What is Star Battle?
Star Battle is a placement logic puzzle played on a grid divided into colored regions — the same format as the popular Queens puzzle. The goal: place exactly one star in every row, every column, and every colored region, with one strict spacing rule — no two stars may ever touch, not even diagonally. There are no numbers and no arithmetic; the entire puzzle is solved through spatial deduction.
How to play:
- Choose a grid size and how many puzzles you want to solve, then click Start Puzzle
- Tap or click a cell to cycle it: empty → ⭐ star → · mark → empty
- Marks are optional helpers for cells you've ruled out — they don't affect completion
- The puzzle completes automatically the moment all stars are correctly placed
Core solving techniques:
- Small regions first: A region with only one or two cells forces its star immediately
- Confined regions: If a region fits entirely inside one row or column, that row or column's star must be in it — every cell of that line outside the region can be marked
- Star shadows: Every placed star eliminates all eight surrounding cells, plus the rest of its row, column, and region
- Counting lines: If N regions are confined to N rows, no other region can have a star in those rows
- Every puzzle here is generated with exactly one solution
Scoring:
- Total Time: Active solving time — pauses between puzzles are excluded
- Avg per Puzzle: Total time divided by puzzles solved
- Hints Used: Each hint fixes one cell — fewer is better