Find the Cat #13: 6x6 Grid Puzzle (Easy)

easy

Tap a square: ✕ (ruled out) → 🐱 (cat) → clear

0 / 6 cats · 0:00
Red (1)Orange (10)Yellow (4)Green (5)Teal (7)Blue (9)

Can you place all 6 cats? One per row, one per column, one per color -- and keep them at least one square apart in every direction.

  • One cat in every row and every column.
  • One cat in every color region.
  • Cats can’t touch — not even diagonally.

Step-by-step solution

Squares are written as R<row>C<column>, counting from the top-left. Cross out the squares listed, and place a cat wherever a step says so.

  1. The Red region has only one open square left: R5C6. Put a cat there.
  2. Wherever the cat in the Yellow region ends up, it rules out R1C4 and R2C2. Cross those squares out.
  3. Wherever the cat in the Orange region ends up, it rules out R3C5. Cross that square out.
  4. Wherever the cat in the Green region ends up, it rules out R1C1, R3C2 and R6C1. Cross those squares out.
  5. Wherever the cat in the Blue region ends up, it rules out R6C2. Cross that square out.
  6. Wherever the cat in the Teal region ends up, it rules out R3C3, R4C1 and R4C4. Cross those squares out.
  7. Wherever the cat in column 5 ends up, it rules out R2C4 and R3C4. Cross those squares out.
  8. Row 3 has only one open square left: R3C1. Put a cat there.
  9. The Teal region has only one open square left: R4C3. Put a cat there.
  10. The Yellow region has only one open square left: R1C2. Put a cat there.
  11. The Orange region has only one open square left: R2C5. Put a cat there.
  12. The Blue region has only one open square left: R6C4. Put a cat there.

About this puzzle

Where to start: the Red region is a single square, so its cat is already decided. Its 6 color regions range from 1 square (Red) to 10 squares. It can be solved in 12 deduction steps using "wherever it goes" eliminations.

A useful habit is to mark squares you have ruled out. Tap a square once for a cross and twice for a cat -- crosses cost nothing and make later deductions much easier to spot.

This is a variation of the Star Battle family of grid puzzles, sometimes also called Queens-style puzzles, with cats in place of stars.

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