How to Play Hitori

THE PLAYBOOK · DOORSL

Learn the rules of 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. Look at what changes after your first action. Read the objective before making your first input. Choose a clear next step rather than rushing through the instructions.

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

A focus for your next round

When a decision goes wrong, compare it with the common mistake described below. Start again only when you intend to leave the current round. Use the example to check your reasoning.

The purpose of your moves

Shade repeated numbers while keeping black cells separated and all white cells connected. The feedback beside the game helps you follow the round. Try to explain the aim in your own words.

From the start of a round

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.

Input guidance

Click or tap squares or graph edges. Number boards include a digit pad. Undo reverses the previous change; Check puzzle validates the solution. A careful first action helps you become familiar with the layout. Return to the rules if the result is unexpected.

An example to follow

Two identical unshaded numbers in one row cannot both remain. Compare this with the rule that governs the move. Notice the change in the playing area.

Where a round can go wrong

Removing every duplicate can disconnect white cells. Read the feedback to see why an action did not have the expected result. After a move, check what changed. Decide which rule explains the new state before acting again.

Questions that come up during play