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Shade

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Three data charts a day, each missing one piece: shade it in.

Play Shade

on axisless.com

Shade on 30 October 2026, round 1: a map of England and Wales shaded by share of adults with a degree, West Oxfordshire blank, with the colour scale and slider below

Shade is a daily data puzzle from Axisless. Each day brings three charts and maps coloured by real numbers, each with one piece left blank, and you drag a slider until its shade looks right. The closer you get to the true value, the more of the 100 points per chart you score.

About Shade

Shade is a free browser game from Axisless, the small data-puzzle site made by Paul Longe, which also makes World Imposter and Keysweeper. Its numbered days began with #1 on 28 September 2026.

Every chart in Shade is coloured by a real figure, darker meaning more. One piece is blank: a country, a key, a square on a board. You get a question about it, then drag a slider until the colour of the blank piece matches the number you think is right, and place it. Your score for the round is out of 100, higher the closer you are, and the reveal shows the true value, where the piece really ranks, a short fact and the data's source.

A day is three rounds, and each comes from a different kind of chart. On 22 October 2026 the first asked what share of people in the Netherlands were born abroad, on a world map; another shaded the average move at which a chess capture is made; the third asked how often a key is struck in Chopin's Ballade No. 1, on a piano keyboard. An earlier day asked how much house prices had grown on the real streets of a London Monopoly board. You can reason from the shades around the gap, or from what you already know.

When the three rounds are done you can share your result, and a streak counts the days you played on the day. Missed days stay open for a week as catch-up, and players who want more can try five extra puzzles, an unlimited mode and a practice round. Shade has no ads and needs no account. It suits people who like maps, charts and a quick guess at a number.

How to play Shade

  1. Open Shade and press Play to start the day's first chart.
  2. Read the question and the scale: darker colours mean a larger number.
  3. Look at the blank piece and the shades of the pieces around it.
  4. Drag the slider until the blank piece's colour matches your estimate.
  5. Place it to see the real value and your score out of 100.
  6. Play all three rounds, then share your result.

Screenshots

Shade at phone size on 30 October 2026: the England and Wales degree map in one column, a zoom circle on West Oxfordshire above the slider and Place button
Shade on 22 October 2026: a world map shaded by share of people born abroad, with the Netherlands blank and a slider to set its value
A Shade round: a London Monopoly board coloured by house price growth, asking how high Pall Mall ranks
Shade's share card: a honeycomb of shaded hexagons with the centre one blank, and the words Fill in the missing piece

Tips

  • Compare the blank piece with its neighbours first: real data often changes gradually from place to place.
  • Check the scale under the question before moving the slider, since some charts measure a ratio rather than a total.
  • Use the practice round to get a feel for how the slider maps to colour.

Questions

When does Shade get new puzzles?

At midnight on your own device's clock, so the day changes at your local midnight rather than at a fixed hour worldwide.

How many puzzles are there each day?

Three charts a day, each from a different subject. Five extra puzzles and an unlimited beta mode are there for more play.

Can I play a day I missed?

Yes. The day strip on the start screen keeps the past seven days open as catch-up, though only a day played on the day counts toward your streak.

Is Shade free?

Yes. It is free to play in the browser, with no account and no ads.

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