Patches Puzzle (Shikaku)

How to play

Divide the whole grid into rectangles, or patches. Every patch must contain exactly one number, and that number tells you how many cells the patch covers: a 6 can be 2×3, 3×2, 1×6 or 6×1. Some numbers also sit inside a shape icon — a square means the patch must be a square, a tall box means it's taller than it is wide, and a wide box means it's wider than it is tall. Press on a cell and drag to the opposite corner to draw a patch; it is stitched and coloured once it fits its number. Drawing over existing patches replaces them, and tapping a patch removes it. The puzzle is solved when every cell is covered and every patch is correct. Stuck? A Hint places one correct patch for you, at the cost of 10 seconds on the clock. Every board is generated at random and checked by a solver so it has exactly one solution. Play as many fresh boards as you like, from an easy 5×5 to a hard 9×9: each size has its own leaderboard, and after every solve the next board of the same size is just one tap away.

Tips

• Start with the numbers that have only one possible rectangle — big numbers squeezed against an edge or between other clues often do.
• Prime numbers like 2, 3, 5 and 7 can only be a straight strip, so they have very few options.
• Shape icons cut the options fast: a square 4 must be 2×2, a wide 3 must be 1×3.
• Look at empty cells too: a cell that only one number can reach has to belong to that number's patch.
• Every hint adds 10 seconds to your time, so try an undo before reaching for one.