How to Play Queens
The Queens game is a constraint satisfaction challenge inspired by the classic N-Queens problem. On a 7×7 grid divided into seven colored regions, your goal is to place exactly seven queens so that no two share a row, column, or region — and no two queens touch, even diagonally. It's a test of spatial reasoning and logical deduction that rewards careful elimination over guesswork.
Queens Rules
Place exactly one queen in every row of the 7×7 grid.
Place exactly one queen in every column.
Each colored region must contain exactly one queen.
No two queens may touch — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
There is exactly one valid solution per game.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Step 1
Scan the board for regions with the fewest available cells. Starting with the most constrained region narrows your choices fastest.
- Step 2
Use X marks to eliminate cells that are impossible. Tap an empty cell once to mark it as excluded.
- Step 3
When a region has only one valid cell left, place your queen there by tapping the X mark.
- Step 4
After placing a queen, mark all cells in the same row, column, and diagonal neighbors as X.
- Step 5
Continue until all seven queens are placed. If you hit a contradiction, undo recent placements and try alternative positions.
Strategy & Tips
Start with the smallest or most irregular region — it has the fewest possible queen positions.
After each queen, immediately mark the entire row and column as excluded to prevent mistakes.
Look for bottleneck regions where neighboring queens restrict options to a single valid cell.
Use the drag gesture to quickly X-mark an entire row or column in one swipe.
Difficulty Levels
The grid is always 7×7. Difficulty is controlled by the shape complexity of the colored regions.
Easy
Compact, convex regions that make queen placement straightforward.
Medium
Slightly irregular regions requiring more careful elimination.
Hard
Irregular and thin regions where queen interactions are harder to see.
Expert
Highly irregular, interlocking regions that demand deep constraint reasoning.
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