How to Play Hitori

THE PLAYBOOK · NMGAFT

How to play 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. Choose a clear next step rather than rushing through the instructions. Compare the starting position with the example in the Guide. Use the example below to understand a decision.

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

Try a deliberate move

After a move, check what changed. Decide which rule explains the new state before acting again. Use the example to check your reasoning.

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. Follow this game’s rules rather than another version’s.

Step by step

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.

Controls

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. Avoid pressing the same control repeatedly while a move is being processed.

A useful example

Two identical unshaded numbers in one row cannot both remain. Compare this with the rule that governs the move. Verify the rule before continuing.

Watch out for this

Removing every duplicate can disconnect white cells. Read the feedback to see why an action did not have the expected result. Take enough time to read a new position. If a game has a timer, learn its controls first rather than searching for them during the round.

Common questions