Heyawake Puzzle is a logic puzzle played on a square grid divided into regions. The goal of the game is to fill certain cells black, while leaving others white, all while following a set of specific rules. Some regions contain numbers that indicate how many cells in that region must be blackened.

Solving the puzzle requires logical deduction, careful elimination, and attention to constraints – gradually revealing the complete solution.

5 Tips for Solving Heyawake Puzzles Successfully

1. Start with clear regions

If a region has a 0, none of its cells can be black – mark all of them as white immediately. If the number equals the size of the region, then all cells must be blackened.

2. Follow the “no adjacent black cells” rule

Black cells may not touch each other orthogonally. If a cell is black, all directly adjacent cells (up, down, left, right) must remain white.

3. Avoid isolating white areas

All white cells must be connected. Be careful not to create isolated white “islands” that are cut off from the rest of the puzzle.

4. No passage through more than two regions

A continuous line of white cells (row or column) may not pass through more than two different regions without being interrupted. Use this rule to determine where black cells must be placed.

5. Use partial deductions

Even in smaller sections, you can often make safe assumptions – for example, identifying cells that must be white to prevent a continuous path. These small insights often lead to major breakthroughs.