how to play crowns
Crowns is a free logic puzzle. The board is split into colored regions. Place one crown in every row, every column and every color region, with no two crowns touching, not even diagonally. Every board has exactly one answer, so you never have to guess.
- Tap a square once to mark it with an x (a crown can't go there).
- Tap it again to place a crown, and once more to clear it.
- One crown per row, per column and per color. Crowns can't touch, including corners.
- Drag across squares to mark a whole run of x's at once. Drag from an x to wipe them.
- Turn on auto x to grey out every square your crowns already rule out.
- Stuck? A hint fixes any wrong mark first, then shows the next logical step and says why. Each hint adds 10 seconds.
Keyboard: Arrow keys move between squares, Enter or Space cycles x, crown and empty, and Esc goes back to the menu.
tips
- Start with the smallest regions. A region with two squares has only two choices.
- If a region sits entirely inside one row or column, nothing else in that row or column can hold a crown.
- When two regions are squeezed into the same two rows, those rows belong to them.
faq
Is there always one solution?
Yes. Every board has exactly one answer, and we only keep boards a person can finish by plain deduction, step by step, without trial and error.
What does a hint do?
If a crown or an x is wrong, the hint takes it off. Otherwise it makes the simplest next move from where you are, like a color that only fits in one row, and explains it in one line.
What sizes are there?
Easy is 6 by 6, normal is 8 by 8 and hard is 10 by 10. The daily is 8 by 8 and the same for everyone.
How is it scored?
By time, plus 10 seconds per hint. Under a minute on the daily is excellent. The clock stops while the tab is in the background.