Hitori facts for kids

Example of a Hitori puzzle

Hitori is a fun logic puzzle from Japan. Its name means "Alone" or "one person" in Japanese. The company Nikoli first published this puzzle. It's a game where you use your brain to solve number challenges.

How to Play Hitori

The same Hitori puzzle, now solved

Hitori is played on a grid of squares, also called cells. Each cell starts with a number inside it. Your goal is to black out some of these cells. When you finish, the grid must follow three main rules:

• No row or column can have the same number more than once.
• Black cells cannot touch each other side-by-side. They can touch diagonally.
• All the cells that are not black (the numbered cells) must be connected. They should form one big group, touching horizontally or vertically.

Tips for Solving Hitori

Solving Hitori puzzles can be tricky, but there are some helpful strategies. Many players like to circle numbers that they know cannot be black. This makes the puzzle easier to read as you work.

Basic Solving Moves

• If you decide a cell cannot be black, circle its number. Then, any cells next to it (up, down, left, right) that contain the same number must be black.
• If you know a cell must be black, then all the cells directly next to it (up, down, left, right) cannot be black. You can circle these numbers.
• If you circle a number, any other cells with the same number in that row or column must be black. This helps you find more black cells.

Advanced Solving Moves

• Sometimes, blacking out a cell would cut off a group of non-black cells from the rest of the puzzle. If this happens, that cell cannot be black, so you should circle it.
• Look for three identical numbers in a row or column, like 5-5-5. The middle number (the second 5) cannot be black. The numbers on either side of it (the first and third 5) must be black.
• If you see two identical numbers next to each other, and there's another cell with the same number in that row or column, the third cell must be black.
• If a number has two identical numbers on opposite sides of it (e.g., 7-5-7), the middle number (the 5) cannot be black. One of the 7s must be black, and it can't be next to another black cell.
• When you have two pairs of identical numbers forming a 2x2 square, two of them must be black along a diagonal. You need to figure out which diagonal works without cutting off other numbers.
• If two pairs of identical numbers form a square in a corner of the grid, the corner cell and the one diagonally opposite it must be black. This prevents the corner cell from being isolated.

Hitori in Media

• An episode of the Japanese animated series xxxHolic: Kei is called "Hitori." This name refers to this puzzle.

See also

In Spanish: Hitori para niños