Play Aqre Online
Solve an Aqre puzzle at a quiet orchid garden table. Shade the right number of cells in each region, join all shaded cells through their edges, and prevent four consecutive cells of either color. Aqre has 20 original puzzles, explained hints and editable marks. Play free online with no ads or download.
How to play Aqre online
- Select a square and choose Shade or White. Thick borders separate regions. Each numbered region needs exactly that many shaded cells.
- Keep every shaded cell connected to every other shaded cell through shared edges. A diagonal touch does not connect them.
- Avoid four consecutive shaded cells or four consecutive white cells in any row or column. Mark every unknown square to finish.
Controls
Tap or click a square, then choose Shade, White or Clear. Arrow keys move the selection. Press 1 or S to shade, 0 or W for white, Delete or Backspace to clear, and Enter or Space to cycle marks. C checks the board, H requests a hint and U undoes. Help opens separately. Restart and switching levels ask for confirmation.
A tip before you start
Inspect every stretch of four consecutive cells, including stretches crossing region borders. If three are already shaded, the fourth must be white; if three are white, it must be shaded. The three known marks need not be adjacent to one another.
Count regions, not rows
A clue gives the exact number of shaded cells inside its thick border. The numbered cell itself may be shaded. A region without a number has no required count, but still obeys connectivity and the no-four rule. The selected region is tinted and its current shaded count appears below the grid.
One connected shaded area
Every shaded cell must belong to a single group connected through horizontal or vertical edges. The group can branch and can contain a shaded 2 by 2 block. It does not have to form a simple path. White cells do not need to connect. Avoid marking a white barrier that strands shaded cells on opposite sides.
No four of either color
No row or column may contain four consecutive shaded cells or four consecutive white cells. Longer runs also fail because they contain a run of four. Region borders do not interrupt a run. Three consecutive cells of one color are allowed when all other constraints are satisfied.
Different from a binary or nonogram puzzle
Aqre was created by Eric Fox. It has no rule requiring equal numbers of black and white cells in a row, and no rule requiring every row to be different. Its clues describe regional totals, not ordered nonogram runs. Solve the regional counts, shaded connectivity and both-color no-four rule together.
Twenty original puzzles with one solution each
The sequence grows from 4 by 4 to 7 by 7 grids. Each puzzle has an independently verified unique solution. Every step increases a fixed solver's work and at least one further demand: board size, assumption depth, cells left unresolved by the same basic deductions, or deduction rounds. Size, assumption depth and unresolved-cell counts never decrease. This gives the sequence measurable progression, although individual players may find particular patterns easier than others.
Check a mistake without locking it in
Dots mean unknown cells, not white cells. Mark every cell explicitly. Check highlights a region with an impossible count, a fully marked run of four, or shaded groups separated by white marks. A partial board with no immediate conflict is not guaranteed to have a solution. Marks remain editable, and Clear removes a selected mark.
Hints explain what they can prove
Hint first checks whether the current marks allow a completion. It then marks one cell with an explanation based on region counts, a four-cell line or connectivity. If those deductions are exhausted, a complete bounded search can supply a clearly labeled search hint. Reaching the search limit is reported as unknown. If the marks have no completion, Hint asks you to Undo or Clear instead of silently repairing the board. Three successful hints are available per puzzle; Undo does not refund them.
Progress, Undo and restarting
Undo reverses the last mark and can reopen a completed puzzle without removing an unlocked level. Best results, unlocked puzzles and sound preference save locally. An unfinished puzzle starts fresh after a reload. Restart and level changes use a confirmation dialog. The puzzle has no timer, account requirement or in-game ads.
Frequently asked questions
Can I shade the cell containing a number?
Yes. The number counts shaded cells throughout its region, including the cell on which it is printed.
Do white cells have to connect?
No. Only the shaded cells must form one connected area. A diagonal touch is insufficient.
Can the shaded group branch or make a 2 by 2 square?
Yes. Aqre permits both. The group must remain connected, obey regional counts and avoid straight runs of four.
Does a thick border stop a run of four?
No. Examine the whole row and column. Four consecutive equal marks break the rule even across region borders.
Why is the puzzle unfinished when the board looks filled?
Small dots are unknown cells. Every square must explicitly be shaded or white, and all three rules must hold.
Does Check prove an incomplete board can be solved?
No. It checks immediate regional, line and connectivity conflicts. Hint separately checks for a completion and reports a search limit honestly.
About Aqre
Solve an Aqre puzzle at a quiet orchid garden table. Shade the right number of cells in each region, join all shaded cells through their edges, and prevent four consecutive cells of either color. Aqre has 20 original puzzles, explained hints and editable marks. Play free online with no ads or download.
Play this puzzle / casual game in the embedded browser player. No app installation or MangoFun account is required. Follow the instructions shown inside the game; controls and device support depend on the title.
