Patches: Rectangle Logic Puzzle Guide
Patches is a rectangle logic puzzle about rebuilding a hidden quilt of shapes. The board
is a 6 by 6 grid, and every square belongs to exactly one rectangular patch. Some
squares contain clues that describe the patch hiding underneath them. Your job is to
draw the correct rectangles so the whole board is covered, every clue is satisfied, and
no two patches overlap. It is small enough to play in a quiet break, but it has the
satisfying deduction of classic paper puzzles like Sudoku, Nonogram, Star Battle, and
Tents.
The central idea is simple: each clue belongs to one rectangle, and each rectangle must
contain exactly one clue. A rectangle can be square, wide, tall, or flexible depending
on the symbol in the clue. Some clues also show a number. When a number appears, it is
the exact area of the patch, counted in grid cells. A clue showing a wide shape with the
number 6, for example, must be covered by a rectangle that is wider than it is tall and
contains exactly six cells. That rectangle could be 1 by 6 or 2 by 3, but it cannot be 3
by 2 because that would be tall, and it cannot be 2 by 4 because that would have eight
cells.
If you searched for a free online rectangle puzzle, a compact shape logic game, a daily
puzzle with hints, or a relaxing grid puzzle that does not require math beyond counting
cells, Patches is built for that exact mood. You do not need vocabulary, trivia,
reflexes, or luck. Every good move comes from looking at the clues, comparing possible
rectangle sizes, and ruling out placements that would block another patch. The puzzle
feels calm because the rules are visual, but it still rewards careful thinking because
one rectangle can change the possibilities for the entire board.
From Shikaku to Patches
The original puzzle behind Patches is called Shikaku. Shikaku is a Japanese logic puzzle
from Nikoli, the influential puzzle publisher also associated with the global spread of
Sudoku. The Japanese title is often translated as Divide by Box or Cut into Rectangles,
and that translation describes the core of the game perfectly: you divide a grid into
rectangular regions.
Classic Shikaku works with one elegant rule set. Some cells contain numbers, and the
solver must split the whole grid into rectangles so that every rectangle contains
exactly one number. The number tells you the area of that rectangle. A clue of 6 must
belong to a six-cell rectangle, such as 1 by 6, 2 by 3, 3 by 2, or 6 by 1, depending on
what fits the surrounding board. Squares count as rectangles, so a clue of 4 might be a
2 by 2 square or a 1 by 4 strip. The entire board must be covered with no gaps and no
overlaps.
Shikaku was created in 1989 by Yoshinao Anpuku while he was a student at the University
of Kyoto, then published by Nikoli. Its lasting appeal comes from how much logic fits
inside such a small ruleset. Players do not place digits or fill row clues; they reason
about factor pairs, empty space, edges, and whether a possible rectangle would leave
another numbered cell stranded. It is a visual puzzle, but it teaches the same
discipline as many classic logic games: every region must be justified.
Patches is a modern variant of Shikaku. LinkedIn created a game called Patches that
builds on the Shikaku idea, adding shape clues so a rectangle may need to be square,
wide, tall, or flexible. That extra shape language changes the solving experience.
Instead of every clue being only an area number, you also reason about orientation and
proportion. Our Patches implementation is our own version of that LinkedIn-style
variant, tuned for this site with our own interface, settings, scoring, hints, daily
play, and leaderboard flow.
How to Play Patches
To play Patches, drag from one grid square to another to draw a rectangular patch. The
rectangle preview shows whether the shape you are about to place is currently valid. A
valid patch must stay inside the board, cover one clue, match that clue's shape, and
respect any number printed on the clue. When you release the pointer, the patch is
placed if it is legal. If you need to remove a patch, tap or click the existing patch
and it will disappear, freeing those cells so you can try another placement.
The puzzle is complete when every cell on the board is covered by a valid patch. You do
not need to place patches in a particular order. Some players like to start with the
most constrained clues, such as a numbered square clue, while others scan the board for
large empty areas and try to determine which clue must own them. Both approaches work.
