Hitori Conquest

About Hitori Conquest

Hitori Conquest is a web home for Hitori, the Japanese number puzzle whose name means alone. It is run by Hey, Good Game, a small studio that makes and buys daily puzzle games.

Every day there is a numbered 5x5 puzzle (number 117 fell on 2 October 2026) and a larger 8x8, and once a week an 18x18. The archive lists the recent dailies by number and date; the last week is open to everyone, and a free account unlocks the rest along with saved streaks. An unlimited mode gives random grids for extra practice.

A puzzle starts as a grid full of numbers. You click a cell to shade it out and click again to circle it as one you know stays white. The goal is that no number appears twice in any row or column, no two shaded cells touch side by side, and all the white cells stay connected in one group. The 5x5 takes most people a minute or two; the 8x8 asks for longer chains of reasoning.

It suits Sudoku players looking for something that works the other way round (you remove numbers instead of adding them), and people who want a short daily logic warm-up with a streak to keep. A first-time tutorial walks you through the rules on a small grid.

How to play Hitori Conquest

1. Open Hitori Conquest and start the Daily 5x5 (or switch to the Daily 8x8).
2. Click a cell to shade it out.
3. Click again to circle a cell you are sure stays white.
4. Remove duplicates until no row or column repeats a number.
5. Keep shaded cells from touching side by side and keep all white cells joined; the puzzle ends when the grid is valid.

Screenshots

Tips

• When three equal numbers sit in a row, the middle one stays white and both ends are shaded.
• A number sandwiched between two equal numbers must stay white.
• Once you shade a cell, circle its four neighbours straight away, since shaded cells cannot touch.

Questions