser tool. |
| Backspace | Clears the selected entries for selection-based puzzles. On loop puzzles, clears all lines and X marks. Direct paint puzzles use the Eraser tool. |
| Delete | Clears the selected entries for selection-based puzzles. On loop puzzles, clears all lines and X marks. Direct paint puzzles use the Eraser tool. |
| Z | Selects final-entry mode on ordinary selection-based puzzles. If Z is one of the puzzle's answer symbols, it enters Z instead. |
| X | Selects CORNER mode on ordinary digit puzzles. When X is an answer symbol or empty marker, it enters that value instead. |
| C | Selects CENTER mode unless C is one of the puzzle's answer letters. |
| V | Selects COLOR mode unless V is one of the puzzle's answer symbols. |
| M | Select ITEMS mode when the puzzle has item placement. |
| Arrow keys | Move the selected cell around selection-based grids. |
| P | Pauses or resumes most puzzles. When P is one of the puzzle's answer symbols, it enters P instead. |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo the last grid change. |
| Command+Z | Undo the last grid change. |
| Ctrl+Y | Redo the last undone change. |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z | Redo the last undone change. |
| Command+Shift+Z | Redo the last undone change. |
| Escape | Close the rules overlay or login dialog when one is open. |
Progress And Solves
Progress saves to your account while you play. When the grid is complete and accepted by the server, the timer stops and the solve is recorded. Daily solves can award the shown reward after acceptance. During contests, a solve only counts for contest results if it is completed before the contest ends.