The important thing is to treat the board as one connected system rather than a set of
separate clues. A rectangle that looks possible in isolation may be impossible because
it leaves a neighboring clue with no legal patch.
Patches has undo, redo, hints, start-over, daily games, and leaderboard scoring. These
features make it friendly for beginners while still giving experienced puzzle solvers a
reason to optimize. If you are learning the game, use hints freely and pay attention to
why the hinted patch works. If you are chasing a better score, try solving without
hints, reduce unnecessary removals, and practice spotting forced rectangles before you
drag.
Shape Clues
Every clue in Patches describes the shape of the rectangle that must contain it. The
shape clue is the most important piece of information on the board. A rectangle is valid
only if its height and width match the clue's symbol. Learning to read these symbols
quickly is the first step toward solving Patches puzzles with confidence.
Square patches have equal width and height.
Wide patches are wider than they are tall.
Tall patches are taller than they are wide.
Stacked clues can be square, wide, or tall.
Square clues are often the easiest to reason about because their possible sizes are
limited. On a 6 by 6 board, a square patch can be 1 by 1, 2 by 2, 3 by 3, 4 by 4, 5 by
5, or 6 by 6, though the larger options are rare because they would cover too many other
clues. If a square clue also has an area number, the possibilities narrow even more. A
square clue with area 4 must be exactly 2 by 2. A square clue with area 9 must be
exactly 3 by 3. A square clue with area 1 is a single cell.
Wide and tall clues work in pairs. A wide patch has more columns than rows, while a tall
patch has more rows than columns. A wide area-6 patch might be 1 by 6 or 2 by 3. A tall
area-6 patch might be 6 by 1 or 3 by 2. This orientation rule is powerful because it
lets you eliminate rectangles that would otherwise fit the same area. When a clue is
near an edge or surrounded by other clues, orientation often gives you the first forced
move.
The flexible clue means the rectangle may be square, wide, or tall. That sounds less
restrictive, but flexible clues still obey the main rules: the patch must contain only
that one clue, cannot overlap another patch, and must match any area number shown on the
clue. In harder puzzles, flexible clues usually become solvable after you place the
stricter square, wide, and tall patches around them.
Area Numbers and Rectangle Sizes
When a clue has a number, that number is the total number of cells in the patch. This is
one of the best search terms to remember while solving: area equals rows times columns.
A patch that is 1 by 5 has area 5. A patch that is 2 by 4 has area 8. A patch that is 3
by 3 has area 9. You can use this simple multiplication to list possible rectangles
before drawing anything.
For example, an area-8 clue has several possible rectangle dimensions: 1 by 8, 2 by 4, 4
by 2, or 8 by 1 in theory. On a 6 by 6 board, the 1 by 8 and 8 by 1 options cannot fit
at all, leaving only 2 by 4 or 4 by 2. If the clue is wide, only 2 by 4 remains. If it
is tall, only 4 by 2 remains. If it is flexible, both orientations may need to be
considered. This is the kind of small deduction that makes Patches feel approachable but
deep.
Unnumbered clues are different. They tell you the shape category but not the exact size.
To solve an unnumbered clue, you usually rely on surrounding constraints. Ask which
cells can belong to the clue without covering another clue. Ask which rectangle would
leave room for the neighboring patches. Ask whether a wide or tall orientation can reach
a corner that no other clue can cover. The absence of a number does not mean the clue is
vague; it means the board itself provides the missing information.
Core Rules
- Cover every cell: the finished board has no gaps. Every square must belong
to one patch.
- Use one clue per patch: each placed rectangle must contain exactly one
clue. A rectangle with no clue is invalid, and a rectangle with two clues is invalid.
- Match the shape: square clues need equal width and height, wide clues
need more columns than rows, and tall clues need more rows than columns.
- Respect the number: if a clue shows an area number, the rectangle must
contain exactly that many cells.
