Each number on this grid is a lookout tower. In Range Shading Puzzle unblocked, a clue tells you how many white squares it can see in a straight line up, down, left and right, counting itself.
Your job is to paint the right squares black to block the views. The puzzle is Range, by Jonas Kölker, from Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection.
How to play Range Shading Puzzle
There are four rules. Numbered squares are always white. Black squares may touch at corners but never along a side. All the white squares must connect into one area through their sides. And every number must see exactly its value in white squares, with a black square or the board edge stopping the view.
Left-click a square to shade it black. Right-click to place a dot, a note that the square must stay white. Click the same square more times to rotate it between black, dot and empty. The board flashes when you solve it.
Several preset board sizes are offered, from small to large, and you can set a custom size too. Undo and redo are unlimited.
Controls
| To… | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shade a square black (repeat to cycle) | Arrow keys to move, then Enter | Left-click | Tap with Tap set to Shade black |
| Mark a square with a dot as surely white (repeat to cycle) | Space | Right-click | Press and hold, or set Tap to Dot and tap |
| Dot every square you pass over | Shift + arrow keys | — | — |
| New game, undo, redo | N, U, R | Menu buttons above the grid | Menu buttons above the grid |
Tips
- Start with the biggest clues. Count every square a number could possibly see. If that maximum equals the clue, the whole cross is white.
- Dot around every black. As soon as you shade a square, its four side neighbors must be white. Mark them right away.
- Small clues are tight. A 2 sees itself and only one more square, so most of its neighbors must be black or the edge.
- Check for trapped white. If a black square would cut off a pocket of white squares from the rest, it cannot go there.
- Drag dots with the keyboard. Hold Shift and use the arrow keys to drop dots along a line you have proved white.
Range Shading Puzzle questions
Is the numbered square counted in its own total?
Yes. The clue includes the square it sits on, plus every white square it sees in all four directions until something blocks the view.
How do I mark a dot on a touchscreen?
Hold your finger on the square. Another way is to set the tap mode under the grid to Dot. Taps then place dots until you switch back.
Can I flip the mouse buttons?
Yes. Under Game, then Preferences, you can swap the buttons so a left-click dots and a right-click shades.
