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Puzzle Hitori

puzzle-hitori.com

Black out cells until no number repeats in any row or column, without splitting the board.

Browse topics topic Free access
Play on puzzle-hitori.com
No player ratings yet

Here’s what we found when we checked

Last checked 14 Aug 2026 · re-checked every Monday
Still live
Yes
Responded on the last sweep.
Truly daily
Endless
Not a daily-reset puzzle.
Signup
None detected
We found no login blocking play. This check catches redirects and blocking dialogs; a plain login landing page can slip past it.
Ad load
A few
Present but nothing blocks play.
On a phone
Works well
No horizontal scroll, tappable targets.
Real time
Not checked yet
Every answer above is measured — not copied from the game’s own description. How we measure →

Against the other logic grid puzzles we have measured

Every number here comes from opening the games ourselves. We have not finished them, so there is no strategy guide.

Overview

What Puzzle Hitori is

Hitori is a logic puzzle with simple rules and challenging solutions, as described on puzzle-hitori.com. The grid contains numbers, and your goal is to shade some cells so that no number appears unshaded more than once in any row or column. Two additional rules keep the puzzle tight: shaded cells cannot touch horizontally or vertically, and all unshaded cells must remain connected as one group. The site offers free online play with no sign-up, featuring grids from 5x5 up to 20x20, each in easy, normal, and hard difficulty. There are also special daily, weekly, and monthly Hitori puzzles. The interface includes a timer (with a non-competitive personal option), error highlighting, checkpoints, and a night mode. You can also print a puzzle to solve offline.

Getting started

How to play

The objective is to shade some cells so that, in every row and column, no number appears unshaded more than once. Shaded cells must not touch each other, and all unshaded cells must form one connected group. To play, click or tap cells to toggle them between shaded and unshaded. Use the on-screen options to help: you can turn on error highlighting, auto-place whites around black cells, show checkpoints, and more. When you think the puzzle is solved, press Done (or enable Auto submit). You can also start over, print, share, or get a new puzzle. Progress is stored via a permalink, and you can take a screenshot of your solution.

Practical help

Tips

  1. Start with small 5x5 Easy puzzles to internalize the three rules before moving up to 10x10 or larger.
  2. Turn on 'Highlight errors' to see mistakes as you go—it uses blue to mark problems.
  3. Use 'Auto place whites around the black cells' to automatically mark the cells that cannot be shaded because they touch a shaded cell.
  4. Remember that all unshaded cells must connect; if you create a separated region, you'll have to undo some shading.
  5. Use the 'Non-competitive (personal) timer' if you want to track your time without pressure.
Quick answers

Common questions

What sizes and difficulties are available?

The site offers 5x5, 10x10, 15x15, and 20x20 grids, each in Easy, Normal, and Hard difficulty. There are also special Daily, Weekly, and Monthly puzzles.

Is the game free to play?

Yes, it is a free online puzzle game. You can play directly in your browser without paying.

Can I print a puzzle?

Yes, you can print a copy of any puzzle, even if you have JavaScript turned off (online play requires JavaScript).

What do the three rules of Hitori mean?

First, no number can appear unshaded more than once in a row or column. Second, two shaded cells cannot be adjacent horizontally or vertically. Third, all unshaded cells must be connected as a single group.

Are there any helper features in the game?

Yes, you can enable options like auto submit, checkpoints, board coordinates, highlight errors (in blue), auto place whites around black cells, night mode, and a non-competitive personal timer.