How to Play Magnets

Magnets is a logic puzzle about placing bar magnets: every domino is either a magnet or a dummy, and the counts around the grid say how many poles of each kind each line holds.

The rules

The grid is tiled by dominoes. Each domino is a magnet, one half + and the other −, or a blank.
The red numbers (left and top) count the + squares in each row and column; the blue numbers (right and bottom) count the − squares. Some counts are hidden.
No two like poles share a side: a + never touches a +, a − never touches a −, within a domino's neighbours or across dominoes.

Playing on kawu

Tap a domino to cycle + −, − +, blank, and back to undecided. Blanks are shaded.
Counts turn green when met and red when exceeded; a warning shows when like poles touch.
Undo steps back; Hint fixes a wrong domino or sets a correct one.
Sizes 4×4, 6×6, 8×8; the daily puzzle is a 6×6 shared by everyone.

Next, read the Magnets solving tips.

Frequently asked questions

Can like poles touch diagonally?

Yes. Only squares sharing a side matter. Two + squares at a corner are fine.

What does a missing count mean?

Nothing is known about that line's + or − total. The puzzle still has a single answer; the other counts and the touching rule decide it.

Last updated 2026-10-21