Do you need help solving your Hitori puzzles? Then you’ve come to the right place! While Hitori Conquest is a game best experienced and learned alone, there are times that you get stuck on a particular area of the puzzle.

Remember the rules, controls, the logic behind the game, and these helpful tips when these instances happen!

Hitori Rules

Before we jump into the helpful tips and techniques, it’s important to refresh your understanding of the rules of Hitori.

Hitori is a grid-based game that revolves around eliminating duplicate digits in the same row or column by shading them into black cells. These black cells cannot be adjacent to one another, but diagonal repetition is fine. Aside from removing duplicate numbers through shading, all the white or unshaded cells must not be cut off from the rest of the grid.

Game Controls

A Hitori Conquest puzzle consists of a grid filled with grey cells. These grey cells are also considered white cells or unmarked. To eliminate a number, shade squares by clicking or tapping on them once. To mark cells that shouldn’t be eliminated in your perspective, double-click or double-tap that cell to mark it white.

Once you’ve removed the duplicate cells and think the puzzle is complete, you can click the check button to see if you got the right answer.

Basic Hitori Puzzle Tips and Techniques

If you already have an idea of how to start off Hitori puzzles, then learning several techniques on how to read patterns and number logic across the screen can significantly make the game easier and faster to solve. Here are several basic Hitori Conquest techniques you can use in your puzzles:

Start With Smaller Grid Sizes

Hitori Conquest has three available square grid sizes: 5x5, 8x8 and 12x12. If you’re new to the game, it’s always ideal to work on smaller puzzles first. A Hitori puzzle isn’t just difficult due to the placement of the duplicate numbers, but it also scales with the size of the grid you’re playing on. Work on learning your basics with a 5x5 grid first, then when you feel confident enough, go for the bigger ones next!

Using the White Shading Function

The white shading function may not look like it does much, but it is extremely useful in solving larger and harder puzzles. In the hands of someone who understands the fundamentals of playing Hitori, this function can make it easier to discern which path you should take while eliminating digits.

Since the whole grid is made up of grey cells, marking numbers that you are sure are not to be eliminated can ease confusion, especially if you’re playing on a larger grid size.

Cells In-Between Two Repeating Numbers

When a number appears between two same numbers in a row or column, that digit should not be a black cell. Since you can’t have two adjacent black cells, shading that middle number will leave the two duplicate numbers unshaded, which will cause an error on that row or column.

Now that you know that the middle digit is guaranteed not to be shaded, you can then choose which of the repeating numbers to eliminate and proceed from there.

Mind Your Corners

There will be times when there is the same number repeating in a corner, and you are at risk of shading two diagonal digits and ending up cutting off that cell from the rest of the grid.

When this happens, it’s always best to consider shading the one in the corner, as it not only prevents cutting off the white cells of the whole grid but also eliminates a number in a corner row and column.

Create Techniques Based on Logic Errors and Black Walls

Once you get the hang of playing Hitori puzzles, you’ll learn that there’s a certain process to the elimination of repeating numbers. Shade too many cells in a row or column, and you risk creating a large “wall” of shaded squares that will end up cutting off a section or corner from the rest of the grid. While shading too far apart leads to logic errors that end up leaving several duplicate digits unmarked, undermining the progress you’ve worked on so far and forcing you to redo and scan the whole screen all over again.

When you play Hitori, always remember that there's a logical solution to every conundrum you may have!

Always Keep Track of the White Cells

Many new players tend to get so absorbed in eliminating repeating digits that they forget that the white cells must not be obstructed in the overall grid of the Hitori puzzle. A good habit to have is to periodically scan the whole screen every time you eliminate three or four numbers to see if the way you're shading squares create an open white grid.