How to Play Kropki
Kropki ("dots" in Polish) is a Latin-square puzzle where the only clues are small dots on the borders between cells. It is a staple of puzzle championships because the logic is pure: no arithmetic beyond doubling.
The rules
- Fill the grid so every row and every column contains the digits 1 to n once.
- A white dot between two neighbouring cells: their digits differ by one.
- A black dot: one digit is double the other.
- No dot: neither relation holds.
- Between a 1 and a 2 either dot may appear.
Playing on kawu
- Tap a cell, then a digit on the pad (or type it). Shift + digit or notes mode pencils in a candidate.
- Digits that repeat or break a dot are underlined in red.
- Undo steps back; Hint fixes a wrong digit or fills the most constrained cell.
- Sizes 4×4, 6×6 and 7×7; a few digits are given only when the dots alone don't settle the grid. The daily puzzle is a 6×6 shared by everyone.
Then read Kropki solving techniques.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean when there is no dot between two cells?
That the two digits are neither consecutive nor in a 1:2 ratio. Missing dots are clues: for example, a 1 can never sit next to an undotted cell holding a 2.
Which dot goes between 1 and 2?
Either one. 1 and 2 are both consecutive and a double, so the puzzle setter chooses. Treat a dot between a 1 and a 2 as satisfied whichever colour it is.
Last updated 2026-10-21