How to Play Queens

Queens is a pure logic puzzle: no guessing is ever required, and every puzzle on this site has exactly one solution. Your job is to work out where the queens go.

The rules

Place exactly one queen in every row.
Place exactly one queen in every column.
Place exactly one queen in every color region.
No two queens may touch each other — not even diagonally.

Note the last rule carefully: queens here do not attack along full diagonals like chess queens. Only the eight squares immediately around a queen are forbidden.

A solved 5×5 board: one queen in every row, column, and color region, and no two queens touching.

A broken position: these two queens touch diagonally, so both are flagged in red.

How to interact

Tap or click a square to cycle it: empty → X → queen → empty. Use X marks to note squares where a queen cannot go.
Press and drag across squares to paint X marks quickly.
Undo, Redo, and Clear are always available under the board.
Stuck? Hint first flags any wrongly placed queen, and otherwise reveals one correct queen for you.

Winning

The puzzle is solved the moment every queen is placed correctly: one per row, column, and region, with no touching pairs. Your time stops automatically and your best time for that board size is saved in your browser.

FAQ

Do queens attack along whole diagonals?

No. Unlike chess, only adjacency matters: a queen forbids the eight squares directly around it, plus its full row, column, and color region.

Do I ever have to guess?

Never. Every puzzle is generated with a unique solution reachable by step-by-step elimination. If you feel forced to guess, there is a deduction you have not spotted — the strategy guide can help.

Is using X marks required?

No, but it helps enormously. Crossing out eliminated squares turns invisible reasoning into something you can see, and makes forced placements jump out.

What is the difference between this and the daily puzzle?

Unlimited mode generates a brand-new puzzle whenever you like, in sizes from 7×7 to 12×12. The Daily Puzzle is one shared 9×9 board per day (UTC), with a streak counter for consecutive days solved.

Does using a hint count against me?

Hints are free to use, and your solve still counts. The win screen shows how many hints you used, so a hint-free time is the one worth bragging about.

Is my progress saved?

Yes. The current puzzle, your timer, best times, and daily streak are all stored in your browser automatically — no account needed.