Hitori Puzzles

About Hitori Puzzles

Hitori is a classic Japanese logic puzzle where the goal is to shade cells so that no number repeats in any row or column. Unlike Sudoku, the challenge lies in eliminating duplicates while following rules that ensure the shaded cells don’t touch horizontally or vertically and the unshaded cells remain connected.

Our printable Hitori puzzles offer a great way to sharpen your logic and enjoy a relaxing, brain-boosting activity. Ideal for kids and adults of any age and skill levels.

How to Play Classic Hitori

Each Hitori puzzle has a square grid filled with numbers. The goal is to shade some squares (usually in black) while following these three rules:

1. No number can repeat in any row or column.
2. Shaded squares can’t touch each other horizontally or vertically.
3. All the unshaded (white) squares must stay connected as one continuous area.

Rules

• Grid Size: The puzzle is played on an N×N grid, usually ranging from 4×4 to 10×10.
• Numbers: Each cell in the grid contains a number between 1 and N (size of the grid).
• Shading: The goal is to shade some of the cells (turn them black) to meet the following criteria:
• No Duplicates: Eliminate (black out) duplicate numbers in each row and column so that no number appears more than once in any row or column.
• Connectivity: The remaining unshaded numbers must form a single connected region (orthogonally adjacent, not diagonally).
• No Adjacent Black Cells: Blacked-out cells cannot be adjacent to each other horizontally or vertically (diagonal adjacency is allowed).

Solving Tips and Techniques:

Solving Hitori puzzles requires logical deduction and careful analysis of the grid. Here are some common techniques:

• Finding and Shading Duplicates: Look at each row and column to find numbers that appear more than once. If a number repeats, you’ll need to shade at least one of those cells.
• Keeping Shaded Cells Apart: When you shade a cell, make sure the cells next to it (up, down, left, right) stay unshaded.
• Keeping White Cells Connected: Make sure all the unshaded (white) cells stay connected in one big group. Don’t shade cells in a way that cuts off a section of white cells.
• Checking Corners and Edges: If a number in a corner or along the edge repeats in its row or column, you might need to shade one of those numbers to avoid duplicates.
• Marking Unshaded Cells: It helps to mark cells you’re sure should stay unshaded; you could use a small circle or a different mark. This makes it easier to keep track and avoid mistakes.

Hitori is a fun and tricky puzzle that’s a bit like Sudoku and nonograms. The more you practice, the better and faster you’ll get at solving them!