Pahzzles

Pahzzles Guide

How to select cells, enter answers, use marks and colors, and play faster from a keyboard.

Play Basics

  1. Choose a puzzle from the Library, Daily page, or a contest. Sign in when prompted so progress and solves can be saved.
  2. Select a cell with a click or tap. Drag across cells to select more than one cell.
  3. Choose DIGIT, CORNER, CENTER, COLOR, or ITEMS when available, then use the pad for the selected cells.
  4. Use corner marks, center marks, colors, and puzzle item marks to track candidates before placing final answers.
  5. Fill the grid with the puzzle's allowed answers. Conflicting digits are shown in red, and the server records the solve when the completed grid is accepted.

Selecting Cells

Single Cell

Click or tap a cell to select it. Selecting a blank area clears the selection.

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.

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.

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 those puzzles, COLOR is the only entry mode, and the pad shows the answer colors plus the clear swatch.

Puzzle Items

Some puzzles add an ITEMS tab. It toggles puzzle-specific item marks on selected cells. Item marks are saved with the grid and can be part of the checked final answer.

Puzzle Buttons

Button What It Does
Shown digits In DIGIT mode, places that digit in each selected editable cell, or clears matching existing digits. In CORNER or CENTER mode, toggles that digit as a mark.
DIGIT Selects final-answer entry mode.
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.
COLOR Selects coloring mode and changes the pad into color swatches. On color-answer puzzles, this is the only entry mode.
ITEMS Appears on puzzles with item placement. Selects item placement mode and changes the pad into the puzzle-specific item button.
Color swatches Apply the chosen color to every selected cell that can be colored. The slashed white swatch removes color.
Item button In ITEMS mode, toggles the puzzle-specific item mark for the selected cells. If every selected cell already has the item, pressing it removes the item from those cells.
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.
CLR Clears digits and marks from selected editable cells. In COLOR mode, removes color from selected cells. In ITEMS mode, removes item marks from selected cells.
RESET After confirmation, clears the puzzle back to givens and resets the timer and move history.
PAUSE Pauses the timer, hides the board, and disables puzzle input.
PLAY Resumes a paused puzzle.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Digit keys Enter that digit, toggle that mark, or apply that color, depending on the active mode and the puzzle's available answers. In DIGIT mode, matching existing digits are cleared.
Shift+digit Toggle that digit as a CORNER mark. CORNER mode highlights while Shift is held.
Ctrl+digit Toggle that digit as a CENTER mark. CENTER mode highlights while Ctrl is held.
0 Clear selected editable cells, remove selected colors in COLOR mode, or remove selected item marks in ITEMS mode.
Backspace Clear selected editable cells, remove selected colors in COLOR mode, or remove selected item marks in ITEMS mode.
Delete Clear selected editable cells, remove selected colors in COLOR mode, or remove selected item marks in ITEMS mode.
Z Select DIGIT mode.
X Select CORNER mode.
C Select CENTER mode.
V Select COLOR mode.
M Select ITEMS mode when the puzzle has item placement.
Arrow keys Move the selected cell around the grid.
P Pause or resume the puzzle.
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.