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Archive · Patches #27

Patches #27 (October 23, 2026): solution and step-by-step

The 7×7 hard board from Friday, October 23, 2026. Play it first; the placements and the solved board are folded below. Replays don't affect your streak.

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squaretallwideany shapenumber = that many cells

← #26#28 →

Patches #27 was the 7×7 hard board of Friday, October 23, 2026: 9 clues (2 squares, 2 talls, 2 wides and 3 any-shape), 3 of them with an area number, and 9 rectangles to draw so that every cell is covered exactly once. The patches run from 1 to 12 cells. Our deduction solver, the one behind the hint button, lays them all without guessing in 9 steps: 4 because only one rectangle fits a clue, 5 because some uncovered cell can be reached by only one clue. The tightest clue at the start is the tall 10 at row 4, column 3, with only 1 possible rectangle before anything is placed. A brute-force solver would face 115 branch points on the way to the unique answer.

Patches #27 in numbers

Board7×7, Hard
Clues9 (3 with a number)
Shapes2 square · 2 tall · 2 wide · 3 any
Patch sizes1 to 12 cells
Deduction steps9
“Only one rectangle fits” steps4
“Only one clue reaches this cell” steps5
Brute-force branch points115
How to start Patches #27: the first 9 patches

Each placement is what the hint button would say at that point, from the empty board. Rows and columns are counted from the top-left corner.

  1. Tall 10 clue at row 4, column 3 → 2×5 patch. Only one patch fits the tall rectangle (10) clue here: 2 wide × 5 tall. Every other rectangle would cross another clue, a placed patch or the edge.

  2. Wide clue at row 7, column 2 → 2×1 patch. Only one patch fits the wide rectangle clue here: 2 wide × 1 tall. Every other rectangle would cross another clue, a placed patch or the edge.

  3. Square 1 clue at row 7, column 5 → 1×1 patch. Only one patch fits the square (1) clue here: 1×1. Every other rectangle would cross another clue, a placed patch or the edge.

  4. Any shape clue at row 1, column 1 → 2×6 patch. The outlined cell can only be reached by the any-shape clue — no other clue's patch can stretch to it — so it belongs to that patch. (Fill it in draws the whole patch: 2 wide × 6 tall.)

  5. Square clue at row 2, column 3 → 2×2 patch. The outlined cell can only be reached by the square clue — no other clue's patch can stretch to it — so it belongs to that patch. That fixes the patch: 2×2.

  6. Any shape clue at row 5, column 5 → 1×6 patch. The outlined cell can only be reached by the any-shape clue — no other clue's patch can stretch to it — so it belongs to that patch. (Fill it in draws the whole patch: 1 wide × 6 tall.)

  7. Wide 2 clue at row 1, column 6 → 2×1 patch. Only one patch fits the wide rectangle (2) clue here: 2 wide × 1 tall. Every other rectangle would cross another clue, a placed patch or the edge.

  8. Tall clue at row 2, column 7 → 2×3 patch. The outlined cell can only be reached by the tall rectangle clue — no other clue's patch can stretch to it — so it belongs to that patch. That fixes the patch: 2 wide × 3 tall.

  9. Any shape clue at row 5, column 7 → 2×3 patch. The outlined cell can only be reached by the any-shape clue — no other clue's patch can stretch to it — so it belongs to that patch. (Fill it in draws the whole patch: 2 wide × 3 tall.)

Patches #27 solution

Each colour is one patch; the clue cell shows its shape (■ square, ▮ tall, ▬ wide, ✦ any) and area.

  • any shape at row 1, column 1: 2 wide × 6 tall, top-left row 1, column 1
  • square at row 2, column 3: 2 wide × 2 tall, top-left row 1, column 3
  • any shape at row 5, column 5: 1 wide × 6 tall, top-left row 1, column 5
  • wide 2 at row 1, column 6: 2 wide × 1 tall, top-left row 1, column 6
  • tall at row 2, column 7: 2 wide × 3 tall, top-left row 2, column 6
  • tall 10 at row 4, column 3: 2 wide × 5 tall, top-left row 3, column 3
  • any shape at row 5, column 7: 2 wide × 3 tall, top-left row 5, column 6
  • wide at row 7, column 2: 2 wide × 1 tall, top-left row 7, column 1
  • square 1 at row 7, column 5: 1 wide × 1 tall, top-left row 7, column 5

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