How to Play Hitori

THE PLAYBOOK · LYSTDQ

Know the goal in Hitori

Try Hitori at your own pace and keep its objective in view. Shade repeated numbers while keeping black cells separated and all white cells connected. Keep the game area visible while you use its controls. Identify the playing area and the controls you need. Look at what changes after your first action.

Play twelve 5×5 puzzles. Any shaded starting cells remain fixed.

Practice with a purpose

Compare the worked example with your own position. Use the reasoning, not an answer copied from a different board. Make the next step deliberately.

Your goal

Shade repeated numbers while keeping black cells separated and all white cells connected. The feedback beside the game helps you follow the round. Start with a deliberate move.

The steps to play

1. Click a cell to shade, mark or clear it.
2. No unshaded number may repeat in a row or column.
3. Black cells cannot share an edge.
4. Check puzzle verifies duplicates and connectivity.

Your inputs

Click or tap squares or graph edges. Number boards include a digit pad. Undo reverses the previous change; Check puzzle validates the solution. Read a button’s label before selecting it. Read the example below alongside these instructions.

Learn from a sample situation

Two identical unshaded numbers in one row cannot both remain. Your next round may have a different position, so inspect it before acting. Notice the change in the playing area.

A useful caution

Removing every duplicate can disconnect white cells. A different version of the game may use a different rule. After a move, check what changed. Decide which rule explains the new state before acting again.

Questions that come up during play