Hype Hitori
Hitori is a shade-the-grid logic puzzle: black out just enough cells that no number repeats in any row or column, no two blacked-out cells touch, and everything left still connects. Pure logic, one answer, zero luck.
Hitori: how to play, rules & tips
Play Hitori free online, the shade-the-grid number puzzle. Black out just enough squares so no number repeats in any row or column, while keeping the rest of the grid connected. One answer per board.
How to play Hitori
Every square starts with a number. Shade some squares so that, among the squares left showing, no number appears twice in any row or column.
Two more rules apply. Shaded squares can never touch each other side by side. And all the squares left showing must link up into one connected area.
Tap a square once to shade it, again to circle it as safe, and a third time to clear it. Hint and Reset are free.
Grid sizes and difficulty
There are 10 Hitori puzzles: 4 easy at 5×5, 3 medium at 6×6 and 3 hard at 7×7.
Every board was checked by a solver to have exactly one solution. The Hint uses that solution, so it always points to a correct move.
Hitori tips
- Look for sandwiches. In a pattern like 3 5 3, the middle square must stay showing, because one of the 3s will be shaded and it cannot touch another shaded square.
- Two matching numbers side by side mean one of them must go. Any other copy of that number in the same line can then be shaded.
- Circle every neighbor of a shaded square. They can never be shaded themselves.
- A number that appears only once in both its row and column can always stay showing.
- Check connections. If shading a square would cut off part of the grid, that square must stay showing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hitori free?
Yes. HypeGameRoom is free: no sign-up, no download and nothing to buy to play. Arcade games reward Neons, a play-only currency that can never be cashed out.
Can shaded squares touch at the corners?
Yes. Shaded squares only must not share a side. Corner contact is fine.
What does the circle do?
It marks a square you know stays showing. It is a note for you and helps you track your logic.
How do I win?
Shade squares so no number repeats among the showing squares in any line, no shaded squares touch side by side, and the showing squares stay connected.