Watch the complete walkthrough

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Your goal

Place one koala in every row, column and colored region. Koalas cannot touch, including diagonally. You do not fill in numbers. An empty square is a candidate, not a confirmed answer.

Start with this 4×4 board. Count rows downward and columns rightward from the top-left corner, starting at 1.

Learn the controls first

1. Start with the single green square

The green region contains just row 1, column 3. Every region needs a koala, so this square is certain. Double-tap it.

The green single-square region at row 1, column 3

Figure 1: identify the region before placing the koala.

The game then introduces one koala per region, row and column. Tap Got it to continue.

2. Mark the six squares in its row and column

The first koala occupies row 1 and column 3. Mark row 1 columns 1, 2 and 4, then column 3 rows 2, 3 and 4. These are six different squares. Tap each once or drag through the highlighted squares.

Six highlighted squares sharing the first koala’s row or column

Figure 2: sharing an occupied row or column rules a square out.

3. The pink region now has one candidate

Pink has three squares: row 3 column 3, row 4 column 2, and row 4 column 3. Column 3 is occupied, so two are excluded. Double-tap row 4, column 2.

The remaining pink candidate at row 4, column 2

Figure 3: two exclusions leave one certain location.

4. Remember diagonal neighbors

Mark row 3 column 1, row 3 column 2, and row 4 column 1. They touch the pink koala. Row 3 column 1 touches it diagonally, which is also forbidden. Other neighboring squares were already marked.

Three unmarked neighbors of the pink koala

Figure 4: diagonal contact counts too.

5. Recheck the aqua region

Its top square was excluded by the green koala, and its lower three squares by the pink one. Only row 2, column 1 remains. Double-tap it.

The sole remaining aqua candidate at row 2, column 1

Figure 5: every new exclusion can unlock a different region.

6. Find the last koala yourself

Rows 1, 2 and 4 are occupied; columns 1, 2 and 3 are occupied. The missing row is 3 and the missing column is 4. Their intersection is row 3, column 4. It belongs to the unused peach region and touches no existing koala.

The last free-play step with three koalas already placed

Figure 6: check the unused row and column.

The completed tutorial with four koalas

Figure 7: every row, column and region has one koala, with no touching pairs.

Try it yourself

Open the playable tutorial. It uses the same map and placement order, single taps, double taps, and guided exclusions. You find the last koala yourself.

Then try the illustrated 5×5 guide, 7×7 candidate-pair guide, and 9×9 region guide.

In the web tutorial, Next completes the current placement or marking step and advances. You can also solve each step yourself. Continue with tools and hints and fixing mistakes.