Find the Cat #155: 8x8 Grid Puzzle (Medium)

medium

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

0 / 8 cats · 0:00
Red (9)Orange (9)Yellow (14)Green (13)Teal (2)Blue (1)Purple (7)Pink (9)

Every row, every column and every color region needs exactly one cat -- but no two cats may touch, not even diagonally. This puzzle is a 8x8 grid with 8 colored regions.

  • 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 Blue region has only one open square left: R8C2. Put a cat there.
  2. Wherever the cat in the Teal region ends up, it rules out R1C7, R2C7, R3C8, R4C8, R5C8, R6C8 and 1 more. Cross those squares out.
  3. Wherever the cat in the Purple region ends up, it rules out R7C6. Cross that square out.
  4. Wherever the cat in the Orange region ends up, it rules out R5C4 and R6C4. Cross those squares out.
  5. Wherever the cat in the Green region ends up, it rules out R4C6. Cross that square out.
  6. Wherever the cat in the Pink region ends up, it rules out R1C1, R2C1, R3C1 and R4C1. Cross those squares out.
  7. Wherever the cat in the Red region ends up, it rules out R1C5 and R2C3. Cross those squares out.
  8. Wherever the cat in row 3 ends up, it rules out R2C6. Cross that square out.
  9. Wherever the cat in row 4 ends up, it rules out R3C6. Cross that square out.
  10. Wherever the cat in row 7 ends up, it rules out R6C5. Cross that square out.
  11. The Red and Teal regions can only use rows 1 and 2, so rows 1 and 2 are already spoken for. Cross out R1C6 and R2C5.
  12. Wherever the cat in column 6 ends up, it rules out R5C5, R5C7 and R6C7. Cross those squares out.
  13. The Orange, Purple and Pink regions can only use rows 5, 6 and 7, so rows 5, 6 and 7 are already spoken for. Cross out R5C6.
  14. Column 6 has only one open square left: R6C6. Put a cat there.
  15. The Pink region has only one open square left: R5C1. Put a cat there.
  16. The Orange region has only one open square left: R7C4. Put a cat there.
  17. The Red region has only one open square left: R1C3. Put a cat there.
  18. The Yellow region has only one open square left: R3C5. Put a cat there.
  19. The Green region has only one open square left: R4C7. Put a cat there.
  20. The Teal region has only one open square left: R2C8. Put a cat there.

About this puzzle

Where to start: the Blue region is a single square, so its cat is already decided. Its 8 color regions range from 1 square (Blue) to 14 squares. It can be solved in 20 deduction steps using grouped row/column/region deductions.

Look for a color that sits entirely inside one row or one column. Its cat must be in that line, so every other square in that line can be crossed out.

Stuck? Open the step-by-step solution below -- each step names the row, column or color involved, so you can use it as a hint and then finish the puzzle yourself.

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