- No overlaps: two patches cannot share a cell. If a patch blocks another
clue from having any valid rectangle, it is probably the wrong patch.
Beginner Strategy
The best beginner strategy is to find the most restricted clue. Look for clues with
numbers first, especially square clues with area 1, 4, 9, or 16. These often have very
few legal shapes. Next, look for clues near the edge of the board. A tall clue on the
top row, a wide clue in the left column, or a numbered clue in a corner may have fewer
ways to expand. Edges remove directions, which turns a broad search into a smaller
deduction.
After you identify a likely forced patch, check what it does to nearby clues. A good
placement should leave each neighboring clue with at least one possible rectangle. If
placing a patch traps another clue in a tiny area that cannot match its shape or area
number, undo the move and try a different rectangle. This habit prevents most beginner
mistakes. Patches is not about guessing a rectangle and hoping it works; it is about
placing a rectangle because the alternatives fail.
Another useful beginner technique is to mentally mark forbidden cells. A clue cannot
share a patch with another clue, so any rectangle that would sweep across a second clue
is impossible. A clue with area 6 cannot take a 2 by 4 shape. A wide clue cannot take a
vertical strip. By repeating these simple eliminations, you will often discover that
only one rectangle is left.
Advanced Solving Techniques
Advanced Patches strategy is about groups of clues rather than single clues. Suppose
three clues sit in the same half of the board and together they must cover a region of
twelve cells. If one clue has area 6 and another has area 4, the third clue may be
forced to cover the remaining two cells, even if it has no number. This kind of area
accounting is especially useful on hard puzzles, where no individual clue looks forced
at first glance.
You can also use boundary logic. If a rectangle must contain a clue and avoid all other
clues, then the nearest clue in each direction acts like a wall. Imagine a clue with
another clue two cells to its right. A wide rectangle may be unable to extend far enough
to satisfy its area without crossing that neighbor. That means it must extend left, up,
or down instead. The visible clues define invisible borders, and strong solvers learn to
see those borders before drawing.
A third advanced method is contradiction checking. Pick one possible rectangle for a
difficult clue and ask what must happen next. If that rectangle causes an impossible
leftover space, creates a clue with no legal patch, or leaves an isolated cell that
cannot be covered, then the rectangle is false. This is not random guessing when done
carefully. It is logical proof by elimination, and it is one of the most reliable ways
to solve challenging rectangle packing puzzles.
Drag Settings
Patches supports two drag behaviors so you can choose the interaction style that feels
best. The default mode is resize while dragging. In this mode, the preview rectangle
always follows the current pointer position. If you start at row 3, column 4, drag to
row 3, column 5, and then move back to row 3, column 2, the preview shrinks and expands
to match the current start-to-end rectangle.
The second mode keeps selected squares while you drag. In that mode, the preview grows
to include every cell you have reached during the current drag. If you start at row 3,
column 4, move to row 3, column 5, and then move back to row 3, column 2, the
highlighted range remains row 3, columns 2 through 5 until you release. This can feel
more natural on touch screens or for players who prefer a paint-like selection. Both
modes use the same puzzle rules. The setting changes only how the preview rectangle is
formed before placement.
Scoring
Lower scores are better. The score is based on elapsed time, actions, hints, and any
start-over penalty from replaying the same puzzle.
Time matters, but it is not the only thing that matters. Each placement, removal, undo,
redo, and hint affects how efficiently you solved the puzzle. Hints are useful for
learning, but they add a larger penalty because they reveal part of the solution. If you
start over, the game remembers the effort you already spent on that puzzle and applies
it to the final score. This keeps leaderboard runs fair while still letting you replay a
puzzle for practice.
Difficulty also changes the score multiplier. Harder puzzles receive a larger
multiplier, so a thoughtful hard solve can compete with a fast easy solve. The best
score usually comes from a balance of speed and precision: avoid dragging random
rectangles, avoid unnecessary removals, and use the clue information before committing
to a patch.
