Rooms Solving Tips
Rooms is solved by combining three small rules. Rules first? See how to play.
1. Zeros and full rooms
A 0 dots every cell of its room. A room whose number equals the most cells that can be shaded without touching (every other cell) is fixed outright: a 1×3 room with a 2 shades both ends.
2. Narrow rooms
In a 1-wide room, shaded cells alternate at best. Count how many fit and compare with the number; often only one arrangement works.
3. Break the long runs
Any row or column that crosses three rooms needs a shaded cell to split it before the third room. Where two such lines meet, the shared cell is a strong candidate.
4. Keep the area whole
A shaded cell that would seal off a corner or a pocket of unshaded cells is wrong. Check both sides of every wall before shading next to it.
5. Unnumbered rooms last
Free rooms take whatever the neighbours force. Solve the numbered rooms first and let the long-run and touching rules decide the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I start a Rooms puzzle?
With the rooms whose number forces everything: a 0 dots the whole room, and a 1×3 room numbered 2 must shade both ends. Then look for rows and columns that pass through three rooms; each needs a shaded cell somewhere in the middle room or at its borders.
Last updated 2026-10-21