Archive · Patches #37

Patches #37 (November 2, 2026): solution and step-by-step

The 6×6 easy board from Monday, November 2, 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

Patches #37 was the 6×6 easy board of Monday, November 2, 2026: 9 clues (1 square, 4 talls and 4 wides), 9 of them with an area number, and 9 rectangles to draw so that every cell is covered exactly once. The patches run from 2 to 10 cells. Our deduction solver, the one behind the hint button, lays them all without guessing in 9 steps: 9 because only one rectangle fits a clue, 0 because some uncovered cell can be reached by only one clue. The tightest clue at the start is the square 9 at row 2, column 1, with only 1 possible rectangle before anything is placed. A brute-force solver would face 0 branch points on the way to the unique answer.

Patches #37 in numbers

Board6×6, Easy
Clues9 (9 with a number)
Shapes1 square · 4 tall · 4 wide · 0 any
Patch sizes2 to 10 cells
Deduction steps9
“Only one rectangle fits” steps9
“Only one clue reaches this cell” steps0
Brute-force branch points0
How to start Patches #37: 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. Square 9 clue at row 2, column 1 → 3×3 patch. Only one patch fits the square (9) clue here: 3×3. Every other rectangle would cross another clue, a placed patch or the edge.

  2. Tall 10 clue at row 3, column 4 → 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.

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

  4. Wide 2 clue at row 5, column 2 → 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.

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

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

  7. Tall 4 clue at row 2, column 6 → 1×4 patch. Only one patch fits the tall rectangle (4) clue here: 1 wide × 4 tall. Every other rectangle would cross another clue, a placed patch or the edge.

  8. Wide 2 clue at row 6, column 1 → 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.

  9. Wide 2 clue at row 6, column 4 → 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.

Patches #37 solution

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

  • square 9 at row 2, column 1: 3 wide × 3 tall, top-left row 1, column 1
  • tall 10 at row 3, column 4: 2 wide × 5 tall, top-left row 1, column 4
  • tall 4 at row 2, column 6: 1 wide × 4 tall, top-left row 1, column 6
  • wide 3 at row 4, column 1: 3 wide × 1 tall, top-left row 4, column 1
  • wide 2 at row 5, column 2: 2 wide × 1 tall, top-left row 5, column 1
  • tall 2 at row 5, column 3: 1 wide × 2 tall, top-left row 5, column 3
  • tall 2 at row 6, column 6: 1 wide × 2 tall, top-left row 5, column 6
  • wide 2 at row 6, column 1: 2 wide × 1 tall, top-left row 6, column 1
  • wide 2 at row 6, column 4: 2 wide × 1 tall, top-left row 6, column 4

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