How to play Tents
Pitch a tent beside every tree — one each — so no two tents touch and every row and column has its count. Also known as Tents and Trees, Tents.
The rules
- Every tree has exactly one tent directly next to it: above, below, left or right (not diagonally).
- Every tent belongs to exactly one tree.
- Tents never touch each other, not even diagonally.
- The numbers outside the grid give the number of tents in each row and column.
Playing Tents on Puzzle Solvers
- Choose whether every count is shown or some are hidden, a size and a difficulty, then press New Puzzle.
- Tap a square to cycle grass → tent → empty, or pick the Tent or Grass tool. Drag to lay grass over many squares.
- Squares that can only be grass are dotted for you; counts turn green when a row or column is right.
- Hint places one tent or patch of grass and explains why.
Using the Tents solver
- Choose the size, click each tree’s square, then click each count and type it (or press Sample).
- Press Solve and step through: full lines, only-room, lonely trees, squares no tree can use, every-way checks and what-ifs.
A worked example
Row 1 has the count 0, so all of row 1 is grass. A tree in row 2 now has no free square above it, and its left and right squares are other trees — so its tent must go below it, in row 3.
That tent makes all eight squares around it grass, which leaves the next tree with just one free square: its tent goes there.
Strategies
- Grass first. Any square that touches no tree is grass. So are the eight squares around every tent, and the rest of a row or column that already has its tents.
- Zeros. A row or column with a 0 is all grass — a quick way to start.
- Lonely trees. A tree with only one free square beside it must have its tent there.
- Count the room. If a row needs 2 tents and has exactly 2 free squares that do not touch, both are tents.
- Shared trees. Two trees side by side need two different tents — a single tent between them only serves one.
Common mistakes
- Placing a tent diagonally from its tree — it must be across or down.
- Letting two tents touch at a corner.
- Giving one tent to two trees.
Where it comes from
Tents and Trees appeared in Dutch puzzle magazines in the 1990s and became popular in puzzle apps under names like Tents and Tents & Trees.
Frequently asked questions
Can a tent be diagonal to its tree?
No — a tent must be directly above, below, left or right of its tree.
Can two trees share one tent?
No. Each tree has its own tent, so the number of tents always equals the number of trees.
What does ‘some counts hidden’ mean?
Some row or column numbers are left out. The puzzle still has exactly one answer, but you have to work harder for it.
How do I solve a puzzle from a book?
Open the Tents Solver, plant the trees, type the counts and press Solve.
Keep going
- Play Tentsa fresh puzzle every time
- Tents Solverstep by step, every move explained
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