Shikaku (shikaku.ch)
Rate itA daily 10 by 10 Shikaku with a worldwide leaderboard of solve times.
on shikaku.ch
shikaku.ch is a free, plain web home for the Nikoli rectangle puzzle, with one 10 by 10 grid a day for everyone. You cut the grid into rectangles so each holds one number equal to its area, and your time goes on that day's world leaderboard.
About Shikaku (shikaku.ch)
Shikaku asks you to divide a grid of scattered numbers into rectangles. Every rectangle must contain exactly one number, the number is the rectangle's area, and every cell has to be covered once. A 6 can be a 1 by 6 strip or a 2 by 3 block; a 1 is a single cell.
The site's daily puzzle is a 10 by 10 grid, dated at the top and the same for everyone. Pressing Start begins the clock, and a solved grid posts your time to Today's Leaderboard, which shows each player's flag beside their time. The page keeps your streak, best time and number of puzzles solved, and a share button copies your result. The archive replays earlier days; those replays are not scored.
Outside the daily there is unlimited play in four sizes, from 5 by 5 up to 25 by 25, and a long strategy guide. The site is a side project by Juulian from St. Gallen, Switzerland, free with no account or app. It suits anyone who wants a short, quiet logic puzzle with a stopwatch, and fans of The Economist's Inboxes who want a second grid a day.
How to play Shikaku (shikaku.ch)
- Open shikaku.ch and press Start on today's daily puzzle.
- Drag across cells to draw a rectangle whose area equals the one number inside it.
- Click a single cell to place a 1 by 1 rectangle for a clue of 1.
- Click or right-click a rectangle to erase it.
- Cover every cell correctly to stop the clock and post your time to the day's leaderboard.
Screenshots
Tips
- Start with the primes: a 2, 3, 5 or 7 can only be a straight line.
- Clues in corners and along edges have fewer shapes that fit; place them early.
- Large numbers in open space are often forced once the small clues around them are placed.
Questions
Is shikaku.ch free?
Yes. There is no account and nothing to install, and it works in a phone browser too. The page loads Google ads; a Support button lets players pay for a coloured name tag on the leaderboard.
How big is the daily puzzle?
The daily is a 10 by 10 grid. Free play also offers 5 by 5, 20 by 20 and 25 by 25.
Can I play past daily puzzles?
Yes. The archive replays earlier days, but those times are not sent to the leaderboard.
When does the daily Shikaku change?
At midnight UTC. The page shows a countdown to the next puzzle.
Ratings and reviews
Games like Shikaku (shikaku.ch)
Shikaku Days
Shikaku Days: one shared Shikaku a day with a leaderboard of times, the closest match
Shikaku of the Day
One Shikaku a day at five difficulty levels, for when 10 by 10 feels too easy or too hard
Shikaku Daily
Another daily Shikaku, with trophies for speed and a streak bonus
Inboxes (The Economist)
The Economist's timed daily Shikaku on an 8 by 12 grid
Plot (Mind Loft)
Mind Loft's daily Shikaku, 10 by 10 on weekdays and 12 by 12 on Sundays
The Times Cell Blocks
The Times's numbered daily rectangle puzzle, the same rules in a newspaper's set
Daily Shikaku
One large Shikaku a day, for a longer solve than the 10 by 10
Patches
LinkedIn's daily grid of rectangles and squares, with shape clues added to the areas