How to play MistGrid

Learn the rules before solving your first puzzle.

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Goal

Fill the board so that every row and column contains exactly the number of filled cells shown by its clue.

Basic rules

  1. Each number shows how many filled cells must be in that row or column.
  2. Filled cells must form rectangles.
  3. Each rectangle must be at least 2×2.
  4. Rectangles cannot touch each other, even diagonally.
  5. Empty cells help you mark places where a rectangle cannot go.
  6. Complete the board to validate your solution automatically.

Controls

Fill mode

Use Fill mode to mark cells that should belong to a rectangle.

Empty mode

Use Empty mode to mark cells that cannot contain a filled cell.

Simple playthrough

Here is a small example showing how to solve a beginner puzzle step by step.

Fresh MistGrid puzzle with row and column clues

1. Read the clues

Start with an easy puzzle and look for simple clues, especially rows or columns with 0.

MistGrid puzzle with zero clue rows and columns marked as empty

2. Mark zero clues as empty

If a row or column has a clue of 0, none of its cells can be filled.

MistGrid puzzle with the first obvious rectangle filled

3. Place an obvious rectangle

After ruling out impossible cells, look for groups of cells that can form a valid rectangle and satisfy multiple clues at once.

Solved MistGrid puzzle with all clues satisfied

4. Finish the puzzle

Keep filling valid rectangles and marking the remaining cells as empty until every row and column clue is satisfied.

Examples

Valid shape
Invalid shape

Beginner tips

  • Start with rows or columns that have a clue of 0.
  • If a row clue is already satisfied, the remaining cells in that row can often be marked as empty.
  • Look for places where a 2×2 rectangle can still fit.
  • Use Empty mode aggressively. It makes the puzzle easier to reason about.