How to Play Lone Number
1
No Duplicates
Shade cells so that no number appears more than once in any row or column among the unshaded cells.
2
No Touching
Two shaded cells can never touch horizontally or vertically (they cannot share an edge).
3
Stay Connected
All unshaded cells must form a single continuous connected region. No isolated groups are allowed.
Lone Number — Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Lone Number puzzle?
Lone Number is a shading logic puzzle
played on a number grid. Your goal is to shade cells so that no number repeats in any row or
column among the visible (unshaded) cells, no two shaded cells touch each other, and all
unshaded cells remain connected in one group.
How do I know which cells to shade?
Look for rows or columns that contain
duplicate numbers — one of those duplicates must be shaded. Use the no-adjacency and
connectivity rules to narrow down which one. Start with cells that are forced by multiple
constraints at once.
What does the circle mark mean?
Clicking a cell twice marks it with a
circle, meaning you are certain it must stay unshaded. This is a solving aid — it does not
affect the puzzle logic, only helps you track your deductions visually.
Is there a new Lone Number puzzle every day?
Yes. A new puzzle rotates in
automatically each day. Easy mode uses a 5×5 grid, and Medium mode uses a 6×6 grid with a
more complex solution path.
How is Lone Number different from Sudoku?
In Sudoku you fill in missing
numbers. In Lone Number all numbers are already on the grid — your job is to decide which
ones to hide by shading. The three shading rules create a completely different style of
logical deduction.