How to play Tap Shade
Shade one connected wall so that every clue lists the runs of shaded squares in the eight squares around it, with no 2×2 shaded blocks. Also known as Tapa, Ring-clue shading puzzle.
The rules
- A clue gives the lengths of the separate runs of shaded squares among its eight neighbours (in any order).
- Clue squares are never shaded.
- All shaded squares join up side by side into one wall.
- No 2×2 block of squares is completely shaded.
Playing Tap Shade on Puzzle Solvers
- Choose a size and a difficulty, then press New Puzzle.
- Tap a square to shade it, again for a dot (white), again to clear. Drag to do several.
- A clue turns green when the ring of eight around it is finished and right, red when it can’t be right.
- Hint explains the next deduction — clue rings, 2×2 blocks and keeping the wall joined.
Using the Tap Shade solver
- Choose the size and type the clues (or press Sample).
- Press Solve and step through: ways a ring can be shaded, 2×2 blocks and joining the wall.
A worked example
A clue of 5 in a corner has only three neighbours — impossible — so corner clues are small. A 3 in a corner shades all three neighbours.
A clue “1 1” on an edge has five neighbours: the two shaded squares must have white between them, which often fixes the middle square as white.
Strategies
- Zeros and eights. A 0 leaves all eight neighbours white; an 8 shades them all.
- Big single runs. A 7 or a 6 around a square leaves only one or two white neighbours — try where they can go.
- Split clues. Clues with several numbers need white gaps between runs: “1 1 1 1” shades every other neighbour.
- 2×2 watch. Three shaded squares in a 2×2 block make the fourth white.
- Keep it joined. A white square that would cut the wall in two must be shaded instead.
Common mistakes
- Reading “1 3” as thirteen — it means a run of one and a run of three.
- Leaving a shaded square cut off from the rest of the wall.
- Shading a 2×2 block somewhere away from the clues.
Where it comes from
Ring-clue shading puzzles were invented in Turkey in 2007 and quickly became a favourite at world puzzle championships.
Frequently asked questions
Does the order of a clue’s numbers matter?
No — “1 3” and “3 1” mean the same thing: one run of one and one run of three.
Can white squares be cut off?
Yes — only the shaded squares have to join up. White areas can be any shape.
Is there always one answer?
Yes — every puzzle here is checked to have exactly one solution.
How do I solve one from a book?
Open the Tap Shade Solver, type the clues and press Solve.
Keep going
- Play Tap Shadea fresh puzzle every time
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