How to play Straights
Fill white cells so no digit repeats in a row or column, and each white compartment forms a straight — a set of consecutive numbers. Also known as Compartment number puzzle.
The rules
- The grid (usually 9×9, sometimes 6×6) has white and black cells.
- Fill white cells with 1–9 (1–6 on a 6×6). No digit repeats in any row or column.
- A compartment is an unbroken run of white cells in a row or column. Its digits must form a straight — consecutive numbers in any order, like 4-6-5.
- Black cells may show a digit. That digit is blocked: it cannot appear elsewhere in that row or column.
Playing Straights on Puzzle Solvers
- Choose a size and a difficulty, then press New Puzzle.
- Tap a square, then a number on the pad (or type it). Turn on ✎ notes to pencil in possibilities.
- The compartments of the selected square light up, so you can see which runs it belongs to.
- Hint explains the next deduction — numbers already used, the runs a compartment can still hold, and sure numbers.
Using the Straights solver
- Choose the size, mark the black squares and type the numbers (or press Sample).
- Press Solve and step through: repeats, compartment runs, runs that can’t overlap in a line, and sure numbers.
A worked example
A row has a 4-cell compartment and the digit 9 is already in it. Consecutive sets of four that include 9 start at 6 — so the compartment is 6, 7, 8, 9 in some order.
If 7 is blocked by a black cell in that row, the set 6-7-8-9 is impossible, so 9 cannot be in that compartment after all — re-check the given.
Strategies
- Big numbers in short compartments. A compartment of 4 containing a 9 must be 6, 7, 8, 9. One containing a 1 must be 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Blocked digits split ranges. If 5 is blocked in a row, a 3-cell compartment there must be entirely below 5 or entirely above it.
- Sure candidates. In a 6-cell compartment of a 9×9 grid, the digits 4, 5 and 6 are always present whatever the straight.
- Compare compartments in a line. Two compartments in one row cannot share digits, which often pushes one high and one low.
Common mistakes
- Thinking a straight must be in order. The digits can appear in any order.
- Forgetting that a whole row is not a straight — only each compartment is.
Where it comes from
This straights puzzle was invented in 2008 and is published under a trademarked name in newspapers worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
Does a straight have to be in order?
No. 7-5-6 is a valid straight: the digits only need to be consecutive as a set.
What is a blocked digit?
A digit printed in a black cell. It cannot appear in any white cell of that row or column.
How do I list the possible straights?
Use the compartment calculator: set the grid size and compartment length and mark blocked digits.
Keep going
- Play Straightsa fresh puzzle every time
- Straights Solverstep by step, every move explained
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