Daily Patches
Daily Patches gives everyone the same puzzle for a specific date. A daily rectangle
logic puzzle is ideal if you like a short routine: open the game, solve one board,
compare your result, and come back tomorrow. Because the daily puzzle is shared, your
score has more context than a random game. You are not only asking whether you solved
it; you are asking how cleanly you solved the same challenge other players saw.
You can use daily puzzles as a training plan. On easy days, focus on speed and clean
placements. On medium days, practice listing possible rectangle dimensions before you
drag. On hard days, slow down and look for area groups, boundary logic, and
contradictions. Over time, the daily format helps you build a stronger solving rhythm
because each board asks for the same core skills in a slightly different arrangement.
Why Rectangle Logic Puzzles Are Satisfying
Rectangle logic puzzles sit in a sweet spot between visual pattern recognition and
deductive reasoning. The board is easy to read because every answer is a rectangle, but
the logic can still become rich. You are constantly asking spatial questions: Which
cells can this clue reach? Which shape can fit here? What area is left? Which rectangle
would divide the board cleanly? That spatial reasoning gives Patches a different feel
from number-heavy puzzles while still offering the same sense of certainty.
Patches is also relaxing because every completed rectangle gives immediate visual
feedback. The board slowly turns into a colorful quilt of solved regions. Instead of
filling symbols into tiny cells, you are carving the board into meaningful chunks. That
makes the puzzle friendly for players who enjoy logic games but want something more
tactile and visual than a traditional number grid.
Common Mistakes
The most common mistake is placing a patch because it matches one clue without checking
the rest of the board. A rectangle can be locally valid and globally wrong. Before you
commit, glance at every neighboring clue that loses space because of your placement. If
one of them becomes impossible, the move is not ready.
Another common mistake is ignoring unnumbered clues. They may look open-ended, but they
still need one clean rectangle and they still compete for space. If you postpone every
unnumbered clue until the end, you may accidentally leave them awkward scraps. Check
their possible shapes throughout the solve, especially when a numbered clue is about to
claim a large area.
A final mistake is using hints too early. Hints are part of the game and are great when
you are stuck, but try one more round of deduction before pressing the button. List the
area factors. Check edges. Look for rectangles that would cover two clues. Count the
leftover cells in a corner. Often, the next move appears once you ask a more specific
question.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Patches like Sudoku?
Patches is like Sudoku in the sense that it is solved by logic, not guessing. The rules
are different, though. Sudoku uses digits and row, column, and box constraints. Patches
uses rectangles, clue shapes, area numbers, and board coverage. If you enjoy Sudoku
because every move can be proven, you will probably enjoy Patches.
Is Patches like a Nonogram?
Patches shares Nonogram's grid-based deduction and visual satisfaction, but the clues
work differently. Nonogram clues describe runs of filled cells in rows and columns.
Patches clues describe individual rectangles. Both games reward patient elimination, but
Patches is more about spatial packing than line counting.
Can every Patches puzzle be solved without guessing?
The goal is for Patches puzzles to be solved through logic. Hard puzzles may require
temporary assumptions, but those assumptions should lead to proof. If a candidate
rectangle creates a contradiction, you can eliminate it. That is still logical solving,
not blind guessing.
What is the best way to improve?
After each puzzle, look back at the hardest clue and ask what made it constrained. Was
it the area number, the shape, the edge of the board, or a neighboring clue? Naming the
reason teaches your brain what to notice next time. Play daily games for consistency,
use random games for extra practice, and try to reduce hints gradually rather than all
at once.
Why does my patch not place?
A patch will not place if it breaks one of the rules. It may cover no clue, cover more
than one clue, overlap another patch, use the wrong shape, or have the wrong area for a
numbered clue. When a placement fails, compare the rectangle to the clue it contains and
check whether another clue is accidentally inside the same rectangle.
Whether you play Patches for a quick daily puzzle, a quiet logic warmup, or a serious
leaderboard run, the appeal is the same: every cell has a home, every clue has a
purpose, and the whole board clicks into place one rectangle at a time.